Abandoned Japan's Largest Forgotten Island | 10,000 People Disappeared (GHOST TOWN)

Ikeshima, a small island that was once home to about 300 people, underwent a significant transformation in 1959 when coal was discovered under the surrounding waters. This led to the development of a large underground mine, factories, and living quarters, which catered to the growing population of the island. However, the decommissioning of the mine in 2001, due to cheaper coal imports from overseas, led to the closure of Nagasaki's last coal mine on the island.

At its peak, Ikeshima's population reached 8,000, but as of 2016, it has dwindled to around 160, with limited employment opportunities on the island. The only active amenities on the island are one shop, a small civic center, a school that still operates for a small number of students, and numerous abandoned buildings.

Rows of cement-style housing complexes, which were previously used as homes for Japanese families and miners from Indonesia and Vietnam, now sit in ruins and are being engulfed by kudzu vine and nature.

Despite not being as glamorous as its famous sister island Hashima, Ikeshima still holds an interest in the sense that the observer can engage with more recent lingering emotional traces of the late 90s. This can be seen in the abandoned hospital filled with rusting medical equipment and an abundance of surgical items that still sit on shelves.

The island's many work areas continue to rust away in silence, while its reopened disused mine has become a tourist attraction, drawing in urban explorers and ruins enthusiasts.

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