The Gold Mine of Sado Island (佐渡島の金山）was added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sight at the most recent UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting last Saturday. The Sado Mines have become Japan’s 26th site to be added to the list.
The World Heritage Committee met in New Delhi to decide on new World Heritage sites. The Japanese committee nominated the Sado Mines, and after deliberations, the committee unanimously decided to register them as a World Cultural Heritage site.
The newly added Sado Mines are located on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. Sado Island is approximately 100 kilometers from the Noto Peninsula and is the largest island in the Sea of Japan.
Once the World’s Largest Gold Mine
Traditional wooden buildings still stand around the city on the island, evoking the “good old days” of Japan. At the Sado Mines, miners extracted and produced gold without machines from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
In the 17th century, gold produced at the Sado Mines accounted for approximately 10% of the global share. This made it the world’s largest gold producer. Moreover, the production of gold between the Edo era and the early Heisei era amounted to 78 tons of gold. This is equivalent to around one trillion yen worth of gold in today’s value.
The mined tunnels stretch out like an ant’s nest. Its total distance totals approximately 400 kilometers in distance, which equals the distance from Sado to Tokyo.
The Sado Mines are characterized by their peculiar shape that was created as miners kept digging down for gold. The mountain, now split in half, has been named Doyunowarito (道遊の割戸). This has become a symbol of the Sado Mines.
Local people from Sado Island and the wider Niigata Prefecture celebrated this accomplishment. The town set up live streams of the UNESCO conference, allowing people to gather and watch the event together. A local hotel celebrated by serving amazake (甘酒), a sweet sake drink topped with gold, to its guests. Some were seen crying with joy, reflecting on the long journey it took for the town to reach this point.
Its long journey
The local government of Niigata Prefecture and the city of Sado Island had been lobbying the government to recommend the “Gold Mine on Sado Island” to UNESCO for registration as a World Cultural Heritage site.
In response, the Council of the Agency for Cultural Affairs reported three years ago, in December 2021, that it would select “the gold mine on Sado Island” as a candidate for nomination, but made the unusual caveat that the selection would not be based on a decision to recommend, but on a comprehensive review within the government.
South Korea had repeatedly claimed that the workers from the Korean Peninsula were forcefully put into labor. In response, the UNESCO advisory body ICOMOS recommended developing additional explanations and display strategies to cover the historical context of the site throughout all mining periods. They also urged the provision of appropriate facilities and equipment.
In response, the Japanese government decided to establish a permanent exhibition on the history of recruitment from the Korean Peninsula. The exhibition will feature panels detailing the history of the workers, including the harsh working conditions during wartime.
To this, the Japanese government commented, “We will faithfully and fully implement the recommendations of the resolution, while faithfully remembering all workers at the Gold Mine on Sado Island, especially those from the Korean Peninsula. We will continue to work closely with South Korea to comprehensively address the entire history of the mines.”
In addition, the South Korean government commented that “the statements made by the Japanese side at this committee meeting result from serious negotiations conducted with the Japanese government over the past several months.”
PM Kishida: “A treasure of the world”
Japanese leaders have also acknowledged the accomplishment. Prime Minister Kishida commented, “This is joyous news that many people have been longing for over the last 14 years since the site became a candidate for the World Heritage status. I would like to congratulate Niigata Prefecture, Sado City, and the many local people who have worked so hard to make this happen.”
The PM further added, “we would like to support the efforts of the local people to protect the gold mine on Sado island to be able to pass it onto future generations. It has gone from a treasure of Japan to a treasure of the world. We hope that many people will visit this fascinating cultural heritage site. We hope that people from all over Japan and the world will visit the site and experience its value.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamikawa congratulated everyone on the accomplishment, highlighting the efforts of dialogue between Japan, South Korea, and others in bringing this to reality. She expressed her respect for all parties involved. Additionally, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology Moriyama shared in the joy of this achievement.
“This is not a goal but a start. I hope that the local government and related parties will continue to take all possible measures to protect the gold mines of Sado Island, promote the value of the site, and improve the environment for visitors so that many people from around the world can visit the site and experience its charms.”
Hope for Sado City
Locals hope that this new symbol for the Sado Mines will increase tourist attraction to the island and Niigata Prefecture.
Hiroyuki Tsuruma, an owner of a sushi restaurant in the city of Sado, said, “I’m happy that the registration was approved because the gold mine located on Sado island is an important place. We expect the number of tourists to increase in the future. We would like to provide even better hospitality so our guests can enjoy their time here.”
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