Only one tunnel, 600 metres long, can be visited out of the roughly 700 shafts dug over four centuries.
Discovered in 1527, the deposit came to supply, at its peak between the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, a significant share of the world's silver, when Japan produced about a third of it. About 700 shafts (間歩) dug over four centuries of work remain, but only one can be visited all year round: the Ryūgenji-mabu, 600 metres of tunnel opened in the eighteenth century. The mining village of Ōmori, with its houses roofed in red Sekishu tiles, has been a protected historic district since 1987.
Mining site and village in the city of Ōda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 and the first industrial site in Asia to be listed. The mine closed for good in 1943, after water damage. The World Heritage visitor centre, at the entrance to the valley, introduces the history of the site before the climb on foot or by hired bicycle towards Ōmori and the Ryūgenji-mabu.
ℹ️ Visitor centre open 8:30–17:30 (until 18:00 from March to November), closed on the last Tuesday of the month and at New Year. Ryūgenji-mabu open 9:00–17:00 (16:00 from December to February), closed on 1 January, ticket 500 yen (250 for elementary and junior high school children). From Ōmori-daikansho-ato you get there on foot (about an hour), by hired bike or by the local electric cart; private cars need a booking to access Ōmori.
🚉 世界遺産センター · 1 min walk
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