Gunkanjima

32° 37′ 40″ N 129° 44′ 19″ E

I've found about five different names for this place, but Google Earth (which has been known for some slight inaccuracies in naming locations) tags it as Hashima Island. The inhabitance of the island centered around coal mining, beginning just before the turn of the 20th century, and in Japanese style was immediately crammed full of people, at one time boasting one of the highest population densities in the world.

To me, this translates as Lots Of Exploring.

Unfortunately, the island is "closed" - whatever that means. Such forbidden entry doesn't stop Action Squad, or my cronies back in Michigan who used to explore the Michigan Central Depot (before it was sealed off with warnings signed "Dept. of Homeland Security" - even I'm afraid of that) and the steam tunnels below Oakland University. The language barrier would pose an issue with finding a way onto the island, but surely there's some tourista spot where one could rent a boat...

There are a few phenomenal photographic collections taken during the later life of the town:

- Gunkanjima - Views of an Abandoned Island
- Tsuki no Michi - Borderland
- 1974 Gunkanjima
- Shijima

Gunkanjima is how I was first introduced to the Ghost Towns in Asia Wikipedia category, which seems a bit light. Perhaps I'll one day break down and (much to the chagrin of my Lit major friends) get an account and beef this section up a bit. Stranger things have happened.