Tatara Charcoal Forestry Heritage

At the height of iron production in the San'in region, a single tatara furnace consumed around 810 metric tons of charcoal each year, requiring roughly 60 hectares of managed forest to stay operational. This exhibit explains how charcoal served as both fuel and chemical agent in the tatara ironmaking process, with oak, pine, and beech harvested from trees at least 30 years old. Ironworks owners were responsible for sustained forest management, cycling plots so regrowth could keep pace with demand. The balance between extraction and renewal made large-scale iron production possible for centuries.