県北部を流れる加治川上流の急峻な山間に位置し、昭和期に鉄鉱を産出して栄えました。 その歴史は江戸後期の天明年間、旧滝谷村民 阿部藤右衛門による簀立沢での採掘が始まりとされ、明治中期までは銅山として稼行されます。 1893 年（明治 26 年）に長崎県士族 村上忠吉らが鉄鉱を対象に鉱区を取得し、後に権利の譲渡が繰り返されました。 1898 年（明治 31 年）に三菱合資会社が権利を取得して鉱区を拡大すると、翌年に官営八幡製鉄所がこれを買収して大規模開発に着手します。 しかし、清国大冶鉄山からの輸入資源や戦後恐慌の影響から開発は二度の中止を強いられることとなりました。 その後、1934 年（昭和 9 年）に国策会社 日本製鉄の設立とともに事業は移管され、日中戦争に伴う鉄鋼需要を受けて 1938 年（昭和 13 年）に第三次開発が着工されます。 翌年に鉱山部門を分離して設立された日鉄鉱業が事業を引き継ぎ、第一次開発の着工から 40 年目となる 1941 年（昭和 16 年）に本格操業を開始しました。 1944 年（昭和 19 年）の従業員数は 1,025 名に上り、生産量は粗鉱 108,236 t、鉄精鉱 99,578 t を数えて最盛期を迎えた一方、強制的に動員された朝鮮人、中国人労働者は合計 600 人に及びます。 赤谷は操業当初から豪雪による出鉱停止を余儀なくされましたが、終戦後に対策工事を施して通年操業に移行し、年間 3 万 t ほどに減退した生産量を倍増させました。 1960 年（昭和 35 年）から銅鉱の生産が開始されますが、後に鉱量の減少や金属価格の低迷を受けて経営は難航し、生産合理化に加えて砕石や鉱物肥料の製造などの新規分野の開拓が模索されます。 その後、鉱業所の閉鎖に伴って 1975 年（昭和 50 年）に赤谷鉱産が発足し、石灰石の生産を事業の基軸に据えて鉱山の存続を担うこととなります。 山腹には渓谷に沿って続く鉱山鉄道の跡が今も残ります。
1998 年閉山
The mine is located in the upper Kaji River basin in the northern part of the prefecture and produced iron ore from the late 20th century. According to tradition, the mine has its roots in the mining at Sudachizawa in the 1780s by Toemon Abe, from Takiya Village, and was operated as a copper mine until the end of the 19th century. In 1893, Tadayoshi Murakami, from a Samurai family in Nagasaki, and another filed an application for creation of mining rights for iron ore. After the rights were transferred several times, Mitsubishi Limited Partnership acquired them and expanded mining areas in 1898. The State-Owned Yawata Steel Works purchased the rights in the following year and initiated a large-scale mine development later. However, the development was suspended twice due to the effects of mineral resources from Daye Iron Mine in Qing China and the recession after the war. In 1934, the Japan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. was established under national policy and took over the mine management. Subsequently, the increased demand for iron and steel caused by the Second Sino-Japanese War led to the initiation of the third development in 1938. The following year, the company separated its mining division and transferred the mine management to newly formed Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd. Thereafter, the mine development progressed, and full-scale operations commenced in 1941, 40th year from the initial development. In the peak year of 1944, the mine produced 108,236 tonnes of crude ore and 99,578 tonnes of iron concentrate, employing 1,025 people. Concurrently, a total of six hundred Korean and Chinese laborers were employed under forced conditions. Although shipments stopped every winter due to heavy snowfall, after the war, the company completed countermeasures, enabling year-round operations. As a result, the annual production greatly increased from approximately 30,000 tonnes to twice that amount. Despite beginning copper ore production in 1960, the management declined later due to a decrease in resources and a fall in the price of metals. Thereupon, the company, in addition to operational streamlining, experimented with entering new business fields including crushed stone production and mineral fertilizer. In 1975, Akatani Mining Works became independent as Akatani Kosan Co., Ltd. and shifted main products to limestone, ensuring the continuance of the mine. The remains of the dedicated railway line laid along the valley can be found on the mountainside even now.
closure in 1998
新潟県新発田市東赤谷
鉄、銅、石灰石
Higashi-Akatani, Shibata City, Niigata
iron, copper, limestone
1918 年（大正 7 年）に開始された第二次開発では新発田から簀立沢まで専用軌道が敷設されますが、開発は再び中止に見舞われます。 その後、沿線地域の要望を受けて軌道の一部は鉄道院に移管され、新発田と赤谷を結ぶ日本国有鉄道赤谷線として 1925 年（大正 14 年）に開業を迎えました。 赤谷線は鉱山の操業開始に合わせて 1941 年（昭和 16 年）に東赤谷まで延伸され、そこから袖上平の赤谷鉄山駅に向けて新たに専用軌道が敷設されます。 さらに、1957 年（昭和 32 年）には琴沢と場割沢を結ぶ隧道と電気軌道の新設により、長年の課題であった冬期の操業停止が解消されました。 開発当初、袖上平の付近では鉱山事務所の他、貯鉱場、鉱員住宅、浴場などが設けられましたが、その多くは後に国ヶ平に移されて東赤谷駅界隈は賑わいを見せました。
Although an dedicated railway line was laid between Shibata and Sudachisawa in the second development, the development was suspended again. Later, part of the railway line was transferred to the then Railway Bureau in response to requests from the locals. As a result, the JNR Akatani Line began its service in 1925 and connected Shibata and Akatani. In time with the opening of the mine in 1941, the Akatani Line was extended to Higashi-Akatani Station, and a new dedicated railway line connected the station and Akatani-Testuzan Station in Sodegamidaira. In 1957, the company completed a tunnel connecting Kotosawa and Bawarisawa as well as the construction of an electrified dedicated railway line, enabling year-round operation. At the beginning of the development, related facilities, such as a mining office, an ore storage facility, miners' row houses, and a company bathhouse, were built in Sodegamidaira. Later, many of the facilities were moved to Kunigadaira, and Higashi-Akatani Station and surrounding area were bustling.
袖上平地区
Sodegamidaira area
© 国土地理院
© 国土地理院
© Google
国ヶ平地区
Kunigadaira area
© 国土地理院
© 国土地理院
© Google
The Remains Photographed in
Abandoned Akatani Mine
鉱床は加治川上流の左岸に分布し、場割沢、簀立沢、水無沢、籠久保沢、源兵衛野巣の 5 鉱床群からなります。 赤谷の鉱石は雲母鉄鉱を主体とし、古くは雲母鉑として土壁や襖などの装飾に用いられました。
The mine had five groups of ore deposits, namely, Bawarisawa, Sudachizawa, Mizunashizawa, Kagokubozawa, and Genpeinosu, on the left bank of the Kaji River. The iron ore of the mine consisted of micaceous hematite. The hematite, referred to as "Kirahaku", was used as a decorative material for Japanese sliding partitions called "Fusuma" and mud walls.
赤谷鉱産は石灰石を加工して炭酸カルシウムを製造し、主に舗装用途として販売しました。 一方、鉄鉱の生産は 1987 年（昭和 62 年）まで続けられ、合金鉄や顔料、特殊肥料などの原料として出荷されました。
Akatani Kosan Co., Ltd. produced calcium carbonate from limestone and sold it for use in paving applications. Additionally, iron ore was produced until 1987 and was sold as raw material for use in various applications, such as ferroalloy, pigments, and specially designed fertilizers.
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