Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine

Overview

The Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, located in the city of Ōda in Shimane Prefecture, was the largest silver mine in Japanese history. It was active for almost four hundred years, from its discovery in 1526, with mining developing in earnest around 1527, to its closing in 1923, and reached its peak from the late Sengoku period to the early Edo period. In 2007 the mines and their surrounding cultural landscape were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Highlights

• ●The largest silver mine in Japanese history
• ●UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2007
• ●The Ōmori townscape, an Important Preservation District for a Group of Traditional Buildings
• ●Listed among Japan's Top 100 Geological Sites

History

Following its discovery in 1526, silver mining developed in earnest around 1527, and the mine was active for almost four hundred years until its closing in 1923. From the Meiji period, copper and other ores were extracted after the silver was depleted. Designated a Historic Site of Japan, the mine, its mining structures, and the surrounding cultural landscape were inscribed as the "Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape" on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2007.

Map

35.1072, 132.4375 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Walk through the Ōmori townscape, a preservation district of traditional buildings
2. 2Trace the mining-related remains and the history of extraction
3. 3Learn how the place name derived from Iwami Province relates to the mine
4. 4Take in the cultural landscape recognized as a World Heritage Site

Did you know?

💡 At its peak, Japan is estimated to have produced about one-third of the world's silver, much of it from this mine.

Nearby spots