A copper mine

I learnt geology in college. After graduating the college, I started to work for a mining company in Japan. I felt quickly that there were no brilliant features in Japanese mining industries. But I had worked more than ten years because I wanted to learn real skills for mineral prospection.

The Hitachi Mine used to be a copper-zinc-lead mine, situated in about 100 miles north of Tokyo. The mine stopped its 76 years history in 1981. But the Hitachi mine (Japan Energy Corp. owns this closed mine) opened its memorial exhibition museum in old mining field.


The Memorial exhibition museum of Hitachi mine
You can see a lifting shaft in the center of the picture.
They used this shaft more than 60 years.

When I visited the museum, it was 9:30. I left my home at 5:50 to climb Mt. Takasuzu (655 m; 1996ft.) by byicle. It was 9:00 when I finish climbing. To kill time, I visited the memorial exbition museum. I was the first visitor for the day. I spent 3 hours for watching.

When I looked around the museum, a watchman asked me.
" Are you interested in rocks?"
I said, " Yes, I used to work in a mining company."
The watchman quickly understood why I carefully looked at exhibitions. He told me that even in Sunday there were a few visitors for this museum. Most of visitors spent only 10 minutes or 20 minutes. He felt something different of my behavior.

I believe that there were no travel books that recommend visiting this museum. I strongly recommend stopping by this museum when you visit Hitachi city. You can know not only Japanese mining history but also Japanese's way of working, living and culture in isolated artificial town in early 1900.



A big smoke-stack in the center
Half top of the smoke-stack collapsed in 1991.
They use this refinery plant for Ni and Co using imported materials.

(10/21/2000)

The Hitachi memorial exhibition museum:
No cost. No English explanation but lots of pictures and materials. Open hour: 9:00-16:00 Close: Every Monday, Second and fourth Sunday. Tel:(Japan) 0294-23-8411