| Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
 |
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| State Party |  Japan |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, v |
| Reference | 1246 |
| Region** | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2007 (31st Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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The Iwami Ginzan (石見銀山 Iwami Ginzan) was a silver mine in the city of Ōda, Shimane Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan.[1] It was added to the World Heritage List in 2007.[2]
Contents |
Mine history
It was developed in 1526 by Kamiya Jutei a Japanese merchant. It reached its peak production in the early 17th century of approximately 38 tons of silver a year which was then a third of world production. [3]
Silver from the mine was used widely for coins. 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. [3] It was later secured by fences and barricaded by pine trees. Yamabuki Castle was built in the centre of the complex. [3]
Silver production from the mine fell in the nineteenth century as it had trouble competing with mines elsewhere and it was eventually closed.
Heritage site
Parts of the mining town remain in good condition and the Japanese Government has designated it as a Special Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings. The government also applied for it to become a World Heritage Site. The bid succeeded in July 2007,[2] although an evaluation of the site by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOSMOS) produced no findings of "outstanding universal value."[4]
Notes
- ^ Lyman, Benjamin Smith. (1879). Geological Survey of Japan, p. 87.
- ^ a b "Iwami picked as World Heritage site,"The Yomiuri Shimbun. June 2007.
- ^ a b c UNESCO: "Historic Silver Mine of Iwami Ginzan."
- ^ UNESCO: ICOMOS evaluation of the property
References
- Lyman, Benjamin Smith. (1879). Geological Survey of Japan: Reports of Progress for 1878 and 1879. Tookei: Public Works Department. OCLC: 13342563
External links
Coordinates: 35°06′26″N 132°26′15″E / 35.10722°N 132.4375°E
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