Besshi Copper Mine Memorial Museum

This museum in Niihama, Ehime, tells the story of the Besshi copper mine, which the Sumitomo family operated from 1691 until 1973, making it one of the world's most productive mines for nearly three centuries. Inside, mining tools, geological specimens, and period photographs walk through the mine's evolution from hand-dug tunnels to heavy industrial extraction. Outside, vintage machinery and railway equipment used to haul ore through the mountains sit among stone ruins of workers' quarters slowly being reclaimed by forest. The site gives a clear, human-scaled window into the industrial history that funded Japan's modernization.