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[holyoutlaw]

Gunkanjima

Off the westernmost coast of Japan, is an island called "Gunkanjima" that is hardly known even to the Japanese. Long ago, the island was nothing more than a small reef. Then in 1810, the chance discovery of coal drastically changed the fate of this reef. As reclamation began, people came to live here, and through coal mining the reef started to expand continuously. Before long, the reef had grown into an artificial island of one kilometer (three quarters of a mile) in perimeter, with a population of 5300. Looming above the ocean, it appeared a concrete labyrinth of many-storied apartment houses and mining structures built closely together. Seen from the ocean, the silhouette of the island closely resembled a battleship - so, the island came to be called Gunkanjima, or Battleship island.

(Warning: The page is gray text on a black background.)

Gallery of stunning black and white images

Gallery of less stunning but still interesting color images.

(via urban_decay)

Comments

Way Keen - Thanks

[owlclub.livejournal.com]

I'm in Japan right now - I will have to ask my hosts about this.

Re: Way Keen - Thanks

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

Good luck! I think there are Japanese versions to both of the pages I link to.

[intelligentrix.livejournal.com]

These were both stunning and painful to look at. You didn't mention it was an abandoned city--those images are a little too close to home right now.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

You're right, I should have mentioned that. Thanks for mentioning it.