Hanajima - Ghost town

        

Across the surface of our planet there are cities that, because of their resources or of the industry has experienced tremendous growth, but after fishing or fishing in the accident as quickly emptied. One of them — Hanajima. This city is on an island in the Pacific ocean.









In 1890, after it had discovered reserves of coal, it was purchased by the Mitsubishi company and began mining. This required a lot of manpower, and soon the island was densely populated with workers and their families. They built apartment complexes that were much stronger than the structures on the mainland, due to frequent hurricanes. In the 30-ies of XX century Hanajima became a developed industrial center: in addition to the mines, it was built in the war plants. For 50 years the island was the most densely populated place on the planet — 5259 people at the coastline of the island about 1 km.









However, in 60 years of oil began to displace coal market, and coal mining had to close. In 1974 Mitsubishi officially announced the closure of the source.









People began to leave the island, and the city became a Ghost town. For many years to visit the island was denied because the Japanese authorities tried to protect the island from the "black diggers" — household objects from the dead city are object of hunting of wealthy collectors.









Today visiting the island is allowed, but tourists are allowed only on specifically equipped for a safe stay of the island. The government also plans to make the island a kind of Museum culture and life of the miners, but the implementation of these plans requires huge investments.









Gunkanjima (Gunkanjima) in Japanese means "cruiser", named it so because because of the buildings, the island from the sea like a warship.









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