13 Haunting Abandoned Cities Slowly Being Swallowed by Nature

2. Hashima Island, Japan: The Concrete Battleship

Hashima Island, also known as Gunkanjima or Battleship Island, is a small island off the coast of Nagasaki, Japan. Once a thriving coal mining facility, Hashima was home to over 5,000 residents at its peak in the mid-20th century. The island, dominated by concrete apartment blocks, resembled a battleship from afar, hence its nickname. However, as petroleum replaced coal in the 1960s, the mines closed, and the island was abandoned by 1974. Today, Hashima stands as a ghostly relic of Japan's industrial past, its buildings crumbling under the weight of time and the relentless sea winds. The island's stark silhouette against the horizon is a haunting reminder of the transient nature of human industry and the relentless march of nature, reclaiming its domain.