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「ARCHIVES」について
ウェブサイト「ARCHIVES」は、東北と新潟の鉱山跡に残る遺構を写真に記録し、歴史とともに紹介することを目的として 2016 年に開設しました。
古くは朝廷や幕府の振興のもとに興隆した日本の鉱業は、明治期に入ると国の重要産業に位置づけられ、拡大する軍備を背景に近代化の道を歩みました。 その後、日本が敗戦から復興を遂げて経済成長に向かう中、重化学工業の発展は鉱産資源の需要を急速に高め、鉱業に再び活況をもたらしました。 一方、石油への燃料転換は石炭鉱業に構造的な不況をもたらし、増加を続ける国内需要は輸入資源の台頭に拍車をかけ、日本の鉱業はかつてない難局に直面することとなります。 やがて、各地の鉱山は高品位鉱石の減少と円相場の高騰を受けて衰退の一途を辿り、その多くが閉鎖を迎えました。
膨大な資金と労力、時間を費やして築かれた鉱山施設は、役目を終えた現在もなお、山中に厳かな佇まいを残し、往時の繁栄を偲ばせます。 時間の経過は素材の変質や植物による侵食をもたらし、そこは匂いや湿気を帯びた空気を湛え、趣と存在感に満ちた空間へと創り上げられていきます。 巨大な建造物が自然へと還りゆく中で見せる美しさ、かつての喧騒を失い、廃墟と化した空間に漂う静寂の空気、寂寥感、空虚感などを写真を通してご鑑賞いただければ幸いに思います。
なお、鉱業には鉱毒による環境汚染問題の他、殉職者を伴う鉱山災害、軍需産業への支援、朝鮮人をはじめ、中国人や外国人捕虜に対する強制労働などの歴史があります。 当サイトは、被害に遭われた方やそのご遺族に、不快な思いを抱かせることを目的としたものではありません。
About This Website
This website, established in 2016, presents photographs and the history of industrial heritage with a focus on abandoned mines in the Tohoku region and Niigata, Japan.
The Japanese mining industry, which prospered through the promotion of the Imperial Court and later the Shogunate in earlier times, was gradually modernized from the Meiji period onward in line with military expansion. During the period of rapid economic growth after the war, the development of the heavy and chemical industries rapidly increased the demand for mineral resources and brought prosperity to the mining industry. Meanwhile, an energy revolution, a shift from coal to oil, brought about structural recession in the coal mining industry. Additionally, an increase in domestic demand accelerated the influx of inexpensive imported resources, and the mining industry faced an unprecedented situation. Subsequently, numerous mines fell into decline due to the decrease in high-grade ore and the sharp appreciation of the yen, resulting in successive closures.
Mining facilities, which took an enormous amount of money, labor, and time to construct, still stand in the mountains even after losing their function and retain remnants of their former prosperity. Moreover, material deterioration and plant invasion progress over time, creating a space with an atmosphere and presence, where smells and humidity hang in the air. I would appreciate it if you could take an interest in the beauty of the structures returning to nature, or if you could experience the silence, desolation, and emptiness of the abandoned ruins through the medium of photographs.
It should be noted that, the history of the mining industry includes mine disasters with death tolls, support for the munitions industry, and the use of Koreans, Chinese people, and Allied prisoners of war for forced labor, in addition to the problem of environmental pollution. This website is not intended to cause discomfort to anyone.
Takashi SEIJI
東北の鉱山
日本の鉱産資源は複雑な地質構造を反映して鉱種に富み、金属、非金属鉱山が国内に広く分布した一方、油田やガス田の多くは日本海沿岸地域に点在し、炭田は北海道や九州をはじめとする一部の地域に集中しました。
鉱業生産が拡大した戦時体制下の 1940 年（昭和 15 年）、国内の鉱山数は 5,850 を数え、労働者数は 569,575 人に上りました。 このうち、東北では 1,161 の鉱山が操業され、80,647 人の労働者が鉱業に従事しました。 東北は釜石をはじめ、大畑や久慈を抱える重要な鉄資源の供給地域であり、国内の鉄鉱生産が最大に達した 1944 年（昭和 19 年）に全国の 48.5 % にあたる鉄鉱と 49.1 % の砂鉄を産出しました。 終戦後、荒廃の中にあった日本の鉱業は、経済政策のもとで石炭生産を再建し、朝鮮戦争によってもたらされた特需景気を受けて復興に向かうこととなります。
日本が経済成長を続ける中、秋田では小坂を中心に大規模な黒鉱鉱床の発見が相次ぎ、北鹿地域は国内最大の金属鉱山地帯に発展しました。 黒鉱は様々な有価金属を含有するため、鉱産量は幅広い品目で増加し、昭和末期にかけて高い水準で推移しました。 また、細倉や尾太、松尾をはじめとする東北各地の主要鉱山も生産を伸ばし、経済成長を牽引する重化学工業の発展を支えました。 1970 年（昭和 45 年）の統計では、東北の鉱産量が全国に占める割合は、金属鉱物（精鉱中含有量）において、銀 39.7 %、銅 59.1 %、鉛 48.3 %、亜鉛 40.3 %、硫化鉄 46.3 %、鉄 67.4 %、砂鉄 44.1 %、チタン 63.4 % と高い値を示し、非金属鉱物（精鉱量）と燃料鉱物では、石膏 56.1 %、重晶石 73.9 %、亜炭 81.2 % と一部で突出しました。 一方、新潟は国内最大の産油量を誇り、全国の 76.5 % にあたる原油と 72.0 % の天然ガスを産出しました。
しかし、当時の日本は、輸入資源に対する依存度が急速に高まるとともに、資源開発の主軸が海外に移行し始めた時期にありました。 国内の鉱山は石炭、金属鉱業を中心に操業規模の縮小を余儀なくされ、昭和末期にかけて各地で閉山が相次ぐこととなります。 2016 年（平成 28 年）における国内の鉱山数は 519、労働者数は 11,426 人と大幅に数を減らし、東北の鉱山数は 74、労働者数は 1,180 人を数えるまでに至りました。 現在では、石灰石や珪石を産出する非金属鉱山が最も多く稼行され、油田やガス田においても小規模に生産が続けられています。
Mines in Tohoku
Japan has a wide variety of ores originating from its complex geological structure. While metal and non-metal mines were distributed across various regions, oil and gas fields were primarily located along the Sea of Japan coast, and coalfields were concentrated in specific regions, such as Hokkaido and Kyushu.
In 1940, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the total number of mines and employees in the country reached 5,850 and 569,575, respectively. In the Tohoku region, these numbers totaled 1,161 and 80,647, respectively. The region comprises six prefectures in the north of Japan's largest island, Honshu, and was an important supply area of iron resources, including Kamaishi, Ohata, and Kuji mines. In 1944, the peak year of the nation's iron ore production, the region produced 48.5% of the country's iron concentrate and 49.1% of its iron sand concentrate, by content. After the end of the war, Japan's mining industry remained sluggish for a long time and began to recover due to economic policies for coal production, followed by special procurements during the Korean War.
During the early years of Japan's rapid economic growth, major black ore deposits were discovered in succession, particularly around Kosaka Mine in Akita Prefecture. As a result, the Hokuroku area, where the mine was located, grew into Japan's largest metal mining region. The black ore, known as "Kuroko", contains a variety of valuable metals, and therefore, metal production in the Tohoku region, primarily in Akita Prefecture, increased across a range of metals and remained at a high level until the middle of the 1990's. Meanwhile, major mines in the region, including Hosokura, Oppu, and Matsuo mines, also increased production and supported Japan's heavy and chemical industries, which drove economic growth at the time. According to statistics from 1970, total metallic concentrate production in the region accounted for the following percentages of the national total by content: 39.7% of silver, 59.1% of copper, 48.3% of lead, 40.3% of zinc, 46.3% of pyrite, 67.4% of iron, 44.1% of iron sand, and 63.4% of titanium. Moreover, the production of non-metallic concentrates and fuel minerals stood out in certain commodities and accounted for the following percentages: 56.1% of gypsum, 73.9% of barite, and 81.2% of lignite. Meanwhile, Niigata Prefecture had the largest oil production in Japan, accounting for the following percentages: 76.5% of crude oil and 72.0% of natural gas.
However, at that time, the degree of dependence on imported resources increased sharply in the country, and mining development activities began to shift overseas. Consequently, mainly coal and metal mines reduced their scale of operations out of necessity, and numerous mines in each area were closed one after another from the the middle to late 20th century. In 2016, the total number of mines and employees in the country decreased to 519 and 11,426, respectively. Similarly, in the Tohoku region, these numbers amounted to 74 and 1,180, respectively Today, non-metal mines producing principally limestone and quartzite account for the majority of the country's mines, and several oil and gas fields also continue to operate on a small scale.
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