Iwami Ginzan ー
石見銀山
Following the old prosperity：
The Iwami Silver Mine was first discovered by a wealthy merchant called Kamiya Juhei, and had been mined for about 400 years, the remains of mine was donated on behalf of Japan. Silver produced from Iwami Silver Mine is high quality and most trustable in the East Asia trade when Japanese silver is in the heyday in the early 17th century from the mid-16th century of the Age of Geographical Discovery, which occupied approximately one-third of the world silver products. Not only the mine tunnel called “Mabu”, but also many refinement sites, cityscape of mine town and hot springs are highlights. The remains of Iwami Silver Mine are registered to the World Heritage.
Access and Getting Around
The Iwami Silver Mine is in Oda City, so the basic city to get to the mine is JR Oda-shi Station. A bus runs from Oda-shi Station to Inheritance Center first. It is unavoidable that to get to the mine is difficult because it is a mountainous mine, but a direct bus runs from Hiroshima Station to the mine, which is the easiest way to get. It is not so far from Matsue, the Izumo area by JR Sanin Line train or by car, so to make a tour plan of staying two or three nights is good. It is necessary to have a tour taking enough time for it takes a day go round the whole mountainous area. A rental electric bicycle is available.
By train and bus
30 minutes from Izumo Station to Oda-shi Station with 1 train per 30 minutes, then to Inheritance Center by bus for 25 minutes with 1 to 2 buses per hour.
By bus
2 hours 30 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Inheritance Station with 2 buses per day.
By car
14 km from Oda-shi Station for 20 minutes; 1 hour 10 minutes from Izumo Station; 2 hour from Hiroshima Station.
Features
-Historic Sites
Taking a guidance function of the inheritance, the center mainly displays models, pictures, replicas and re-items,and sometimes displays the remains excavated by excavation survey.The background knowledge of the silver mine is provided here....
-Historic Sites
Omori is the former town area of the silver mine.Historical cityscape is preserved well, and it is very quiet even after being registered to the World Heritage,which expresses the will of inhabitants who have been maintaining the cityscape.As a base of Mabu Walk of the silver mine district, there are a tourist information center or a rental bicycle shop....
-Historic Sites
The only mine tunnel open to the public is about 273 meters (including new mine tunnel)while the whole tunnel is 600 meters long, and the trace of the then chisel remain on the wall of the tunnel.It is the highlight of Iwami Silver Mine....
-Historic Sites
It is the largest mine tunnel in Iwami Silver Mine, though it is not open to the public,four times of tour only on the weekend from the inheritance center are available to participate....
-Historic Sites
It is a group of five handred statues of Buddha for the memorial service for the workers who worked and died in the mineand for the security of the workers, which was built in 1766 after the contribution of many people for 25years.Rakan Temple was built to protect the five hundred of statues of the Buddha.In the rocky mountain facing the temple from the brook, two or three stone caverns are dug,a...
-Onsen(Hot Spings)
There were silver ore stones from the Iwami Silver Mine in old times,which made the port townand makes people feel the history of the Rias coast and existence of the hot spring town.It is charming though small.Would you like to stay at this hot spring town and think about the ancient prosperity of this area?...
-Specific Nature
A cedar buried in the underground by the sediment flowing down to the footwith the eruption of Sanbe Volcano of 1126 meters above sea level 3500 years ago is displayed.Seeing the figure of a huge tree of 3500 years ago so closely is fun....
Accommodation around Iwami Ginzan
