Digital Parsimony

I always thought that ghost towns were just small villages abandoned by people. As in, not too interesting. It turns out that there are tons of these towns and some have very fascinating stories. Below is Gunkanjima, Japan, known as the forbidden island. It was once one of the most densely populated areas in Japan, but ever since oil took over coal as the top source of energy, the whole island was totally shut down.

The Forbidden Island

In 1959, population had swelled, and boasted a density of 835 people per hectare for the whole island (1,391 per hectare for the residential district) – one of the highest population densities ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960’s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima’s mines were no exception. In 1974 Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine, and today it is empty and bare, with travel currently prohibited. The island was the location for the 2003 film ‘Battle Royale II’ and inspired the final level of popular Asian videogame “Killer7″.

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