【音声解説】日本の近世・近代を支えた佐渡金銀山（電車日本一周Ⅱ旅13日目）
Hello everyone watching the video. Good evening. This time we will introduce the history and highlights of the Sado Gold and Silver Mine in Niigata Prefecture. The Sado Gold and Silver Mine was the largest gold mine in Japan until modern times, and was mined for about 400 years from the Edo period, producing
A large amount of high-quality gold. It produced gold, enriching the finances of the Edo shogunate, and became the driving force for modernization during the Meiji period, supporting the country’s finances.Despite being mined
By hand, it reached its peak in the early Edo period , and was one of the world’s largest and best in terms of both quantity and quality. Boasting high quality gold production, this high productivity
And the well-preserved state of the ruins are worthy of World Heritage status, and as of December 2023, it has been recommended as a World Heritage Site and is expected to be registered as a World Heritage
Site.This time, we will introduce the history of the Sado Gold and Silver Mine. We will tell you about the highlights along with a video of the trip.Introducing the Sado Gold and Silver Mine as a tourist destination with a walking video.If you want to know basic information such as access, please see
That.We traveled in early April 2022. We will take a ferry from Niigata Port to Sado.First, we will explain the outline of the Sado Gold and Silver Mine and why it is suitable as a World Heritage Site.It will
Be a little long, so if you want to know the scenery of Sado and the inside of the mines, please proceed from the table of contents.Sado Gold and Silver Mine is a general term for the many gold and silver mines in Sado. Among them, Aikawa Gold
And Silver Mine is particularly large and is a base for sightseeing. This time we will take a walk around this Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine. Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine was built in the Keicho 6th year of the Edo period. In 1601, the year after the Battle of Sekigahara, it
Became the domain of Tokugawa Ieyasu and mining was carried out by Nagayasu Okubo. Gold and silver mined in Aikawa became the raw material for making koban coins during the Edo period. Gold was also used to decorate
The gates and sliding doors of castles, shrines and temples, and silver was This provided funds for importing raw silk.In the latter half of the 17th century, ore mining sites gradually became deeper underground, causing problems with spring water in the mine shafts and reducing production, but Shigehide Ogiwara diverted the spring water that had
Collected in the mines to the sea. In the Meiji period, modernization of mines began under the guidance of foreign engineers, and Western technology was introduced for mining, transportation, and smelting, making gold and silver production more efficient . After being sold to Mitsubishi in 1896 (Meiji 29), it
Developed into a mine run by Mitsubishi and closed in 1989 (1989), and is now a tourist destination.Why is Sado Gold and Silver Mine worthy of being designated as a World Heritage Site? According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it was a gold mine, and until the mid-19th century
Mining was carried out using only traditional handicraft techniques, and in addition to the mining area, it is the only mining site in the world that still has a village area that tells the story of the production organization .
In other words, the Sado Gold and Silver Mine has a history of producing large amounts of high-quality gold by hand, and its mining and village areas are well-preserved. Since the Age of Navigation , mining has become more mechanized around the world , but in Sado
, although it was done by hand, during its heyday in the early Edo period, it produced the world’s largest and highest quality gold.High-quality mining, surveying, and refining techniques were mechanized. The long- term strategic mine management of the Tokugawa shogunate made possible a production system with
Purity exceeding that of mines and one of the largest in the world.The background to this was the long-term strategic mine management of the Tokugawa shogunate.Production technology such as tunnels and drainage channels, and production systems such as mining villages and the remains of the magistrate’s office.
It has been nominated as a World Heritage Site because it is unique in the world in that the remains showing the details of both are still preserved in good condition.Everything from mining to manufacturing of small coins was carried out in the same place. It seems that Sado is the only place in Japan
That has mines, and by the way, the only place that is aiming to be registered as a World Heritage Site is the remains of the Edo period.In Aikawa, there are also remains of modern mines from the Meiji period onwards, but they have not been recommended as a World Heritage Site.
The ferry ride from Niigata Port to Ryotsu Port on Sado takes two and a half hours, but how many hours did it take in the Edo period? Aikawa was originally a small village with only a few houses on the beach, but when gold was found, the
Shogunate Within 10 years, Aikawa had a population of 50,000 and became a major consumption area . After the discovery of the mine, Aikawa rapidly developed, and ronin, charlatans, merchants, and workers came from all over the country, and in the Keian period, they established their own towns. It grew into a major mining city.With
The arrival of many people from various countries, architecture, painting studies, and entertainment developed in terms of culture.Some of them even crossed the sea to Sado with the dream of getting rich quickly, committing crimes. Some people committed crimes and hid in mines, while
Others crossed the sea as prostitutes.Apart from these people, there were also people called Mushuku people who boarded boats and crossed this sea to Sado. Mushuku people were townspeople. They are vagrants whose names have been erased from family registers,
Such as those who have been disowned by people from rural areas or those who have been driven out of rural areas.During the Edo period, as part of the security measures against the increasing number of homeless people
, more than 1,800 people were removed from Edo-Osaka, Nagasaki, and other areas under the direct control of the Edo period. People with no fixed address were sent to Sado to do the hard labor of changing water. Sado’s gold mines were a place of despair
For the homeless people who were sent there, as the song goes, “Hell on earth.” A homeless person is not necessarily a criminal who has committed a crime. Although he was not, he was sent to Sado and forced to do hard labor.It is said that this was a strong example
To the people along the way, including the post town, before arriving at Ryotsu Port and boarding the bus. The 1-hour ride will take you to Aikawa on the other side of the island.As
Sado has become a major consumption area, the economy of the Hokuriku region has changed dramatically.Rice comes from Dewa, Etchu, and Tsugaru, and wood and charcoal come from the mountain villages of Echigo. From the Echigo coast , grilled salt and 40 other items were brought to Sado.The development of mines in Sado
Enriched the economy of the entire Hokuriku region.As the number of workers increased, the prostitute towns also flourished. It is said that during the Japanese period, there were over 30 prostitutes and as many as 1,200 prostitutes.The
Development of the mines in Sado enriched the economy of the entire Hokuriku region, but at the same time, many people moved to Sado with the dream of getting rich quickly. In the agricultural, mountainous and fishing villages of Kaga and Echigo, the number of people who easily went to Sado increased, and it became
Impossible to pay the annual tax , so an order was issued by the domain prohibiting people from crossing to Sado.Now, we got off at the Aikawa bus stop and headed to the Sado mine ruins. In the early Edo period, Nagayasu Okubo, the magistrate, built a port in Aikawa,
Built a vast camp on the plateau, and called townspeople to the road between the plateau and the port to build a town. Earlier , ronin from various countries came to Sado. However, they were vassals of feudal lords who fell during the Sengoku period.A
Well-known example is the ronin of Koshu who worked in the Takeda clan’s gold mines, as well as the ronin of Echigo, Sekishu, Bushu, and Yamato who migrated to Sado. Takochi is the site of the Sado Magistrate’s Office. It was built by Okubo Nagayasu in 1603, Keicho 8, and
Was the center of Sado’s mine management and administration. The Sado Magistrate’s Office is the administrative office that manages and administers the gold and silver mines. At first, people gathered on the hill near the mine and a town was built, but as the population increased, the magistrate’s office
Was built at the tip of the plateau facing the sea. Occupation-based towns were built systematically around Sado . The population rapidly increased, and supplies necessary for people’s daily lives were brought in from all over Sado. At the same time, the production of goods for the mines also flourished on the island. In
Addition, techniques for digging mine shafts and surveying techniques were used in agriculture, and new fields were developed throughout the island.You can see Doyu’s Warido, which is a symbol of Sado’s gold mines.Gold was mined in the Edo period. When I dug from the top of the mountain in search of it
, the remains of the mountain were cut in half.There was a memorial tower for the homeless in the middle of the slope, but I didn’t have time to stop by.I’ll introduce this later, but it was built in the Meiji era. There are ruins nearby.The homeless people were
Forced to live near the mines far from the town and were monitored.They were only allowed to go out into town and be free once a year, and they lived for long periods with no days off. It is said
That homeless people who were forced to work hard hours had short lifespans and their ages in their 20s and 30s were carved in graveyards . There was no end to homeless people who were planning to escape.
Now, after about a 30 minute walk from the Aikawa bus stop, we arrived at the entrance of the mine.You can tour both the Sodayu Pit, a mine from the Edo period, and the Doyu Pit, a mine from the Meiji period onwards.Let’s walk through both with a common ticket.
The tunnel was dug by hand during the Edo period. There are several information boards near the entrance with ample explanations. In search of gold and silver, they dug deep underground, below sea level. This is the Sado gold and silver mine from the Edo period. The mining work depicted in the picture scroll
Is faithfully reproduced. A carpenter digs ore with a chisel and a hammer. As a technician, the carpenter carpenter receives preferential wages and is given four-hour shifts to eat and rest. I had time and was able to lie down on bamboo mats,
But working underground damaged my lungs and my life was short-lived.As a result of inhaling the dust and oil fumes, I contracted silicosis, which is known as yamayoroke or yamayowari, and
Most of my life was between 3 and 5 years old. It is said that she died within 2000 from coughing so much that her meat fell off and vomiting something like soot and soot.It
Was rare for people to be over the age of 30, so she used up as much wages as she could and was a winemaker, a gourmet cook, and her first pride was in her beautiful clothes. It was written in a book that I read that there were people pulling the drains using pumps.
Drainage was important in mines because they were fighting against water. Because the mines were dug deep below sea level, spring water constantly overflowed and heavy rains occurred. Water flowed in from the ground during floods and floods , forcing people to drain water day and night.The water wheel used for drainage
Was an Archimedean pump that pumped water using the principle of a screw, and it is said that it was brought to Sado in 1653, the second year of the Joo period. However, this was the latest technology at the time,
And later, when the mines were in a slump, it was sold to farmers and used for irrigation, making it a great success in agriculture.Hitch -pullers could earn high wages, so the second and third sons of farmers from neighboring areas earned money. It is said that in the late Edo period, mukushi were used
, but the number of them was surprisingly small. Yamatome carpenters assembling pillars inside the mine to secure the tunnel. Engineers and engineers directly employed by the magistrate’s office. It is believed that some of the ronin who were rehired from the fallen feudal lords mentioned above took up this kind of work.The
Rock at the Sado Gold Mine was hard and the possibility of a cave-in was extremely small.This is a checkpoint. In addition to preventing the illegal removal of ore and other goods, the comings and goings of the transporters, the cypresses, were
Recorded and used as a guideline for wage payments . They took care of the mines and carried ore from inside the mine to the outside.This is how the wind blower is used to blow air.In order to prevent a lack of oxygen, oil and smoke from the lamps are also
Important for keeping lives alive as it sends fresh air into the mine, which is full of dust from mining. This is how homeless people changed their water.In the narrow spaces that the water wheel could not reach, the fish were unloaded manually.The
Working hours of the water changers were hard, working all day and night in shifts every other day, but the wages were good, but they were always unloading. It is written that in 1778, due to a shortage of manpower, they began accepting homeless people from Edo, Osaka, and Nagasaki.The
Number of homeless people was 1,874 in about 90 years.It is probably the gold mine in Sado that was feared as being called the hell of this world. The work of unloading the fish was short-lived due to the hard labor and silicosis.It is said
That the water changers initially relied on the labor of the islanders, but later they borrowed the help of the mushuku, but in reality this was not the case. It is thought that the islanders worked as tax.The 1,874 homeless people sent over the 90 years were on average around 20 per year, and it
Is difficult to imagine that this number was enough.In the first place, the homeless people were sent for the purpose of maintaining public order and showing off. It seems that the islanders were sent to make up for the shortage
. Near the exit, there is a scene of a festival held when a rich vein of gold and silver was discovered. These festivals also seem to be a mixture of cultures from various regions. As you exit the Edo period mine shaft, you will find the Sado Gold Mine Exhibition Museum. Here
You can learn a lot about the state of the mine shaft and mine management in the Edo period. Personally, I like the exhibit of the Minamisawa Canal Channel, which revived the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine, which had fallen into decline. It was great!
Shigehide Ogiwara built a drainage channel to drain the water inside the mine to the sea, and dug a shaft and excavated it from six places at the same time. It shows the high level of surveying technology at the time. It was during the Edo period, which was under national isolation.
I learned that surveying techniques that are almost the same as those used today were introduced from the West and were incorporated into the area.After looking at the tunnels from the Edo period, we will take a look at the tunnels from the Meiji period onwards.From the Meiji period to the first
Year of Heisei The tunnels and trolley machines that were used for about 100 years until the suspension of operations have been preserved as they were at the time, and you can see them.There is also an information board here, where you can learn various things.During
The Edo period, the mine was excavated by hand. In the Meiji period, modern Western technology was introduced, and underground elevators called vertical shafts were dug, and horizontal shafts were dug every 30m deep to mine ore, which was then transported outside using vertical shafts
. It was spread out like an ant’s nest, with a total length of about 400 km.The reason why large-scale capital investment was made was because the Meiji government focused on mining development along with railways as a policy to promote industry.It
Was worth it in the late Edo period. The Aikawa gold and silver mine, whose output had been drastically decreasing in the Meiji era, further developed as gold and silver production increased. Mining using machines and dynamite began in 1899, when the mine was
Located directly under the Doyu vein, which was rich in ore. A tunnel was dug, and this is now a sightseeing course. Western-style smelting was attempted to improve efficiency by hoisting up ore using horses and introducing ore cars into the horizontal shaft.After that, business performance improved.
New blast furnaces were installed, large vertical shafts were excavated, new smelting methods were introduced, and production increased and new developments took place.Ore cars used to transport ore were made of wood during the Meiji period, but from the 1940s onwards they were made of iron. The battery-operated locomotive
That was built in 1955 was built in the 1950s and 1950s. Excavation continued at this location, which is below the split door of Doyu, from 1896 until the mountain was closed in 1989. It seems that an ore vein ran
Almost vertically up to the vicinity, 10 m wide, 120 m long, and 100 m deep. There are raccoon holes dug in various places to search for ore veins during the Edo period. There is also a resting place for homeless people. Exiting the Doyu Pit There is the Takato Shaft.It
Is an underground elevator that lifts ore, etc. to the ground.If you go to the left from the exit, there is a place where you can see Doyu Warito up close.The Takato that is attached to the shaft and shrine is Oshima Takato. The name comes from
The man who succeeded in manufacturing iron ore using the first blast furnace in Japan in Kamaishi.He is called the father of modern Japanese steel manufacturing because he successfully transferred the technology of Western-style blast furnaces.This is Warito of Doyu. It is a symbol of the Sado Gold Mine.
The top was dug during the Edo period, and the middle part and underground part continued to be mined from the Meiji era until the mine was closed in 1989. Returning to the exit of the Doyu Pit and proceeding further. There is a machine factory.This building
Is famous for its glass with the Mitsubishi mark engraved on it.It was a building built in the early 1930s, and glass was rare and valuable at the time, so the glass was scratched with nails to prevent theft.Time was limited. I wasn’t able to take much time to look at it, but inside
There was a place to charge the battery-operated locomotive that was there earlier, and there were drills used for excavation and air pumps used for drainage.Incorporating Western technology, the Sado Gold and Silver Mine The mine was modernized
, but at the same time, 2,000 people who carried ore on their backs and worked in the smelting process lost their jobs, and for a time there was a state of unrest that seemed to threaten to break out into a riot. This seems to be a crushing plant.It
Is a facility where mined ore is crushed into small pieces using a crusher.It was built around 1933. It appears to have been in operation until the mountain was closed in 1989. There is also a crushing plant below, and from the hill, you can see the crushing plant, a storage warehouse and a substation
Connected by a belt conveyor, and the ruins of the mill on the right. On the top of the mountain. The work process progresses downwards, with a production line spanning approximately 3 km.Work progresses downwards, and gold and silver are extracted, then transported to the port, loaded onto ships, and shipped.Doyuken
Course The equipment I saw there was the latest and best technology at the time.From the information board I mentioned earlier, I can see that many of the equipment were the first of their kind in Japan.After the mid-Meiji period, Japanese people learned Western techniques under the guidance of foreigners.
They gained practical experience using the latest technology and machinery, which was then passed on to their successors and further developed.The Sado Gold and Silver Mine is known as a model mine in Japan, and trainees from mines and universities all over Japan come to learn
. A mining school was also opened to train engineers.This is a belt conveyor yard built in 1930, which transports ore crushed at the crushing site to the ore storage building on the right.This building is a This is the basic part of the mine.
It is a facility where poor quality ore is crushed and gold is recovered using mercury. Two were built in 1891 and 1898, and after being destroyed by fire in the Taisho era, a new one was built and it was operated during the war. During the
War, the production of gold was stopped and the production of copper, iron, lead, etc. was started.As you go down the hill, near the Sado Magistrate’s Office, you will find the Kitazawa Area Facilities Group, a place where ore processing and refining were carried out.In the foreground There is the Aikawa Local Museum, where
You can enjoy a wide range of exhibits, from materials related to the mine to Aikawa’s archeology, folklore, and minerals.The Kitazawa area is a major base for the entire Sado mine , and is home to the smelter, which handles
The final process of the gold and silver production line. This is where facilities such as an ore processing plant were located. From the Meiji period to the Showa era, the most advanced ore processing and refining technology was put into practical use here. In
1937, a national policy was adopted to increase production, and major renovations were made to the facility. It continued to operate from 1952 to 1952.This is the former foundry where various types of machine parts were manufactured and transported to various workshops.In addition to the foundry, there was also a repair shop.The
Circular building was a 50m thickener. It is a facility that separates water from ore containing muddy gold and silver.The separated minerals are sent to the ore processing plant across the street, and the water is also sent to the ore processing plant for reuse to supplement the lack of industrial water.
With a diameter of 50m, it is the largest in Japan.There used to be thickeners of various sizes.The large building opposite the thickener is the former site of the Kitazawa flotation plant.It
Was built in 1940 in 1940, and the roof and other parts are now It has been removed and only the foundation remains. It is a factory where crushed minerals were put into a water tank containing a flotation agent, and gold and silver were floated on top of it and absorbed into the bubbles.
Gold and silver were also collected from the gold and silver residue. It is a technologically groundbreaking facility that processes more than 50,000 tons of ore per month, boasting the largest scale in the East.The thickener and ore processing plant are the remains of the facilities that supported mass production in the Showa era
. Next to the site is the remains of a coal-fired power plant, which was built in 1907, 1907, and when steam turbines started operating, the steam engines at the refinery were replaced by electric motors in the Showa period. The background was an era when ore production was increased, but
When the Sino-Japanese War began in 1937, the government ordered mines in various places to produce the gold and silver needed to pay for importing goods needed for the war from foreign countries. At the Sado Mine, many facilities were built and efforts were made to increase gold and silver production.
Near the upstream mine, the oar of the Otachi shaft changed from wooden to steel-framed. In the Takato area, a crushing yard using various machines was built. However, in this Kitazawa area, a 50m thickener and a flotation plant were constructed.With the construction of these facilities, gold and silver production increased, and
In 1940, when the flotation plant was built, it was in the history of the Sado Gold and Silver Mine. After that, as Japan became mired in war and became isolated from the international community, the value of gold as a means of payment waned, and
Priority was given to increasing production of copper, iron, zinc, and coal, which were important resources for war, and the Sado mine also produced copper. The mining of gold increased, while the mining of gold decreased.The remains of mines from the Meiji to Showa eras were
Also worth seeing.Only the remains of the Edo period have been nominated as World Heritage Sites, but these were made by Korean workers during the war. This may have been done in consideration of the fact that a large number of people were mobilized and the room system
Was similar to the octopus room.However, there were also many buildings from the modern era to see, from the Edo period mine shafts to the Meiji era and later. It was also nice to be able to feel the changes of the times by walking through the mine shaft
And seeing the remains of the Showa era.I think the appeal of the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine lies in the fact that it was a place where the most advanced technology of the time was gathered. The latest technology and machinery of that era were brought in from Japan and abroad, and the top
Minds of the time gathered and used them in Aikawa, improving them and accumulating the technology.The skills and brains spread throughout the country and Aikawa can be said to be the place where coal mining technology was nurtured. Just as the floating wheels used in the Edo period were used for agriculture, various
Mining techniques are thought to have been applied to other fields as well.As I learned after my trip, Sado’s tub boats are related to mining. Taraibune were used for fishing for abalone, octopus, wakame, etc.
During the Edo period, large quantities of tubs were used in mines, which improved the skills of the island’s tub craftsmen, who converted them into boats and used them for fishing in the early Meiji era. It seems that
The Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine had many attractions, but it was impossible to take a day trip.We stayed for 6 and a half hours, but the time passed quickly and we could only see about half of the ruins. I think that
On the road from the Sado Magistrate’s Office to the Aikawa Mine, there is a place called Kyomachi Street that has remnants of the Edo period , but I was not able to see the temples and shrines in the area
Or the cemetery for the homeless. We could not even see the remains of Oma Port, where ore was shipped after the period.The Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine is just a part of Sado’s mines, and there are also other mines such as the Nishi-Mikawa Gold Mine and the Tsuruko Silver Mine. There are
Also historical sites in Shukunegi and Ogi Port in the south of Sado.If you are going to visit Sado, I think it would be a good idea to stay overnight and take a leisurely stroll.Well, that’s all for this video.This video
Is your guide to Sado. I would be happy if I could help you with your travels and walks.Thank you for watching.
今回は新潟県佐渡島の相川金銀山の歴史と見どころを紹介します。
日本の金山の代名詞となっている佐渡金山は、佐渡島にある金山の総称です。中でも規模が大きく観光の拠点となっているのが相川金銀山で、今回は相川金銀山を解説していきます。
2023年12月現在、江戸時代の遺構が世界遺産に推薦されており、2024年の登録が期待されていますが、見どころは近世の遺構だけでなく近代の遺構にもあります。
今回は佐渡の相川金銀山の遺構を歩き、その歴史や見どころ、世界遺産に相応しい理由などを説明します。
アクセスや運賃などは散策動画で紹介しています。
#佐渡金山 #佐渡観光 #新潟観光
目次
0:00 イントロ
1:34 佐渡金銀山の概略
3:05 世界遺産に相応しい理由
5:03 寒村から一大消費地へと変貌した相川
5:52 無宿人の佐渡送り
6:56 金山により潤った北陸一円の経済
7:53 相川バス停から鉱山へ、佐渡奉行所跡
10:00 無宿人小屋跡
11:09 短命だった金穿大工 宗太夫坑（江戸金山絵巻コース）
12:00 樋引人足の排水作業と水上輪（アルキメデスポンプ）
13:58 無宿人と水替
15:29 相川金山を復活させた南沢疏水道（佐渡金山展示資料館）
16:33 鉱山の近代化 道遊坑（明治官営鉱山コース）
19:38 佐渡金山のシンボル 道遊の割戸
21:41 国内の模範鉱山と呼ばれた佐渡金銀山
22:58 昭和の大量生産を支えたシックナー・北沢浮遊選鉱場跡
25:35 昭和期の鉱石増産の時代背景
27:28 相川金銀山の魅力
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