Rikuzentakata: The Golden Country

Nestled in the inland mountains within the city of Rikuzentakata you will find a now-defunct gold mine with a long and storied history, the Tamayama Gold Mine.

When the famous explorer and writer Marco Polo traveled to Japan, he ended up referring to Japan as “Jipangu, the Golden Country” after being inspired by the various golden sites he saw there. One of those sites, the Konjikido Golden Hall in Chuson-ji Temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate, was decorated with gold mined from the Tamayama Gold Mine in Rikuzentakata. So, it can be said that the city of Rikuzentakata played a large role in the way that Japan was seen in the West for centuries.

When Marco Polo visited Japan in the 13th Century the Tamayama Gold Mine had already been in operation for hundreds of years, with gold first being discovered at the location in the year 734 A.D. The Tamayama Gold Mine continued to be mined for almost a thousand years, with the most bounteous year being the year 1611 A.D., in which a staggering fifty tons of gold ore was extracted during a one-hundred day period. The amount gold intake from the mine began to drastically decrease starting in the late 17th century, and eventually there was no choice but to close the mines for good.

This stone and plaque mark the former entrance to the mines

Nowadays, while the Tamayama mine shafts have been closed and filled in for a long time, the surrounding area remains a popular spot for those with a passion for history, as well as hiking enthusiasts, as the mines are located near the popular hiking spot, Mt. Hikami. (Please note that entrance into the mine ruins is prohibited to general tourists.)

Tama no Yu Onsen, a hot spring and hotel, is also a popular nearby destination, and even uses natural spring water from the area around the mines to fill its public baths. Additionally, visitors to the hot spring are able to go on crystal hunting excursions around the ruins of the mine, where otherwise rare crystals can be found quite regularly.