Nagasaki’s Battleship Island and a Bond Villain’s Hideout in Skyfall

Honestly, I didn’t think we’d land. I hoped that we would, but based on what I had read online, there was a good chance that we couldn’t.

The waters around Nagasaki Harbor are known to be choppy, so much so that landing on Hashima Island is never guaranteed. Located 19 km from Nagasaki Port, it takes around half an hour to get there. The captain will circle the island a couple of times before making the decision on whether or not to land. It’s entirely his call so the possibility of you stepping foot on this UNESCO World Heritage Site rests solely on his shoulders. Based on TripAdvisor reviews, enough people are disappointed by his decision to make it a concern. From the sound of it, what may seem like sunny skies and calm waters isn’t good enough on some days, resulting in the captain turning his ship around and heading back to port.

They have no way of predicting the landing conditions until they get to the island, so paying the non-refundable fee to go on…