Gold and Silver Mines

Sado Island produced 78 tons of gold over several centuries of mining, the second-largest total in Japan, with operations running from the early seventeenth century until 1989. The Tokugawa shogunate took direct control in 1601 and used the gold to mint the oval koban coins used throughout the realm. One mine, Dohyu no Warito, was excavated so intensively that the mountain was literally split in two. Today, the Sado Kinzan Gold Mine Historic Site preserves Edo-period and Meiji-era mining tunnels visitors can walk through, while Kirarium Sado in Aikawa covers the island's mining history through video and exhibits.