Step ashore the hauntingly beautiful Hashima Island — 'Battleship Island' — a UNESCO World Heritage Site abandoned since 1974. Walk through crumbling concrete ruins of Japan's first high-rise apartments, once home to 5,000 coal miners, with an expert guide unlocking every ghostly layer of its industrial past.
What to expect
A scenic 45-minute ferry from Nagasaki port carries you past the dramatic silhouette of Hashima rising from the East China Sea. Once ashore, a certified guide leads you along permitted walkways through collapsed apartment blocks, the old schoolyard, and the mining infrastructure, narrating the island's extraordinary social history. The sense of frozen time — desks still in classrooms, staircases leading nowhere — is profoundly cinematic. Return sailing offers spectacular panoramic views of the island against the open sea.
Good to know
Landings are weather-dependent and can be cancelled at short notice — confirm on the morning of your port call. Book well in advance as permits are strictly limited. The ferry departs from Nagasaki Port (Tokiwa Terminal), a short taxi ride from the cruise pier. Allow 3–4 hours total. Check all-aboard time carefully.
Sail there
Luxury cruises that call at Nagasaki — book through us, the fare is identical and your concierge stays on your side.
More to do in Nagasaki
- Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum & Peace Park: Private Expert Tour
- Mt. Inasa Night Panorama: Private Cable Car & Kaiseki Dinner
- Glover Garden & Ōura Cathedral: Private Heritage Walk
- Nagasaki Chinatown & Shippoku Cuisine: Private Culinary Immersion
- Nagasaki Full-Day Private Tour: Hidden Shrines, Tram & Harbour Views