UNESCO · Cultural · 2007
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape
石見銀山遺跡とその文化的景観いわみぎんざんいせきとそのぶんかてきけいかんIwami Ginzan Iseki to sono Bunkateki KeikanThe silver mine that drew Japan into global trade
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape in Oda, Shimane Prefecture, preserves the mining area, settlements, roads and ports of a silver mine that in the 16th and 17th centuries supplied a significant share of the world's silver, linking Japan into trade with China and Europe. It was inscribed in 2007.
Overview
Iwami Ginzan lies in the hills of central Shimane, a few kilometres inland from the Sea of Japan. According to tradition, a merchant from Hakata, Kamiya Jutei, rediscovered its rich silver ore in 1526, and in 1533 he introduced haifuki-ho, a cupellation method from the Korean Peninsula that separated silver from lead on site. Output rose sharply, and the mine was fought over by the Ouchi, Amago and Mori warlords before the Tokugawa took it under direct control in 1600.
In the late 16th and early 17th centuries Japan produced a large share of the world's silver, and Iwami was its leading source. Much of this silver flowed to China, which demanded it for taxes and trade, and it was exchanged with Portuguese and Dutch merchants; European maps of the period mark the mine by name. Production declined from the later 17th century, and mining finally ceased in 1923.
The property covers far more than the mine itself: the mining area of Ginzan Sakunouchi with hundreds of tunnels, the mining and administrative town of Omori, the fortresses that guarded the valley, the roads on which silver was carried to the coast, and the harbours of Tomogaura, Okidomari and the hot-spring port of Yunotsu. Because the mine relied on manual labour and managed its forests for fuel, the hills have regrown, and remains of the industry now lie under dense woodland.
Why it is World Heritage
UNESCO recognised three criteria. The massive production of silver at Iwami Ginzan in the 16th and 17th centuries contributed to commercial and cultural exchange between Japan, East Asia and Europe (criterion ii). The archaeological remains of mining, smelting and settlement bear exceptional testimony to the development of East Asian silver mining technology through small-scale, manual methods (criterion iii).
The mining landscape, with its towns, roads and ports embedded in a forest that was managed rather than destroyed, is an outstanding example of land use that illustrates the relationship between an industrial site and its environment (criterion v). The regrowth of the forest after the mine's closure is part of this significance.
Component sites
Ginzan Sakunouchi mining area
銀山柵内Ginzan SakunouchiThe enclosed mining zone in the valley below Mount Sennoyama, with more than 600 mine tunnels (mabu), smelting sites and remains of miners' settlements.
Ryugenji Mabu
龍源寺間歩Ryūgenji MabuA shogunate-operated tunnel of the early 18th century whose chisel marks remain visible; part of it is open to visitors.
Omori Ginzan
大森銀山Ōmori GinzanTown of the mine magistracy and merchants, with samurai residences, merchant houses such as the Kumagai residence, temples and the magistrate's office site, preserved as a historic townscape.
Rakan-ji Gohyaku Rakan
羅漢寺五百羅漢Rakan-ji Gohyaku RakanFive hundred stone figures of Buddhist saints in rock-cut caves, carved in the 18th century to console the souls of those who died in the mine.
Iwami Ginzan Kaido
石見銀山街道Iwami Ginzan KaidōTwo transport routes, the Tomogaura-michi and the Yunotsu-Okidomari-michi, on which ore and silver were carried to the ports.
Yunotsu, Okidomari and Tomogaura
温泉津・沖泊・鞆ケ浦Yunotsu, Okidomari, TomogauraHarbours on the Sea of Japan from which silver was shipped; Yunotsu, a hot-spring town with a preserved townscape, and the small inlets of Okidomari and Tomogaura still show mooring stones cut into the rock.
History
1526
Kamiya Jutei begins large-scale mining at Iwami Ginzan.
1533
Introduction of the haifuki-ho cupellation method allows silver to be refined on site.
1562
The Mori take control of the mine after decades of conflict with the Ouchi and Amago.
1600
The Tokugawa place the mine under direct shogunate control with a magistrate at Omori.
Early 17th c.
Peak production; Iwami silver circulates in trade with China, Portugal and the Netherlands.
1923
Mining ceases.
2007
Inscription on the World Heritage List.
Visiting
- Iwami Ginzan is reached by bus from Odashi Station on the JR San'in Line, about an hour from Izumo; the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center explains the site and its history.
- The Omori area is designed for walking and cycling, with visitors' cars left at the World Heritage Center; the walk from Omori through the Sakunouchi valley to Ryugenji Mabu is about 2.5 km.
- Some tunnels, such as Okubo Mabu, can be entered only on guided tours organised locally; the mining area is otherwise a protected archaeological site.
- The old silver road can be walked from Omori to the coast at Yunotsu, ending in a hot-spring town.
Frequently asked questions
How important was Iwami Ginzan in world history?
In the early 17th century Japan was one of the world's largest silver producers, and Iwami Ginzan was its leading mine. Its silver financed trade with China and reached European merchants.
What is a mabu?
Mabu is the local term for a mine tunnel. More than 600 have been found at Iwami Ginzan, mostly small tunnels dug by hand.
Why is Iwami Ginzan called a cultural landscape?
The property includes not just the mine but the towns, roads, ports and forests that supported it; the managed forest and its regrowth are part of what makes the site exceptional.
How long do you need at Iwami Ginzan?
A day allows a walk through Omori and the mining valley to Ryugenji Mabu; adding the silver road or Yunotsu calls for an overnight stay.
Related
Sources
- 1.Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 2.日本の世界遺産一覧 (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁
- 3.大田市 (opens in a new tab) — 大田市