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The Innai Silver Mine supported the finances of the Akita Domain. The mining town was home to a population of 15,000 people. [Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture]
The Innai Silver Mine supported the finances of the Akita Domain. The mining town was home to a population of 15,000 people. [Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture]
The Akita Domain (Kubota Domain)was a domain ruled by the Satake clan, encompassing almost the entirety of present-day Akita Prefecture. Its initial rice yield was approximately 200,000 koku, but it later increased to approximately 390,000 koku. This contrasts sharply with the Yamagata Domain in the same Dewa Province (present-day Yamagata Prefecture), which initially had approximately 600,000 koku but was divided after the downfall of its first lord, the Mogami clan, and was reduced to 200,000 koku by the end of the Edo period.
Being in the extremely cold Tohoku region, agricultural harvests varied from year to year, and there were times when the company struggled financially, but the foundation of the company was supported by mines that produced silver and copper
The powerful feudal domains in the Tohoku region focused their efforts on mining development, with famous examples being the Kosaka Mine (Kosaka Town, Akita Prefecture) of the Nanbu Domain (Iwate Prefecture), and the Tamayama Gold Mine, Shikaori Gold Mine, and Hosokura Mine of the Date Domain. In addition to these, countless small mines were developed, and it is said that there were as many as 120 mines in Yamagata Prefecture
The Akita Domain alsothe Ani Mineowned dozens of mines, includingthe Innai Silver Mine, boasted one of the highest production volumes in Japan and supported the domain's finances.
Innai Silver Mine, which the Akita Domain put effort into. Mining took place about 200 meters underground
The mine was dug deep underground. A rough map of Innai Silver Mine Shikioka Collection: Yuzawa Geopark
Innai Silver Mine is a mine that was discovered in 1606 (some say 1596) and was a major silver mine that operated for about 350 years until it closed in 1954 (Showa 29)
For a long time after its discovery, it was privately managed, but in 1817 it came under the direct control of the Akita Domain, and production increased dramatically
During the Tenpo era (1830-1843), silver production reached its peak, exceeding 1,000 kan (approximately 3,750 kg). This greatly boosted the finances of the domain, and it is said that as many as 15,000 people lived in the town of the silver mine, more than the population of Kubota Castle
There are several drawings of the Edo period that give a good idea of its scale.
There are more than 20 known entrances, and the tunnels are constructed in a complex maze-like pattern. Mining has taken place 205 meters underground from the entrance called Daiichiyamashi
After the Meiji period, the mine came under direct government control. German engineers were quickly invited to the mine
During the Meiji period, Innai Silver Mine was temporarily transferred from feudal domain management to private ownership, but from 1875 (Meiji 8) it became a mine directly under the control of the government
At that time, mining output had dropped significantly compared to its peak in the Edo period. To overcome this, mining engineers were invited from Germany, who introduced modern technology and dug tunnels 410 meters underground, successfully developing a new vein of ore. Between the 1880s and 1890s, annual production reached 10,000 to 14,000 kg
However, this did not last long, and the mine went into decline due to coal mine accidents and the transition from the silver standard to the gold standard. After the Taisho era, the mine was closed and reopened repeatedly, but finally closed completely in 1954 (Showa 29)
Materials relating to the Innai Silver Mine are on display. The building is modeled after the residence of a German engineer, the Innai Silver Mine Ijinkan
The Innai Silver Mine Foreigners' Residenceis a museum located next to JR Innai Station, which serves as the starting point for tours of the former Innai Silver Mine.
Inside the museum, you can see exhibits such as mining tools used at the Innai Silver Mine and a model of the bustling silver mining town. The brick-style building is a replica of a Western-style residence built for engineers invited from Germany in the early Meiji period
The building that became the basis for the Innai Silver Mine Foreigners' Residence was located within the Innai Silver Mine grounds and was built for five German engineers. This Western-style building, which was rare at the time, was treated specially by the locals andthe Foreigners' Residence. In the late Taisho era, when the silver mine declined, it was sold to private hands and later demolished due to dilapidation, and today only the stone walls remain on the site.
Innai Ginzan Ijinkan ＜Information＞
Facility name: Innai Ginzan Ijinkan
Address: 115 Ozawa, Kamiinai, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 0183-52-5143
Opening hours: 9:00-16:30
Admission fee: Adults 320 yen, Junior high school students and younger 210 yen
Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a public holiday), New Year's holidays
Miyuki-ko, formerly known as the No. 5 mine shaft, was the only entrance that miners could enter and exit.
During the Edo period, an office (Yamagata Yakusho) was located in the plaza in front of the mine entrance to check on the miners. When Emperor Meiji inspected the Innai Silver Mine, he entered through this entrance, and it"Goko-ko" (Imperial Visit Mine)was later named
In 1906 (Meiji 39), a mine fire occurred, killing over 100 people and said to have been a factor in the decline of the silver mine. The cause of the fire was a fire caused by careless bonfire, and the mine authorities closed the iron gate at the entrance to block out air, even though there were people inside the mine
The Hayabusa Mineis a tunnel developed during the Kan'ei era (1624-1643) and is the oldest existing tunnel. It is a valuable tunnel that preserves the Edo period excavation techniques used to dig through extremely hard bedrock.
Kanayama Shrinehas been the guardian shrine of the silver mine since the discovery of the Innai Silver Mine.
The shrine was highly protected by the Akita Domain, and successive feudal lords donated golden lanterns, calligraphy, paintings, and other items. The current shrine building was constructed in 1830. Every year on September 21st, "Mine Memorial Day," the Kanayama Shrine annual festival is held. It is a designated historic site of Akita Prefecture
If you go 1.3km southwest from the entrance to the Innai Silver Mine Historic Site (National Route 108), you will arrive at the gate of the Kanayama Shrine. From there, make a sharp turn and go about 400m upstream, and youGozensui (a spring)will find
It is called "Gozensui" (Gozen Water) because it was used to present tea to Emperor Meiji when he inspected the Innai Silver Mine in 1881 (Meiji 14). Currently, it is surrounded by a cedar forest and cold, clear water springs out from it
The Innai Guardhouse Siteis the former location of a checkpoint (guardhouse) established by the Akita Domain on the Ushu Highway. The guardhouse was responsible for controlling ronin (masterless samurai) and guarding the Innai Silver Mine. It is also said that a toll was collected from those passing through the guardhouse, and about 10% of the price of ore traded at the Innai Silver Mine was collected and paid to the domain.
Former Hospital Guardhouse ＜Information＞
Facility name: Innai Checkpoint/Innai Guard Station Ruins
Location: Aramachi, Kamiinai, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 0183-55-8193 (Yuzawa City Lifelong Learning Division, Cultural Property Protection Office)
Free to visit
access:
Train: Approximately 15 minutes on foot from JR Innai Station
By car: Approximately 15 minutes from Ogachi Komachi IC on the Yuzawa Yokote Road
Google Map
Former Innai Elementary and Junior High School, a Meiji-era building
The former Innai Higher Elementary School (former Innai Elementary School building) was founded in 1874 (Meiji 7), and the building that remains today was rebuilt in 1906 (Meiji 39). It was used as an elementary school throughout the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods, and was closed in 1979 (Showa 54), but is now open to the public as the Innai Community Center.
Former Innai Elementary and Higher Elementary School <Information>
Facility name: Former Innai Elementary and Secondary School
Address: 60-1, Tayobashi, Uehara, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 0183-55-8193 (Yuzawa City Lifelong Learning Division, Cultural Property Protection Office)
Cultural property: Yuzawa City designated cultural property
access
Train: Approximately 5 minutes on foot from JR Innai Station
By car: Approximately 15 minutes from Ogachi Komachi IC on the Yuzawa Yokote Road
Google Map
The Kabayama Hydroelectric Power Station, built for the Innai Silver Mine, still generates electricity today
The Kabayama Hydroelectric Power Plantwas constructed in 1900 (Meiji 33) to supply electricity to the Innai Silver Mine. The building is made of stone, constructed using stone quarried from the Innai mine. It is still in operation today as the Tohoku Electric Power Kabayama Power Plant, and although the building has been partially renovated, it is still in use as it was originally built. Stone buildings are extremely rare in Akita Prefecture, making it a valuable structure.
Kabayama Hydroelectric Power Station <Information>
Facility name: Kabayama Hydroelectric Power Plant
Address: 154 Akinomiya Kabayama, Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: Navi Dial 0570-550-220
Owned by: Tohoku Electric Power
access:
Public transportation: Approximately 9 minutes by car from Innai Station on the JR Ou Main Line
By car: Approximately 9 minutes from Ogachi Komachi IC on the Yuzawa Yokote Road via National Route 108
My love of travel led me to work for a travel magazine some time ago, and now I work as a travel writer for an online publication. I have visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, focusing on the Tohoku region, and I enjoy soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture, including old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts
