Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine heritage designation Historic Site of Japan
History
The mine was discovered and developed in 1526 by Kamiya Jutei, a Japanese merchant. Jutei later introduced a Korean style of silver mining that would become the Haifukiho Method. The mine reached its peak production in the early 1600s, with approximately 38 tons of silver a year while Japan produced about 200 tons of silver a year which was then one third of the world's production.Silver from the mine was used widely for coins in Japan. It was contested fiercely by warlords until the Tokugawa Shogunate won control of it in 1600 as a result of the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.It was later secured by fences and barricaded by pine trees. Yamabuki Castle was built in the center of the mining complex.Silver production from the mine fell in the 19th century, as it had trouble competing with mines elsewhere in the world. Mining for other minerals, such as copper, then replaced silver as the predominant material produced from the mountain. The mine was eventually closed in 1923.Iwami Ginzan's mining area of around six hundred pits and mine shafts
Related processing, administrative, residential, and religious sites
Three historic castles built in the 16th century to protect the mines
Three service ports for shipping silver
Connecting transportation routesComponents
The fourteen nominated components assessed by ICOMOS are:
the mining area of Ginzan Sakunouchi (銀山柵内)
the Daikansho site
Yataki Castle site (矢滝城跡)
Yahazu Castle site (矢筈城跡)
Iwami Castle site (石見城跡)
the mining settlement of Ōmori Ginzan (大森銀山)
the silver refining facilities of Miyanomae (宮ノ前地区)
the House of the Kumagai Family (熊谷家住宅)
the temple Rakan-ji Gohyakurakan (羅漢寺)
Iwami Ginzan Kaidō Tomogauradō transportation route
Iwami Ginzan Kaidō Yunotsu-Okidomaridō transportation route
Tomogaura (鞆ヶ浦) service port/port town
Okidomari (沖泊) service port/port town
Yunotsu (温泉津) service port/port town
cultural heritage status designation as a heritage site listed status official heritage recognition heritage classification