Virtual Paintout - Hashima Island, Japan!

The Virtual Paintout for October 2018 was Hashima Island, Japan.  Hashima is an abandoned island off the coast of southern Japan.  The 16 acre island was known for its undersea coal mines established in 1887.  By 1974 the coal mines were nearing depletion so the mines were closed and the 5,000 residents left the island.  In the early 2000s there was renewed interest in the undisturbed historic ruins.  The abandoned concrete buildings gradually became a tourist attraction, and in 2015 the island became an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  In 2013 a Google employee with a Street View backpack went there to capture the place which allows people to virtually walk across the island and go inside the abandoned buildings where items still remain just as they were left.  Such an interesting place.

Gouache 7" x 5"