Hashino Iron Mine
Surrounded by mountains lush with nature, the deserted site of the Hashino Iron Mine is considered to be the birth place of Japan's iron industry.
As one of Japan's proudest world cultural heritage sites, this is a tourism spot you absolutely can't miss.
Under the Morioka Domain, Kamaishi provided the high quality iron ore used in the creation of Nambu ironware for many years.
With knowledge of firearms and reverberatory furnaces, the Morioka Domain's Oshima Takato aimed to prepare for the arrival of a new era by succeeding in using Western-style blast furnaces to continuously produce iron.
He completed his Western-style blast furnace in Hashinocho in Kamaishi.
13 of these furnaces were built in Kamaishi, leading the city to become a key part of Meiji era Japan's industrial development.
At the Hashino Iron Mine you can learn about the whole iron production process, from mining to transport to manufacturing.
In July of 2017 it was chosen by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to be registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You can still feel the breath of the Meiji era iron industry at this precious cultural landmark.
Right near by, the Kamaishi Hashino Iron Mine Information Centre has been built to display a variety of documents & records.
If you wish to visit the Hashino Iron Mine then please stop by there first.
