Characters

The makkuro papa (coal-black father) represents the primary workforce of Hashima's final decades. These men worked three rotating shifts in the undersea mines, returning home covered in coal dust to families in the dense apartment blocks.

Veteran miners who survived decades in the dangerous undersea tunnels serve as repositories of memory and guides to the island's history. They share stories of earlier eras and the changing conditions of mining life.

Women who lost husbands to mining accidents or occupational disease, remaining on the island as part of the community. Their presence speaks to the human cost of coal extraction.

Wives of miners managed households in the cramped apartment spaces, often working part-time jobs and participating actively in community organizations like the Housewives' Association that organized festivals and bazaars.

Wives of office workers and managers, often living in slightly better accommodations and playing different social roles within the island's hierarchical community structure.

Office workers who managed the administrative functions of the mining operation, occupying a middle position in the island's social hierarchy between miners and management.

Teachers at the Hashima Elementary and Middle School served a vital role educating the island's children. They lived in dedicated housing (Building 13, "Hummingbird House") and were respected community members.

Contract workers who lived in designated housing (such as Building 30 in its later years) and performed various support roles. They occupied a distinct social position from permanent Mitsubishi employees.

Children growing up on Hashima experienced a unique childhood—playing in corridors since there was no playground space, swimming in the ocean, and knowing every corner of the tiny island world.

Boys on Hashima played rooftop baseball, caught dragonflies (the only insects on the island), and roamed freely in a community where every adult knew every child.

Elderly women who had spent decades on the island, often arriving as young brides and raising multiple generations in the unique environment of Hashima.

Elderly men who remembered the island across its transformations, from wooden structures to concrete towers, from manual labor to mechanization.

Women who worked in Hashima's small marketplace, selling goods to residents in the Nanbu shopping district near Building 30.

Early-era miners worked in more dangerous conditions before safety improvements, often using more primitive tools and facing higher accident rates.

Before regulations prohibited women from underground mining work, female miners worked alongside men in the tunnels. Their presence represents a largely forgotten chapter of Japanese mining history.

Women who sorted coal on the surface, separating grades of coal by hand. This backbreaking work was common at Japanese collieries and continued longer than underground female labor.

A named teacher character designed to serve as a guide and narrative anchor for educational content delivery within the experience.