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Hashima Island Island, an uninhabited island in Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, is commonly known as Gunkanjima. In 1810, the mining of submarine coal mines began, and at its peak, over 5000 people lived on the island. However, when the coal mines closed in 1974, all the residents moved away, and Hashima Island became an uninhabited island. Today, it has become a tourist destination visited by people from both Japan and abroad.
Hashima Island retains buildings from that era, such as residences, schools, and hospitals, allowing visitors to glimpse the lives of the former residents. The countless abandoned buildings create a surreal landscape that feels like a time warp.
This article provides a thorough report of our experience participating in a Gunkanjima tour cruise organized by Gunkanjima Concierge. It includes detailed information on the entire tour process, highlights, the rocking of the cruise ship, and the sightseeing route after landing, making it a useful resource for those considering participating in the tour.
We explain the Gunkanjima tour cruise from the perspective of those who have actually experienced it, making it easy to understand. By reading this, you’ll surely get a complete picture of the Gunkanjima tour cruise.
Enjoy the mysterious charm of Hashima Island. Dive into the details of the Gunkanjima tour cruise that lets you fully appreciate its allure.
To visit Hashima Island, tour companies like Gunkanjima Concierge offer cruises that allow you to enjoy cruising and then land on the island for sightseeing.
Access to Hashima Island is restricted, and tour cruises are the general means of visiting. The tour by “Gunkanjima Concierge” introduced here offers a detailed insight into the history and attractions of Hashima Island while enjoying the cruise. With a comfortable onboard environment and comprehensive guide services, even first-time visitors can join with ease.
There are other companies besides Gunkanjima Concierge that offer landing tours to Hashima Island. If you want to know more about how to get to Hashima Island or Gunkanjima tour cruises, please check the article below.
Read more about How to get to Hashima Island and Gunkanjima tour cruises
Let’s start the tour.
🕛 12:50
This time we are participating in the tour from 13:40 to 16:30. Arriving at the reception at least 30 minutes before gives you enough time to complete the procedures and move to the boarding location.
The reception for Gunkanjima Concierge is at the “Gunkanjima Digital Museum.”
https://www.gunkanjima-museum.jp/
If you go by streetcar, get off at Nagasaki Electric Tramway Line 5, Oura Tenshudo Station, and it’s a 3-minute walk.
Walking route from Oura Tenshudo Station to Gunkanjima Digital Museum
As soon as you enter the Gunkanjima Digital Museum, there is a reception desk.
At the reception, you need to read and sign a consent form and complete a few other procedures.
You can download the consent form from the official website, so if you sign it in advance and bring it, the reception process will be quick. To avoid congestion at the reception, it’s best to prepare the consent form beforehand.
By the way, Nagasaki Castella Ice Cream is sold at the reception. It is a sweet with ice cream sandwiched in castella, and it’s delicious, so be sure to try it.
Nagasaki Castella Ice Cream
Nagasaki Castella Ice Cream was featured on the popular Japanese TV program “Matsuko’s Unknown World” on August 17, 2021, in the episode “The World of Ice Creams Matsuko Doesn’t Know.” The Gunkanjima Concierge staff handled the details during the TV introduction.
🕛 12:55
After finishing at the reception, move to the meeting place, Tokiwa Terminal.
From the Gunkanjima Digital Museum, it takes about 5-6 minutes to walk along Oura Kaigan-dori to Tokiwa Terminal.
🕛 13:00
Tokiwa Terminal
Upon arrival at Tokiwa Terminal, there is a dedicated waiting room for the tour company where you can wait until boarding instructions are given.
The waiting room is air-conditioned for comfort. There are toilets and drink vending machines. From May to October, Hashima Island can be very hot. Since there are no shaded areas on the island, it’s essential to stay hydrated. If you don’t have drinks, purchase them here.
🕛 13:20
It’s time to board, and the staff will guide you onto the ship.
JUPITER is a large cruiser with a capacity of 200 people.
🕛 13:40
The departure time has arrived, and we set sail. There are many sights to see along the route to Hashima Island.
Soon after departure, there is a shipyard area.
You may be lucky enough to see Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force escort ships or Aegis ships docked for maintenance in Nagasaki Port.
The dock in the above photo is where the battleship Musashi was built. It is no longer in use but remains as it was.
The crane in the photo is enormous, with the white part where the Mitsubishi logo is, about the size of a tennis court.
After passing the shipyard area, we go under Megami Bridge.
After passing under Megami Bridge and proceeding a bit further, there are various islands, with explanations provided by the staff.
The islands appear on the right side of the direction of travel, so if you want to take photos of the islands, it’s recommended to sit on the right side.
🕛 14:10
After about 30 minutes of sailing, Hashima Island comes into view.
The silhouette truly looks like a battleship.
As we get closer, the details of Hashima Island become clearer.
The closer you get, the more overwhelming the atmosphere becomes.
This is Building No. 65. It was used as a detail in the movie “007 Skyfall.” (When the movie staff came to scout locations on Hashima Island, they found it too dangerous to actually film here, so they built a set replicating Building No. 65 for filming.)
The tour cruise circles the island before landing, allowing you to feel the impact and build anticipation for landing.
Hashima Island viewed from the north side. The rows of residential buildings on this side are also impressive.
The tightly packed apartments in a narrow space give a sense of the precise design.
Hashima Island is deteriorating due to typhoons and other influences. Many parts have already collapsed, and it is said that in the near future, it may become too dangerous to land on.
At this point, the cruise takes a little distance from Hashima Island and brings us to a spot where we can capture good photos of the entire island.
The overall view of Hashima Island is also spectacular.
The entire island really looks like a battleship.
🕛 14:40
We dock at Dolphin Pier and finally land on Hashima Island.
Dolphin Pier is very sturdy. It’s not scary at all when landing, so don’t worry.
Just thinking that these concrete walls are from about 100 years ago is moving.
And the ruins spread out before us.
This is what Hashima Island looks like in person.
The impact is truly impressive.
It’s hard to think of it as just a pile of rubble.
We arrive at the First Viewing Area, where the guide explains the surroundings.
The guide talks about the past while showing old photos and diagrams.
As you can see, there is no shade at all, so if you go on a hot day, it’s really necessary to take precautions.
This is the Second Viewing Area.
On the way to the Third Viewing Area, the beauty of the ruins becomes even more evident.
The beauty of the lone finishing factory ruin.
When you go around to the back of the finishing factory, you can see the residential buildings. The large crumbling concrete mass feels like it’s holding onto the bustling times of the past, making you feel a bit nostalgic.
Finally, we reach the Third Viewing Area. All the tour participants quietly listen to the guide’s story, blending into the atmosphere.
Since this article focuses on the tour process, detailed introductions of the inside of Hashima Island are omitted.
For details about the interior and ruins of Hashima Island, please refer to the following article.
Read more about The interior and ruins of Hashima Island
After reaching the Third Viewing Area, we head back to the ship.
Thanks to the guide’s explanations during the cruise and after landing, we learned a lot about what Hashima Island was like in its heyday.
Hashima Island is, in a sense, just a collection of ruins. But even so, it was an island filled with dreams and romance for the people who moved here with their families to work in the coal mines.
After landing and seeing it with my own eyes, that’s how I felt.
It’s impossible not to think about the past. You can feel that the ruins are filled with dreams and memories. That’s the kind of island it was.
By the time we finished the tour and returned to the ship, I felt very nostalgic.
The sea was brilliantly blue, in stark contrast to the monochrome feel of the ruins.
🕛 15:30
The ship departs from Hashima Island and heads back to Nagasaki Port.
JUPITER returned smoothly and steadily to Nagasaki Port without much rocking, both on the way there and back.
🕛 16:20
We arrived at Tokiwa Terminal, and after disembarking, the tour ended with disbandment.
The tour was scheduled to end at 16:30, but we disbanded at 16:20.
Feeling nostalgic, I left Tokiwa Terminal.
If you are moving by streetcar, the closest station to Tokiwa Terminal is Oura Kaigan-dori Station.
We participated in the Gunkanjima tour cruise by Gunkanjima Concierge and conveyed the entire tour process.
The process and time are as follows:
The entire process took 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Here are some points about the Gunkanjima Concierge tour cruise:
Overall, the tour was comfortable and fulfilling.
Hashima Island tourism is recommended as the tour is well-organized. When you travel to Nagasaki, be sure to participate. Information on how to join the tour is provided below.
Read more about How to join the Gunkanjima tour cruise
May your trip to Nagasaki be fulfilling. I hope my experience helps you plan your visit.
