Real or Surreal?

At first glance it looks almost too surreal to be true: Gunkanjima, a.k.a. Battleship Island, a place located about 10 miles off the coast of Nagasaki. It gained some fame when the James Bond franchise used it as inspiration for the villain’s lair in the 2012 “Skyfall” film.

Officially named Hashima Island, the place is linked to underwater coal that was exploited in the pre-oil era. At its peak, Gunkanjima was home to more than 5,000 miners, making it the most densely populated place on Earth. When the coal was replaced by oil, the mine was closed and the island was emptied of its inhabitants.

It’s accessible through guided tours from Nagasaki Port. In reality, there isn’t all that much to explore, though. Since it was opened to tourism in 2009, visitors have been restricted to a fenced concrete walkway several hundred meters long. A full reopening would require serious investment in restoration and safety. The island’s structures are vulnerable to collapse as they haven’t been maintained for decades. So far, just a few critical areas have already been reinforced with concrete to prevent further damage. A full restoration looks highly unlikely to happen anytime.

Google’s Street View technology provides extensive coverage of the site. It offers a glimpse inside the buildings, revealing remnants of the island’s former inhabitants, like discarded soda bottles and legacy CRT television sets.