Hashima Island was once a powerhouse for Japan’s economy. In 2015, it was officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a place filled with intriguing history and dark secrets.
But what’s the real story behind Hashima?
More than 30,000 Korean laborers were forcibly taken to work in the island’s coal mines under brutal conditions. Chinese laborers also suffered the same fate. This island wasn’t just an industrial hub—it was a place of forced labor and hardship.
The Birth of Hashima Island’s Legacy
Also known as Gunkanjima (Battleship Island), Hashima is located near Nagasaki, about 15 kilometers away from the city. It is one of 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture. What makes Hashima unique? Its massive sea walls, built to shield against harsh ocean waves and natural disasters.
Although the island played a crucial role in Japan’s industrial development, it also became infamous for the inhumane treatment of workers, particularly during World War II.
Coal was first discovered here around 1810, but large-scale underwater coal mining began in 1887. Then, in 1890, Mitsubishi Group purchased Hashima and expanded its operations, digging deeper into the seabed for valuable coal deposits.
Mitsubishi’s Role in Hashima’s History
Before WWII, Mitsubishi primarily focused on the shipping industry, but as the war escalated, the company adapted, using political and economic leverage to thrive. Mitsubishi didn’t just stop at shipping; it expanded into insurance, banking, cargo shipping, and even manufacturing warplanes like the A6M Zero fighter jet and naval ships.
So, it wasn’t surprising that Mitsubishi managed to acquire and transform Hashima into a major coal-mining hub. They reinforced the mining tunnels and even connected one of the four main mine shafts to a nearby island for better efficiency.
For 83 years, Mitsubishi extracted a staggering 15.7 million tons of coal from Hashima. But this came at a terrible cost—the blood and suffering of countless forced laborers from colonized nations.
To be continued…