Entrance to the mine Historic Ogasawa Mine is a theme park that utilizes the ruins of the Ogasawa Mine in Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture. It is said that gold from Ogasawa was discovered in the Nara period (710-794) and contributed greatly to the gold culture of Hiraizumi. The mining rights passed to the Iwasaki family (Mitsubishi) in the Meiji era (1868-1912), and for about 90 years until the mine closed, it was managed by Mitsubishi and reached its greatest peak as a copper mine. The tunnels and mining sites are open to the public, and visitors can see the transition of the mining industry in Japan from modern times to the modern era.
Tour the sightseeing tunnels!
The sightseeing tunnels provide visitors with a glimpse of the mines in the modern era and in the Edo period (1603-1868). The sightseeing tunnels, which total 1.7 km in length, take about 45 minutes to complete. The temperature inside the tunnels is a cool 13°C year-round, so if you enter the tunnels in summer wearing short sleeves, you will shiver from the cold. Please remember to bring a jacket when you visit. Inside the tunnels, copper veins and hand carving marks can be seen here and there. The tunnels were developed every 30 meters in depth, and shafts were set up to connect the tunnels. Shafts were used to transport people, ore, waste rock (zuri), and materials. A hoisting machine was used to raise and lower the elevators (cages). Explanatory board for the shrinkage mining method
In the case of the Ogasawa Mine, the bedrock was solid, so a mining method called the shrinkage mining method was adopted, and the mining site was left as it was.
In addition to a tour of the spectacular sightseeing tunnels, there are also hands-on activities such as pure gold mining and natural stone digging. Historic Site Ogasawa Mine JR East Travel Service Center Akita, in cooperation with Akita Inu Tourism (a regional DMO), Kita-Akita City, and Kazuno Tourism and Products Corporation, a regional DMO, are holding a tourism promotion to introduce the World Heritage-listed "Oyu Ring Stones" and "Isedotai Site" and their surrounding areas, Odate City, Kita-Akita City, and Kazuno City. The promotion is being held to introduce the charms of Odate City, Kita-Akita City, and Kazuno City in the surrounding areas. Please visit our store to view the video."Travel Around, Encounter Travel. Click here for the "Tohoku" Autumn/Winter Promotion
