All of us, at least a little, but have heard about ghosts, accumulations of energy of unknown origin and inexplicable phenomena. Our planet regularly gives food to inquisitive minds, stirs up interest in unusual places and phenomena, makes them go to its most remote corners. If you have a weakness for those places where life once raged, and today you cannot find anything living, if you like to experience a chill on your own skin from being in places where ghosts gather, and are ready to personally test the strength of local legends - you will like our today's journey. We pack our bags! The ghost island of Gankajima (Hasima) awaits us.
Our roundup of the 10 most popular ghost towns.
There are many similar places on the planet, but each has its own history. Remember the Ukrainian ghost town called Pripyat, which was empty due to a terrible catastrophe, but Gankajima was not destined to survive such terrible pages of history. The city came to be considered a "ghost" not at all because of a catastrophe or a deadly disease. It just emptied in an instant, as if the last signs of life had been knocked out of its walls.
Dead Island
Japan has always been shrouded in a veil of secrets and unusual legends. This country has presented the world with many wonderful discoveries, and the inquisitive mind and hard work of the Japanese have long become the standards of human qualities. Not all tourists go to the Land of the Rising Sun to learn the intricacies of the local culture and plunge into the wonderful world of sakura blossom traditions. Many come to the ends of the Earth to look at a small island at least from afar, which is located not far from its western coast. This is a small world forgotten by God and people called Gankajima (Hasima), in the history of which there were many "bright" spots.
The history of the island
If you look at it, then Gankajima cannot be called an island. In fact, this is a reef that for a long time was unsuitable for human habitation and was not at all included in the sphere of interests of the Japanese government. No one paid attention to this piece of land protruding above the surface of the water until the very moment when coal deposits were not found here.
It happened back in 1810. And from that moment on, a real confrontation began for the right to own the island and all its riches, which ended with an impressive victory for the giant Mitsubishi. It was this company that received the right to mine coal on the island and it is her merit that is all that was created on the island.
The coal industry developed at a tremendous pace, more and more workers were required. Consequently, the full-scale construction of residential buildings for all those employed in the mining industry began. It is believed that the houses on Gankajima turned out to be very strong, since the developer wanted to protect them from a possible tsunami. The same role was assigned to the impressive-sized walls that encircle the island along its entire perimeter. In addition, the island began to expand, here and there artificial embankments were created, and its area, albeit slightly, but still increased.
When the demand for coal decreased and almost disappeared (due to the appearance of oil), the island's population began to gradually decline. According to official sources, the last resident of the Japanese town left it in 1974.
Island today
Today Gankajima resembles a ship that has docked off the coast of Japan. It is no more than 15 kilometers away. Previously, the views of all those who looked at the island could intersect with the views of the island inhabitants. But today only the empty windows of high-rise buildings look towards the Japanese coast. The huge maze of concrete structures has long been completely devoid of life. A few decades ago, local residents proudly boasted of their walled city, which looked more like a small kingdom. They had everything they needed for a full, long and happy life, and today few people remember the island.
It is interesting only for those who crave new, thrill. Thousands of tourists are looking for a way to find themselves on the other side of the concrete walls, personally stroll through the once crowded streets and look into someone's apartment.
It is impossible to get to the island today. For visitors, tourists and others eager to see an unusual ghost town with their own eyes, its doors are tightly closed. But this does not mean that you will not be able to see with even one eye everything that is behind these walls. Not so long ago, the movie "Battle Royale" was released, many episodes of which were filmed on the island of Gankajima.
According to the official version of local authorities, travel to the island can be dangerous to life and health. For many years, while nature remained the only owner of the city, many buildings and walls fell into disrepair, were destroyed under the influence of natural elements. Although many experts argue that, having established a ban on visiting the island, the Japanese want to protect this place from the so-called "black seekers" who managed to cause irreparable harm to many places on the world map where they managed to visit. Indeed, there are not so few fans of all sorts of rarities and exhibits from similar places in the world. And on the black market, even trinkets brought from a ghost town can be worth a fortune.
After thinking a little about the prospects, the Japanese authorities decided to try to arrange tourist excursions to the island. So far, this is only possible in small groups and exclusively in that part of the island that has been specially restored. The plans of officials often slip the idea of turning the island into a full-fledged museum, which would tell about the life and life of Japanese miners of the last century. But the implementation of such ideas requires considerable financial investments, because almost all buildings in the city are in critical condition.
To obtain official permission to visit the island, you have to negotiate with the local authorities in Nagasaki. But illegal travel can be fraught. It will not be possible to get to the island unnoticed, and everyone who is caught by the police will face a considerable fine and visa deprivation.
Those who set foot on the island for the first time feel a certain tension in the local atmosphere. One gets the impression that the city's population of many thousands simply disappeared overnight. People disappeared, but the spirit and traces of their stay remained forever behind the high walls of the city. If one day you manage to become a member of the expedition group, somehow get inside the ghost town, believe me, you will be able to experience an indescribable sensation. Just imagine, you will personally touch the history, you will be able to feel its centuries-old breath, you will become the happy owner of rare and unique photographs. Perhaps soon every tourist will receive such a unique opportunity, and the ghost town will add to the list of places on the planet recommended for visiting.
How to get there
The easiest route, by which you can quickly get to the ghost island of Gankajima, is by plane to the capital of Tokyo, from where - to the city of Nagasaki. Then you will have to change to a car and cover about 20 km of the way strictly to the south, to the place on the coast closest to the island. The rest of the way can be overcome only by boat.
I also recommend to study useful information about the most interesting sights of Japan.
