Gunkanjima

Cover image original here.

You can read all about the history of this unique historical relic on the Wikipedia page and also the official site. “When Japan” won’t add anything else to the background of this attraction that hasn’t been said already on another website. There are however a few things to remember before deciding to go.

Landing on the island is not guaranteed

Landing rates are based on weather and typically only reach 100 days out of the year. So even if you book head of time, you may end up with a boat tour. Generally the costs are around ¥4,000 for an adult (depending on the tour company) and there are discounts for booking ahead of time. However, if you tour is downgraded to a boat only tour, you may only get 10% back. It may be worth getting tickets on the day, or online a few days in advance after checking the weather and wave conditions. Details are here but basically over 5m/s wind or 0.5m waves mean possibility of cancellation.

There are more details here on points of caution. Biggest one? Bond wasn’t filmed there, it was just the inspiration.

Which tour to go on?

All the tours are almost certainly the same basic plan and also all roughly ¥4,000 yen per adult. Here is a tour company and here is another one. There is a comparison of 4 companies here. One company seems to do a premium tour (¥8,000~¥9,000) which does not give you VIP access to the island (the tour path and length are set by the government for safety reasons), but you get a nicer boat and a free set of rental binoculars, among other perks.

Virtual Tour

Googling pictures of the island brings up a lot of repeats, probably because the walking route is restricted and honestly, it is a bunch of abandoned apartment blocks for the most part so how interesting can you make those photos? To say time and money, go on a virtual tour via Google Maps.

Check out this Flickr photostream for some good shots.