AKABIRA, Hokkaido -- A former coal mine here that was closed in 1994 is still attracting visitors aspiring to see the rare sight of a shaft mouth.

The former Sumitomo Akabira Coal Mine in the city of Akabira, Hokkaido, which supported Japan's post-World War II reconstruction and its rapid economic growth period, has been preserved in its original state.

Operations at the mine began in 1938, and the facility was completed in 1963 at a total cost of approximately 2 billion yen (about $5.6 million as of the 1950s through 1960s). At its peak, the mine employed 4,787 people and produced some 1.9 million metric tons of coal annually, but was closed in 1994. A 43.8-meter-high shaft tower, which still stands today, carried miners down to a depth of 615 meters in about one minute and pulled up the coal from underground.

The site, which tells the history of the mining industry, was transferred from Sumiseki Materials Co. to the Akabira Municipal Government free of charge in 2016. The city government built a guide facility next to a shaft in July 2018 and is stepping up its moves to utilize the coal mining heritage, which allows visitors to see the shaft yard, a rarity nationwide.

Currently, guided tours are offered twice a day, except on days the facility is closed. On April 10, 2022, the number of tour visitors exceeded 10,000. Tour guide Hideo Mikami is a former coal miner who worked at the site for 25 years. He said, "I want to convey the history of the coal mine as well as my own experiences."

(Japanese original by Taichi Kaizuka, Hokkaido Photo and Video Department)

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The Japanese version of this article was originally published on July 10, 2022.

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