Gunkajima Island

Today, Gunkanjima Island is one of the uninhabited islands of Japan. It is located only 15 km from Nagasaki. It used to be an ordinary reef. But after coal was found on the island at the beginning of the XIX century, people began to move here.

Mines were developed, and the area of the island increased due to spent coal rock. Together with the mines, a new city was built on the island, which was protected from natural elements.

The island is like a mirage that appears out of nowhere in the middle of the ocean. Inside, Gunganjima looks like a labyrinth consisting of high-rises and mines. When in the middle of the XX century (1959) the number of inhabitants on the island became too large, and coal reserves decreased, the mines began to close. In 1974, coal mining ceased.

Residents were leaving the hopeless island. The most amazing thing is that there are still traces of life boiling here on Gunkanjima, and it seems that time has just stopped here.

Recently, the Nagasaki administration decided to transform the “dormant island” into a place for tourists to visit. Along the perimeter of the island for the convenience of vacationers built a road along which guests of the island can walk comfortably, viewing local attractions.

In 2011, some scenes from the film 007: Coordinates of Skyfall were filmed on the island.