Gunkanjima is a small island situated about 20 kilometers from Nagasaki Port in Kyushu region. Until 1974, the island served as a coal mine, and more than 5,000 residents called the 480 meter long, 150 meter wide island home, resulting in the highest population density in history recorded worldwide.
To accommodate lots of people in such a small area, every piece of land was built up so that the island came to resemble a massive battleship. In fact, "Gunkanjima" is a nickname that means "battleship island" in Japanese. The island's formal name is Hashima.
In 2009, a newly constructed boat dock was constructed to make it possible for sightseeing tour boats to land on Gunkanjima. Tour participants are taken to three observation decks in a small part on the southern end of the island and spend about 45 minutes on the island with Japanese speaking tour guides. Tour participants are not allowed to get too close to the buildings because of the risk of collapse.
The boat ride between Nagasaki and Gunkanjima is also interesting. Boats take about 50 minutes one way, and pass large Mitsubishi ship building factories and other islands along the way. The ride also allows for some nice views of the city of Nagasaki and its port from the boat.
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