INDUSTRIAL CITYNIIHAMA

You may think that Niihama City has nothing to do with tourism,
but there are a lot of attractive and special tourist sites related to theprocess by which Niihama has developed into the industrial city it is now.

Mt.Higashi Akaishi

The Night View of the Manufacturing Plant

Manufacturing City Niihama
Niihama city is located in the north central part of Shikoku Island. It
stretches long from east to west , facing the Seto Island Sea , with theShikoku Mountains to the south. Niihama is blessed with many scenic
spots and a mild climate.
With the opening of Besshi Copper Mine in Edo period. lt changed
Niihama into a major industrial city in Setouchi area.
Today, Machinery, Chemical, Refining, and Electric power industries,
Tsugazakura

Mt. Nishi Akaishi

which mainly originated from the copper mine, formed Niihama's
major industry.

OshimaBesshi Copper Mine

NiihamaIn the 4th year of the Genroku Era (1691) the Besshi Copper Mine started its operation in themountains at a height of about 1,200m. The mine terminated its operations after 283 years in the48th year of Showa Era (1973) when they had excavated down to about 1,000m below sea levelwith a total yield of 650,000 tons of copper which made the Besshi Mine one of the largestin Japan.

Chimney of former Yamane Refinery

The No.3 Main Tunnel

Old Hadeba Hydroelectric Power Plant

Old Besshi Area

the first prize 2017 Akagane Photo Contest
Winning Works ⒸYoshihiro Irie

Minetopia Besshi Tonaru Zone

Old Besshi Area

Minetopia Besshi Tonaru Zone

the 80th anniversary prize2017 Akagane Photo Contest Winning Works ⒸSyouji KajiDuring the Edo Era (1603-1868) copper produced in the mine circulated all over the world.
Entering the Meiji Era (1868-1912) the mine company realized rapid modernization. It was also
the first in the world to tackle environmental issues and continued the copper mine management
even taking into account how to support local prosperity after the exhaustion of the mine. As time
passed they moved down out of the mountains and continued to develop the industrial city ofNiihama. Today we can see evidence of these developments throughout the city.
2Hadeba lron Bridge

Niihama

KokuryogawaRyokuchi Park（ Spring）

Hirose Memorial Museum
You can see how Mr. Hirose succeeded in modernizing the mining and smelting of copper at
Besshi Copper Mine. A miniature mine railroad, videos and historical materials are exhibited.

Former Residence of Saihei Hirose

Marine Park
Niihama

Summer Fireworks
Display（ July）

Besshi Rhine
River

Zuiouji Temple（Autumn）

Otoshihashi
BridgeToudo-okuri（ January）(designated as a cultural asset of national importance in 2003)

Hirose had an open mind regarding advanced technology. A lightning rod,
sheet glass, a mantelpiece, and a western style toilet were introduced in histraditional Japanese-style house.

45

Niihama Taiko FestivalThe Niihama Taiko Festival held in October every year is considered as one of the top-three
festivals in Shikoku, a traditional event that is nationally outstanding.
The “Taikodai” (Taiko drum and structure) is gorgeously ornamented in “Futonjime” and drapes
embroidered in gold thread, the size is approximately 5.5 m high, 12 m long, 3.4 m wide andweighs 3 tons. About 150 men called "Kakifu" manually hand lift the drum.
The greatest highlight of the festival is the "Kakikurabe", where several of the immense taiko
structures line up side-by-side, are hoisted higher than their competitors, compare their strength,
whereas the audience become one, and altogether reach a climax.

Kakikurave in the Yamane athletic fieldNiihama67

Niihama City Access Information
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Translation

If you read the QR code with your smartphone or tablet,you can obtain
information translated into the language of the flag next to the QR code.

Marine Park Niihama

Akagane Museum

Ehime Prefectural General Science Museum

Hirose Memorial Museum

Besshi Copper Mine Memorial Museum

Minetopia Besshi Hadeba zone

Minetopia Besshi Tonaru zone

Yuragi-no-mori Forest Park

SetonaikaiOshima
Oshima port

ykur
KoMarine Park Niihama
Niihama Port（Higashi Port）

oRHachiman Shrine

Kuroshima Kaihin Parkrive

Kuroshima port
336

Municipal Baseball Stadium

13

Kokuryogawa-Ryokuchi Park

Niihama port

13
Ashima River

Salty Takihama（Takihama Elementary School）

Kuchiya-ato

JR Takihama Sta.

JR Akaboshi Sta.

138

Miki Higashi
Sumitomo Chemical History Museum

matsu

Besshi Copper Mine Memorial Librarya
To:TakMunicipal Soccer Field

13

City

JR Sekigawa Sta.

Kurashiki JCT

Doi I.C.

Sanyo Expressway
Hiroshima

Akagane Museum

Jigenji Temple

JR Niihama Sta.

Takinomiya Park

Fukuyama Nishi

Tarumi

Onomichi2

Naganoyama Citizen's Forest

11Kojima

Nishiseto-Onomichi

Seto-Chuo Expressway

Takamatsu

11e137

Okayama

JR Iyodoi Sta.

Niihama City Oﬃce

N

JRYosanLin

Ikedaike Park

JR Nakahagi Sta.

aTo：M

ya Citamtsuy11

Hirose Memorial Museum

Iyosaijyo I.C.

yamaMatsu

ssway

Niihama I.C.

Yamane Park

Former Residence ofSaihei Hirose
Hirose Park

Besshi Copper Mine Memorial MuseumZuioji Temple

Chimney of former Yamane Reﬁnery

Shikoku Chuo City

Expre

Ehime Prefectural General Science Museum

NaritaHanedaChubu-Kokusai
Itami
Kansai-Kokusai
FukuokaKagoshima
Okinawa
ChitoseImabari

196

Takamatsu・
Matsuyama Expressway

Imabari yunoura

Matsuyama

Niihama
Iyo-KomatsuJCT

11

Sakaide JCT

Shimanami Expressway

11

HanedaNaritaOkinawa

Naruto JCT
192

Ikawa Ikeda

Niihama Interchange

55

Tokushima

32

194

Minetopia Besshi
Hadeba Zone

Old Hadeba Hydroelectric Power Plant

Kochi

Shikamori Dam
Otoshihashi Bridge

56

Niihama City

55

Mt.Futatsudake

Shimanto-cho Chuo

Minetopia Besshi Tonaru Zone
“Machu Picchu of the East”＊shikoku Orange Ferry

Tsushima

Mt.Gongen

Sea Route

Mt.Higashi Akaishi
San no MoriFerry

To:Shikoku-Chuo City

Mt.Nishi Akaishi

Osaka SouthPort

Toyo Port
About 8 hours

Free Shuttle bus

Niihama

About 35 minutes

Besshiyama Furusato Hall
Pothole（Ohketsu）

Yuragi-no-mori Forest Park47
Old Besshi Copper Mine mountain climb start

Besshi Rhine
Besshi Suiha-Hana-Kaido

Daieizan Tunnel
Besshi Dam

Nankoin Temple

Tokyo47

Railway

Besshiyama Branch Oﬃce

Saijyo City
Sumitomo Eco System Forest（Forester House）

OverlandExpressway(Expwy)

OkayamaInterchange

Hiroshima
Interchange

Kochi Prefecture

Agawa-gun Ino machi
8Kochi PrefectureTosa-gun Okawa village

Shinkansen

Kurashiki
Junction

Sanyo Expressway

Fukuyama Nishi（west）

Interchange

Sanyo Expressway

Matsunaga By-pass● Okayama→about 1 hour and 40minutes● Tokushima→about 1 hour and 40minutes

Seto-Ohashi Line

Niihama

Yosan Line
＊Transfer（to regular line）at Okayama● Osaka→about 2 1/2 hours

SakaideJunction

NiihamaInterchange

Japan

Takamatsu・Matsuyama
ExpresswayImabariInterchange

Shimanami Expressway

Utazu● Tokyo→about 5 1/2 hoursSeto-Chuo Expressway

Nishiseto-OnomichiInterchange

Okayama

Iyo-Komatsu
Junction

Imabari-Komatsu Expressway● Matsuyama→about 1 hour
● Kochi→about 1 hour

NiihamaInterchange

Matsuyama Expressway● Takamatsu→about 1 hour

NiihamaTokyo9For further information

Niihama Tourist Association〒792-0812

2-3-17 Sakai-cho, Niihama City

Tel :0897- 32 - 4028 Fax : 0897- 32 - 7808
http://www.niihama.info/

Niihama Transport and Tourism Dept.
〒792-8585

1-5-1 Ikku-cho, Niihama City

Tel :0897- 65 - 1261 Fax: 0897- 65 - 1305
http://www.city.niihama.lg.jp/