Vol.2 INSIDE GUNKANJIMA

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Vol.2

INSIDE GUNKANJIMA
Hashima Island, 1997

Description

A rare visual record of Hashima Island before public tourism.

Long before guided tours opened to visitors, Hashima Island—better known as Gunkanjima—stood abandoned, isolated, and largely inaccessible.

Captured in 1997, these photographs document the island during a period when only a small number of people were ever able to set foot there. They preserve the buildings, streets, stairways, schools, and industrial structures before years of further deterioration and restoration changed the landscape.

Through 115 carefully selected photographs, this collection offers a detailed visual journey across one of Japan's most iconic industrial heritage sites.

What’s Included

• 2 High-Resolution PDF Editions
• Spread Edition (164 pages)
• Reading Edition (83 pages)
• 115 photographs
• 6 thematic chapters
• English captions
• Instant digital download

Chapters

Introduction
Chapter 1 – Across the Sea
Chapter 2 – Landing on Hashima
Chapter 3 – The Residential District
Chapter 4 – The School
Chapter 5 – Toward the Edge
Chapter 6 – Life on the Island
Epilogue

About This Collection

Once home to one of the world's most densely populated communities, Hashima Island played a vital role in Japan's modern industrial history through its undersea coal mining operations.

When these photographs were taken in 1997, the island had already been abandoned for more than two decades and remained closed to the public. Public tours would not begin until years later.

Rather than focusing only on the island's famous skyline, this collection explores its interior—its apartment buildings, school, public bath, narrow stairways, rooftops, mining facilities, and everyday spaces where thousands of people once lived and worked.

More than a collection of ruins, these photographs preserve the atmosphere of a place suspended in time—captured before Gunkanjima became one of Japan's best-known historical destinations.

Related Story

JOURNAL

Before the Tours Began: Gunkanjima in 1997

Explore the story behind these photographs and the place they preserve.