Contest #172 answer: Hashima Island, Japan

Hashima island is a now abandoned former coal mine facility some 15 km SW from Nagasaki. In 1870 it was acquired by Mitsubishi for their coal-mining operations below the seabed. At the top of the operations, Hashima housed some 5000 people, that is a stunning 83,500 people per square km.

The nickname of Hashima is ‘Battleship Island’ (Gunkanjima). This picture shows why.

The island was abandoned in 1974 and is now open for guided tourist visits.

There is a very beautiful photoblog of this island.

Wow, you beat the previous record of right answers again! So I guess it is time to raise the difficulty level with the next contest… 😉

Thos who did not abandon the island:

  • Michael T
  • Smeulders B.
  • hhgygy
  • Gillian
  • Milosh, Serbia
  • Steve Jaycocks
  • lardarz
  • ACG
  • Paul Franson
  • wistrand
  • blacbronco
  • Ray Liao
  • Kate
  • Chris Nason
  • Thomas Egan
  • themamateresa
  • eli
  • Pascal Gilbraith
  • Bill Close
  • Linda G
  • Jerry
  • Dennis S.
  • zumsen
  • Andy M, USA
  • steve willis
  • Andy Murdock
  • Sarah G
  • Ashwini Agrawal
  • Lalaland
  • Sanghoon Han
  • EJ
  • Andy McConnell
  • Jeffkash
  • Graham Foxall
  • Max_Power
  • brian t
  • David Kozina
  • ewen
  • Elin
  • wintermute001
  • Elrober

-Hint-

  • LawnBoy
  • Gordon Silliker
  • Dean Guadagno
  • Ivar Bonsaksen
  • ellen norrena
  • Carvas, Portugal
  • Stephen Hope
  • Alonso Alfaro
  • Camargo, California
  • Javier Abadia
  • José Miguel Díaz