Simulating Silence HashimaXR Learning Resource
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Future Episodes

Nine historical narratives designed but never shared

This collection documents nine episodes that were planned for future development in HashimaXR. Each represents substantial research, narrative design, and educational planning that was halted when the project encountered institutional barriers. These are not vague concepts but detailed production specifications ready for development.

Why This Matters

Each planned episode represents a unique perspective on Hashima's history that will now remain untold through this medium. The specificity of these plans—with learning objectives, scene breakdowns, historical sources, and technical specifications— demonstrates that institutional obstruction prevented the completion of substantive educational work, not merely theoretical concepts.

Future Episode

The Life of a Man and His Family

家族の生活

Synopsis

This module follows the life course of a family as they move to various housing units on Hashima Island from the early 1950s to the end of the 1960s. Players experience the rhythms of daily life, the challenges of raising children in hyper-dense urban conditions, and the complex social hierarchies that governed residential assignment on the island.

Based on Oral History

This episode draws on oral history interviews with Kinoshita Minoru (木下稔), born December 7, 1954, who lived on Hashima from 1953-1966 and now works as a guide for Gunkanjima Concierge. His family of six moved through multiple buildings: Building 39 (municipal hall), Building 30 (Glover House), the wooden boat captain's quarters, and finally Building 65 where they occupied apartments on the 9th and 6th floors over different periods.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding residential mobility within island community structures
  • Examining how family size and occupation determined housing assignment
  • Exploring childhood experiences in hyper-dense urban environments
  • Recognizing the transition from wood to concrete construction
Time Period

1950s–1960s

Primary Location

Buildings 30, 39, 65

Historical Sources

Oral history interviews

Never Developed
Future Episode

Walking Tour of Hashima

端島散策

Synopsis

A comprehensive guided tour through the reconstructed island as it appeared at its peak. Beginning at the Dolphin Pier where visitors arrived, players navigate through the residential zones, commercial areas, and ultimately to the shrine at the island's highest point. The module provides context for understanding the island's unique geography and the relationship between its various functional zones.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding the spatial organization of industrial communities
  • Recognizing how limited land area shaped architectural innovation
  • Identifying key landmarks and their functions within community life
  • Appreciating the scale and density of population on 16 acres
Key Locations

Dolphin Pier, Building 30, Hashima Shrine

Experience Type

Guided exploration

Duration

30-45 minutes

Never Developed
Future Episode

Sanjinsai

山神祭 — Festival of the Mountain Gods

Synopsis

This module reenacts Hashima's annual festival of the Mountain Gods (Sanjinsai) celebrated on April 3 every year until the early 1970s. Commonly celebrated by mining communities throughout Japan, the Sanjinsai on Hashima was unique in how revelers navigated the portable shrine (omikoshi) through the hyper-dense urban environment of the sixteen-acre island. Players experience the running of the omikoshi from the shrine down through the town and around the island.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding Shinto religious practices in mining communities
  • Recognizing the cultural significance of mountain worship for miners
  • Exploring how traditional festivals adapted to modern industrial spaces
  • Appreciating community cohesion through shared ritual practices
Historical Source

"Tsumi no Hikari" (1958)

Key Elements

Omikoshi procession, folk dances, sumo

Locations

Shrine, Midori Michi, Showakan

Never Developed
Future Episode

Onami Kenbutsu

大波見物 — Wave Watching

Synopsis

During typhoon season, residents would gather at safe vantage points to watch massive waves crash against the seawall—a practice known as "onami kenbutsu" (wave watching). This module captures the precarious relationship between the island community and the sea, the engineering marvel of the concrete seawall, and the communal experience of witnessing nature's power while sheltered within the island's defenses.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding the engineering challenges of island communities
  • Recognizing the psychological experience of isolation during storms
  • Exploring communal practices that emerged from shared vulnerability
Weather System

Dynamic typhoon simulation

Experience Type

Environmental immersion

Never Developed
Future Episode

Yamadori

山通り — The Mountain Road

Synopsis

The "Midori Michi" or green road, also known as Yamadori (mountain road), was the elevated pathway running along the spine of the island connecting residential areas to the shrine at its peak. This module follows daily life along this central artery, revealing how residents navigated their vertical community and the social encounters that occurred along its length.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding vertical urbanism in confined spaces
  • Recognizing how circulation paths shaped social interaction
  • Exploring the relationship between topography and community structure
Primary Location

Midori Michi pathway

Connected Documents

Module 1 Draft Script, Learning Objectives

Never Developed
Future Episode

Life Inside Building 65

65号棟の暮らし

Synopsis

Players wander through the interior of Building 65—Hashima's largest residential structure with 317 units—as it appeared around 1970. They encounter highly detailed hallways, stairwells, public spaces, and apartments modeled after existing photographs. The soundscape provides a muted approximation of inhabited spaces, but no people are visible—creating an eerie "haunting" reminder of the thousands who once called these corridors home.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding the design of high-density worker housing
  • Recognizing the evolution of living standards (shared to private facilities)
  • Exploring the material culture of 1970s Japanese domestic life
  • Appreciating the transition from communal to individual amenities
Building Details

RC 9-story, 317 units, built 1945-1958

Locations

Hallways, toilets, washroom, apartments, barbershop

Historical Photos

1952 and 1970 interior documentation

Never Developed
Future Episode

Building GUNKANJIMA

軍艦島を建てる

Synopsis

This module traces the physical transformation of Hashima from a small rocky outcrop to one of the world's most densely populated places. Through archival photographs and technical documents, players witness the successive waves of construction: the leveling of elevated land, the creation of landfill from mine waste, the pioneering reinforced concrete structures, and the continuous expansion that doubled the island's original footprint.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding the engineering innovations required for island development
  • Recognizing Japan's pioneering role in reinforced concrete construction
  • Exploring how disaster (1905 typhoon) drove architectural innovation
  • Appreciating the relationship between mining operations and urban growth
Archival Sources

Ishi Report (1992), historical photographs

Time Span

1890s–1970s construction phases

Technical Focus

Civil engineering and architecture

Never Developed
Future Episode

Daily Life on a Tiny Island

小さな島の日常

Synopsis

Players experience daily life on Hashima as it was around 1970 (Showa 45). The module captures the rhythms of a 24-hour community: shift changes at the mine, children walking to school, housewives shopping at the market, miners relaxing at the public baths, and families gathering for meals in cramped but carefully organized apartments.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding the economic, social, and political factors that shaped coal mining communities
  • Acquiring knowledge of coal mining techniques and technology
  • Exploring daily routines, traditions, and living conditions
  • Recognizing the challenges and risks faced by coal miners
  • Examining the environmental impact of coal mining
  • Analyzing the cultural and social legacy of mining communities
Time Period

c. 1970 (Showa 45)

Archival Film

Multiple documentary sources

Focus Areas

Housing, education, food, leisure

Never Developed
Future Episode

In the Depths of the Abyss

深淵にて — Exploring Hashima's No. 2 Mine

Synopsis

This module offers players a unique opportunity to explore a fully operational undersea coal mine. Set in the 1960s, players embark on their adventure by riding the cage down to the entry shaft, boarding the pit railway to the first level of tunnels, then navigating the treacherous depths on foot. Along the way, they acquire mining tools and safety equipment while encountering veteran Japanese miners—the makkuro papa (coal-blackened fathers)—who share their stories.

Learning Objectives

  • Understanding undersea coal mining operations and technology
  • Recognizing the physical demands and dangers of mining work
  • Exploring the human stories behind industrial production
  • Appreciating the scale of underground operations (1km deep, several km² under seabed)
Mine Details

No. 2 Shaft, 1km deep

Game Elements

10 tasks, tool acquisition, NPC encounters

Historical Sources

Ishi Report (1992), Stoddart Report

Environmental Hazards

CO levels, temperature, unstable areas

Never Developed
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Episodes Designed But Never Developed