Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape
Located in the southwest of Honshu, Iwami Ginzan is a mountain surrounded by mountains rising to 600 meters above sea level and interspersed with deep river valleys, the mountains contain large mines, smelting and refining sites, and archaeological remains of mining settlements from the 16th to 17th centuries. and 20th centuries. The site also shows the routes used to transport silver ore to the coast, and from there to port towns in Korea and China. These mines contributed greatly to the overall economic development of Japan and Southeast Asia in the 16th and 17th centuries, when large-scale production of silver and gold began in Japan. The mining area is now densely forested. The site contains a fortress, a shrine, parts of the street transport route to the coast, and three port towns, Tomoura, Okidomari, and Yunotsu, from where the ore was shipped.