"Gunkan-jima (Battleship Island)"

The “Gunkan Island” or Battleship Island was given to Hashima Island for its shape and is located in the vicinity of Nagasaki City. It was the town for coal mining since 1860s until 1974. The peak period was 1960s and the population was over 5,000 or 83,600 per square meter, which is about double to Mumbai in 2015. After the exodus in 1974, the town was abandoned and ruined. Concrete buildings, which were built in 1920s as the first concrete structured residence apartment in Japan, are appraised the most important element on this island. This island was listed to the world heritage in 2015 as one of the symbols of rapid industrialization of Japan. However, the island is also important as a reminder of harsh working conditions to support industrialization and forced labor prior to WWII. The issue here is the restoration, repair and maintenance of concrete structures. In order not to lose evidences of history, continuous effort shall be made. Listing to the world heritage can be considered as a part of process to raise fund. I want to present these images as a colorless world in considering its history.