A Brief History of Sado Mines / 佐渡金山の略史

和訳は英文の下にきますが、現在作業中です。 / The Japanese translation is under construction and will follow the English text.

A Brief History of Sado Mines

Contents

1. Sado Mines in Edo Period (1601-1867)
2. Early Meiji Period (About 1868-1885)
3. Mid- and late Meiji Period (About 1885-1911)
4. Toward and during WWII (1912-1944)
5. After WWII until closing (1945-1989)
6. Present Day (2024)

1. History of Sado Mines

Sado Mines was opened in 1601 and was closed in 1989, which was almost four hundred years. In this post, we will have a quick review of it and describe the character reflecting different eras.

2. Sado mines in Edo Period (1601-1867)

“Sado Gold Mines” boasted a large-sale production of gold at the beginning of Edo Period, but the amount decreased soon afterward. It continued to decrease throughout mid- and late Edo period. It was because they mined just by hand and without a plan, and so they encountered various difficulties as they dug further.

2. Early Meiji Period (About 1868-1885)

After the Edo Government collapsed, Sado mines were managed by the Meiji Government. The new government tried to increase the production by introducing Western technology and mechanization.

The government hired and sent American and German engineers to the mines in Sado. Their jobs were to introduce and teach Western mining technology to the Japanese. With their advice, the government also constructed a Western-style dressing plant, dug Western style pits, improved works of port facilities, and opened a mining school for engineers to learn Western-style mining.

3. Mid- and late Meiji Period (About 1885-1911)

As they tried to participate actively in international commerce, the Japanese government decided to be on the gold standard.

In 1896, it sold the Sado mines to Mitsubishi Joint-Stock Company. Since then to today, Mitsubishi Group has owned and managed the Sado mines.

Mitsubishi began to mechanize the operations rapidly to increase the production. At the same time, as the contract with the Western engineers matured, they released them from their positions. Instead, they hired the Japanese engineers who had learned and worked with them, or who had studied mining in the West.

As a result, the gold production at the end of Meiji Period got as high as the level at the beginning of Edo Period.

4. Toward and during WWII (1912-1944)

Japan colonized Korea in 1910. As Japan continued to produce metals in Japanese mines, some Koreans began to work in Sado.

From about 1931, Japanese aggression in China expanded. Demand for gold surged in order to purchase large quantities of military equipment, and Japanese mines began to increase production.

The situation was the same in Sado, where the largest amount of gold and silver was produced in Japan.

From 1939, they mobilized Koreans from Korean Peninsula which was under Japanese colonization and reinforced the production.

From 1941, they stopped mining gold, and instead mined copper, iron, zinc, charcoal, etc. which were necessary to manufacture military equipments.

5. After WWII until closing (1945-1989)

In 1945, Japan lost the war, and most Koreans returned to Korea.

Sado mines continued operation, but it was reduced significantly. The production decreased year after year, and the mines were closed in 1989 due to depletion.