Iwami Ginzan 石見銀山

Iwami Ginzan (literally ‘Iwami Silver Mine’) in Shimane Prefecture, not far from the coast of the Sea of Japan and south-west of Izumo City, was once one of the largest silver mines in the world, accounting for a third of global production of this precious metal. The mining area stretches across several mountains. The registered World Heritage Site also includes Omori, the picturesque little town from which the mines were managed and supplied, as well as two ports, where the silver was shipped out and supplies were unloaded. The Rakan-ji temple, built in the mid-18th century to commemorate miners who lost their lives in the mines. The original chisel marks left by the miners in 1715 can still be seen today on the walls of the shaft at the “Ryugenji-Mabu Mine”. The pyramid-like ruins of the “Shimizudani Refinery” lie on the footpath between the mine and the town of Omori.