No, gold is not only found in western movies where yellow-toothed prospectors mine the mountains in across the United States.The precious metal can be found across the world, whether through panning river beds to collect gold particles or by mining caves that boast high quantities of gold ore. When is comes to gold on Sado Island, you can find both and delve deep into the golden history of the nation at the recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site of Sado Kinzan (Sado Gold Mine).
Originally in Japan, panning for gold was the only way to acquire it for hundreds of years but eventually, mining was popularized during the Edo Period (1603 – 1868). One of Japan’s most prolific gold mines was Sado Kinzan, located on Sado Island. Located off the coast of Niigata Prefecture, Sado is home to the mine which was, at one point in history, one of the largest gold mines in the world.
The origin of gold mining in Sado is a little unclear with historical records stating that there was gold on the island as early as the Heian Period (794 – 1185). During the Sengoku Period (1467- 1615), the island was frequently in conflict, especially when it came to who was in control of the gold and silver mines. In 1589, a military campaign led by Kagekatsu Uesugi put an end to the squabbling and took control of the mines, progressing their development until 1600.
Here steps in one of Japan’s most well-known historical figures, Ieyasu Tokugawa. In 1601, Sado Island came under his rule, and in the same year, a great gold vein was discovered and Sado Kinzan was founded. Only two years later, the Sado Magistrates Office was set up on the island and the production of gold coins that would finance the Tokugawa shogunate was underway. In the early Edo Period, the mine was at its peak, producing roughly 400 kilograms of gold annually.
The vein of gold was huge, stretching 3,000 meters east to west, 600 meters north to south and running 800 meters deep. It would produce 78 tonnes of gold on top of 2,330 tonnes of silver across 338 years from opening to closure. As with any mine before the introduction of safety measures, working conditions were dangerous. Oftentimes, criminals were sent to work there as forced laborers–not only Japanese criminals, but also Koreans. This latter point became an object of contention when the mine was seeking its UNESCO World Heritage status, with Japan agreeing to acknowledge the labor of Korean citizens in the mine. Eventually, the resources in the mine were depleted and after years of decline, the mine was officially closed on March 31, 1989.
Today, the mines are now open as a museum for all who wish to learn about the history of these once gold-filled mountains. I had the opportunity to enter the mountain myself, heading into the bowels of the mine to get a taste of what it might have felt like for those who once worked there.
The mine has been set up to allow guests to see what it might have looked like during the Edo Period, with animatronic figurines placed in certain locations along the route. You can learn what each role was, who was in charge, what the conditions would have been like, and even see a mock-up of a Shinto ritual “yawaragi” which was held to pray for the hard rock to soften and become easier to mine. The mine’s signage also comes in English, so it was easy for me to learn more about its history whilst strolling through.
A course I was also interested in (but didn’t have time for unfortunately) was the “Island Mirrorge” course. This course integrates mixed reality technology, with MR glasses that allow you to enter a magical underground world. You can interact with spirits and monsters that lurk in the depths. To get an idea of what this looks like, check out the below video.
Outside of the mines, you can check out a small museum space which shows models of what the area would have looked like at the height of production and how coins were made after the gold was extracted from the mine. You can even try to extract some gold yourself, with a gold bar challenge set up to test your strength. Now, I consider myself a strong person, but I had a tough time even trying to lift the thing up, let alone get it out of the small hole you put your hand through!
You can tell that the area is very proud of its history. Certain restaurants and food stalls I visited would add gold flakes to meals, and I even came across one resident of the island who had dyed his hair green and styled it to resemble the iconic split mountain near the mine. Having not even heard of Sado before my trip, it was amazing to see what a huge role it has played in Japan’s history.
