“Iwami Ginzan Remains” in Ota City, Shimane Prefecture, which was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. It is a wide area composed of 14 assets such as silver mine ruins, townscapes, highways, harbors, port towns, castle ruins. If it is the first time, you will be at a loss as to where and how to start.
“Iwami Ginzan” is a silver mine that has been developed for about 400 years since its discovery in 1526. The area registered as a World Heritage site is 529 hectares, and the buffer zone to protect it is 3,134 hectares. Because of this, the tourist area is large and there are many attractions, so the charm of “Iwami Ginzan” is that you can enjoy it all day long. Not only the remains of more than 600 mine shafts, but also the cityscapes, historic sites, shrines and temples that flourished as mining towns are popular tourist spots.
Japan is said to have accounted for more than 30% of the world’s silver production for a period in history, and most of the silver in Japan was excavated from this Iwami Ginzan.
It is said that it was almost dug in the Meiji era, but the silver digging that began in the 14th century is a ruin, and the numerous traces left by the large-scale mining of the silver mine that continued until the modern day have been maintained in the 21st century It became a historical tourist destination.
It is said that there are 700 mine shafts in the area, but only a few are currently in place. The location is a little bad, and it takes about 30 minutes to walk or approach by rental bicycle. Because the street is a town and forest with a retro atmosphere, it is far away but not bad.
The most famous mine is “Ryugenji Mabu”. Surprisingly, in the wide mine shaft, there are traces of hand digging by old dredges, and the effort is imagined from the rigidity of the walls.
Inside the tunnel of “Iwami Ginzan” is about 10 ℃. For this reason, it is essential to wear a cold jacket even in summer. When walking on mountain trails, beware of bugs and insects such as bees. Let’s take a walk in an easy-to-move fashion without exposing your skin too much. It is convenient to bring rain gear and insect repellent spray.
“Iwami Ginzan” is a recommended sightseeing method not only to see the trails of the mine but also to enjoy the historical background of how the city prospered with Ginzan. At the Iwami Ginzan Guide Group, there is also a “One Coin Guide” where you can easily ask for a guide.
Iwami Ginzan is a world heritage site that has many attractions and can be explored all day long. Why don’t you walk slowly along the streets of the Edo period that flourished as a mining town?
The surrounding retro townscapes around the ruins, once flourished by silver mining
“Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Site” in Ota City, Shimane Prefecture, which was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2007, was a silver mine boasting the world’s largest output from the Warring States Period to the Edo Period. Sennoyama (Mt. Sen), the center of silver production, still has about 980 old tunnels and smelter traces melting into the surrounding nature and still remains. Here, you can enjoy the surrounding retro townscapes around the ruins, once flourished by silver mining.
The value, charm, whole picture in an easy-to-understand manner through models and images
It is approximately 30 minutes by express train from Izumoshi station of JR, Ota city along the Japanese sea. There is the “Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Site” ruin in the place which entered the mountain for about 30 minutes by bus from there.
In the “Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center” located in the center of the area registered as a World Heritage site, you can learn the value, charm, whole picture and the like of the ruins in an easy-to-understand manner through models and images.
Japan’s silver accounted for about one-third of the world’s silver output during the peak period
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine is one of the world’s largest mining sites that have been mined for about 400 years until it was closed during the year 1923, since it was discovered in 1526. It is said that Japan’s silver accounted for about one-third of the world’s silver output during the peak period. Among them, most of it is believed to have been produced at Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Site.
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Site and Its Cultural Landscape
In consideration of the environment, it was appreciated that it was managing mines coexisting with nature, and in 2007 it was registered as a World Heritage Site as “Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Site and Its Cultural Landscape”. The registration area is very wide, about 530 ha in total area, and it covered all the sites including mining sites, harbor and port towns that carried silver, and mining town that was the center of political economy.
It feels as if it had been a time slip
The Omori area prospered as the political and economic center of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Site in the early Edo period. The area, where old town houses and samurai residences remain, has been selected as an important traditional building group preservation district. If you take a walk through the silver mine, where mined by the people of the Edo era, and the town of Omori that tells prosperity at the time to the present, it feels as if it had been a time slip.
Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)
Name: | Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Site |
Address: | Omoricho Oda, Shimane 694-0305 Japan |
Access: | JR Sanin-honsen “Ohdashi-eki Station” (30 minutes by car) |
Tel: | (+81) 854-89-0183 (Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center) |
Price/Charge: | Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center 300 yen (Adult) 150 yen (Junior High School Students or Under) Please refer the official web page. |
Official site: | Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center http://ginzan.city.ohda.lg.jp/ |
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