Ikuno Silver Mine — Attraction in Asago

Really enjoyed my visit to this mine...have an interest in geology...the exhibits are interesting but not marked up in English so go with a patient Japanese who will take the time to explain. The mine tour is interesting as you bump into Edo period mannequins performing all manner of grueling mining activities. Since it was actively mine until quite recently you can see modern mining gear an miners and experience interesting sound effects...not for claustrophobics...Good souvenir shop but little choice for food. I had soba...it was OK...it was reasonable price...You can spend hours looking at mineralogical specimens and the history of the mine exhibits and more mannequins above ground refining the or to make the emperor rich.. And you can pan for gold but while we accumulated a small phials worth of tin and silver balls used to salt the bath for visitors to try their hand at panning the single grain of gold eluded us. I fed the carp in the pond there and scoured the rock face for the image of kami sama and the gleam of gold. It was fun...in a nice location.

Mines were brutal places in the Edo period but the Japanese had quite good tech for the day and were aware of the hazards and how to...

An interesting look into the past through the view of a mine, operating until the 70's the Ikuno silver mine was active for over a thousand years.

Info pamphlets are available in English as well as Chinese and Korean. Signs in the mine itself are only in Japanese and English, and the small museum is Japanese only.

If you are fond of mines or are living locally and would like to learn a bit about the region's history I'd recommend it. But I would not describe it as a must see if you're just...

Good place to go in any weather to get out of the elements. The mine entrance is near the parking lot and you can walk about 1500m of the ridiculously long tunnels. Good history lesson and informative museum next to the parking lot too. The souvenir shop didn't have anything for us to get, but if you like power stones or mineral rocks, they have a lot of types. If the weather is good, it's also nice to walk outside too, and find all the cave/mine openings from hundreds...