The deserted island of Bond's adversary Silva in the movie SkyFall (2012), might seem the result of the writers' fantasy, but does actually exist. The island is called Hashima, and is located off the coast of Japan. In 1959, the island was one of the most densely populated areas on earth.
As demand for coal gradually declined and also the veins of coal accessible on Hashima were exhausted, the inhabitants gradually left the island. The conditions on the island were always difficult, and the workers' children generally went to school in Nagasaki, off the island.
Hashima Island rises from the azure waters off Nagasaki City at the far western tip of Japan's main islands. It is often known as Gunkanjima, “Battleship Island,” because its rugged form resembles a Japanese battleship. The island was also featured in in the 2012 movie Skyfall.
You cannot visit Gunkanjima alone. Due to the structural instability of the island, it is mandatory that all visitors travel in tour groups. Tours may be canceled due to bad weather. It is best not to plan a trip during typhoon season, rainy season or during the winter months.
The island is nicknamed Battleship Island because of its shape and it has been abandoned for several years. But, abandoned does not mean empty, because the ghosts of the past have taken over the island and its buildings.
Exploring Worlds Largest Abandoned City In 4K | Hashima Island Gunkanjima Battleship Island
How many died at Hashima Island?
Testimonies from victims and research by scholars have confirmed that hundreds of Koreans were taken against their will to toil at coal mines on Hashima (or Battleship) Island between 1943 and 1945. Some 120 people died there – some from drowning during attempted escapes or suicide.
Today the island is uninhabited. In 2015, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list as part of Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining. It also featured in the movie Skyfall.
Historical records showed that the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi used a great number of Korean laborers to start mining on Hashima in 1939. Starting from 1943, Mitsubishi forced Chinese war prisoners captured by the Japanese army to be enslaved there, where hundreds of Chinese and Korean laborers were killed.
Once the most densely populated place on Earth, the small island of Hashima has been deserted since 1974. From 1890, a thriving community lived on the island, extracting coal from an underwater mine near the island to provide fuel for Japan's growing shipbuilding industry.
Hashima became uninhabited just as it was. In 2001 (the 13th year of Heisei) it was officially transferred from its owner, Mitsubishi Materials Corp. (the former Mitsubishi Mining Co.,Ltd) to Takashima-cho, coming into the possession of Nagasaki-City.
A small explosion that creates debris which knocks the helicopter off course and sends it careening into the house. The fuel tanks then ignite, causing a massive second explosion.
Featuring a garden and free WiFi, Skyfall Glencoe is situated in Ballachulish. All rooms boast a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and a private bathroom. Guests can enjoy sea views.
Okinoshima is a sacred island in the Sea of Japan, shrouded in mystery and strewn with ancient treasures. For centuries, the island was forbidden to all but about 200 men, who could wade ashore only one day a year after “purifying” themselves, naked, in the freezing sea. Women were banned. Photographs were banned.
The island in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall was inspired by Hashima Island in Japan. I was there a year before the film's release. The studio wasn't allowed to film on the island. So they built sets in England and used rare photos as inspiration, possibly even one of mine.
Japan is one of the most popular destinations and as you probably know, it's an island nation. And the last time Japan counted all of their islands, they had 6,852 of them. But they've just done a recount, and they now have 14,125! That's right; Japan just found over 7,000 “new” islands.
'Q' stands for Quartermaster, who is the person 007 sees to obtain the gadgets he will be using for the mission. 'M' is the codeword given to the head of MI-6. In the Fleming novels, 'M's name was finally revealed in 'The Man With The Golden Gun' as Sir Miles Messervy.
Unbeknownst to the vast majority of cinema goers, due to filming difficulties, the final boat chase scene was actually shot on Loch Craignish, near Crinan, Argyll.
Silva follows Bond and M to "Skyfall", Bond's childhood home in Scotland, where his men open fire, mortally wounding M. He pursues her to a chapel at the side of the house, and begs her to kill them both by firing a bullet through her head and into his.
Why was Skyfall (2012 movie) such a huge box office hit, compared to the other James Bond movies? Skyfall was a pathbreaker. There is a gritty, real-world feel to Skyfall that makes good use of Craig's down-to-earthiness. It suits well to the present world.
Silva survives the destruction of the house, following Kincade and M to the chapel. Confronting M, Silva forces his gun into her hand and presses his temple to hers, begging her to kill them both. Bond arrives and kills Silva by throwing a knife into his back. M then succumbs to her wounds and dies in Bond's arms.
Its real name is Hajima, but it is commonly called Gunkanjima or "the warship island" because of its shape which makes it look like a large military ship from a distance.
Is it illegal to explore abandoned buildings in Japan?
Exploring abandoned places is not so much illegal in Japan as it is a grey area worth probing. Having said that, you must be careful not to break or take anything from the compound or from within said buildings.
In 2003, the Japanese municipality of Kamikatsu declared their intention to become a Zero-Waste Town. While true zero-waste is impossible, 20 years later the town has reached an impressive 80% recycling rate. (The national average in Japan is just 20%; in America, single digits.)
