Japan In Focus

Nagasaki: Inspired by TV Drama, Local Group Plants Cosmos on Hill Overlooking Gunkanjima

Courtesy of Again Hashima
This rendered image shows a cosmos field when the flowers are in full bloom.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:41 JST, September 27, 2025

NAGASAKI — A project is underway to create a cosmos field on a hill in Nagasaki where Hashima Island, also known as Gunkanjima Island — an island that once thrived from coal mining — can be seen.

The project is aimed to recreate a well-known scene from a TV drama series set on Gunkanjima, which literally means “Battleship Island.” It is estimated that visitors will be able to see about 80,000 cosmos flowers against the backdrop of the island, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

TV drama series “Umi ni Nemuru Daiamondo” (The diamond sleeping in the sea), which was broadcast on the TBS network last year, featured a scene in its final episode showing Hashima beyond a field of cosmos in full bloom.

Such a cosmos field does not actually exist, but many fans reportedly looked for the field when visiting various locations filmed in the drama. This led local residents to create a sea of cosmos themselves.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Mari Yoshiya speaks with Hashima visible in the background.

A group of likeminded people, called Again Hashima, raised money to purchase cultivators and seeds through crowdfunding. About 100 people gathered for seed planting in late August after the group reached out for help on social media.

“As former residents of the island get older, memories of life on Hashima are fading,” said Mari Yoshiya, 40, chairperson of the group. “Although the island is now in ruins, we hope this becomes a place where people will reflect on Hashima that used to live with its residents.”