発見は室町末期の天文年間と伝えられ、古くは大谷金山として金銀鉱を産出しました。 江戸中期の元禄年間に隆盛を迎えますが、明治期に入ると経営者の度重なる変遷とともに開発と荒廃を繰り返すこととなります。 その後、1888 年（明治 21 年）に高知県士族 浜政弘らが大谷金山合資会社を設立し、翌年に 300 人ほどの鉱夫を抱えて金銀鉱の採掘を開始しました。 後に事業は五十嵐佐平、吉田亀太ら四人の共同経営に移り、1900 年（明治 33 年）に設立された大谷金山株式会社へと引き継がれます。 同年に鉱区の拡張、翌年に製錬所の設置が進められ、余剰鉱石は東雲製錬所に売鉱されました。 その後、1906 年（明治 39 年）に東京の実業家 長尾三十郎らが事業を譲り受け、日本金鉱会社を設立して銅鉱の採掘に着手します。 しかし、資金不足から製錬操業の休止を余儀なくされ、日立鉱山、小坂鉱山への売鉱に転じました。 さらに、大正期以降の相次ぐ不況から低迷を続けた事業は 1932 年（昭和 7 年）に日本鉱業との共同経営に移り、三川鉱山と改称されます。 その後、日中戦争に伴って金属需要が高まる中、1940 年（昭和 15 年）に選鉱場を設けて増産に向けた体制を整えました。 1943 年（昭和 18 年）に年間粗鉱量 55,443 t を記録して最盛期を迎え、翌年の従業員数は 432 名に上りましたが、一方で 100 人以上の朝鮮人労働者が徴用を受けました。 1946 年（昭和 21 年）から単独経営に移行した日本鉱業は、翌年に亜鉛と鉛、三年後に硫化鉱の生産を開始して事業の拡大を図ります。 朝鮮戦争特需を受けて生産は再び大幅な増加に転じ、1956 年（昭和 31 年）には選鉱場が新設されました。 しかし、鉱石の品位低下が採算性の悪化を招き、1961 年（昭和 36 年）に採鉱部門を残して操業は休止され、翌年に閉山を迎えることとなります。 周辺には巨大な選鉱場跡が今も残ります。
1962 年閉山
According to legend, the discovery was made in the 16th century. The mine produced gold and silver ores under the name of Otani Gold Mine in the past. Although the mine flourished in the end of the 17th century, development and devastation recurred owing to transfers of mining rights in the early Meiji era. In 1888, Masahiro Hama, from a Samurai family in Kochi, and another acquired the rights and established Otani Gold Mine Limited Partnership. In the following year, the company had about 300 employees and began mining operations of gold and silver ores. Later, the mine came under the joint management by Sahei Ikarashi, Kameta Yoshida, and two others, and subsequently Otani Gold Mine Co., Ltd. acquired the rights in 1900. The company expanded mining areas in the following year and constructed a smelter three years later, selling excess ore to Shinonome Smelter. In 1906, Sanjuro Nagao, a businessman in Tokyo, and others took over the operations and established Japan Gold Mining Company, initiating mining of copper ore. However, the company suspended smelting operations and sold ores to Hitachi Mine and Kosaka Mine due to financial difficulty. Furthermore, the financial condition remained stagnant due to the successive recessions in the 1920s. Consequently, the company commenced the management of the mine jointly with Nippon Mining Co., Ltd. from 1932 and renamed the mine Mikawa Mine. In 1940, in response to the increased demand for metals due to the Second Sino-Japanese War, the company constructed a beneficiation plant, enabling an increase in production. As a result, the mine produced 55,443 tonnes of crude ore at its peak in 1943 and had 432 employees in the following year. Concurrently, one hundred or more Korean laborers were employed under forced conditions. Afterwards, Nippon Mining Co., Ltd. commenced independent management in 1946 and began the recovery of zinc and lead in the following year, followed by the recovery of sulfur three years later. The Korean War special procurement brought a large increase in production back to the mine, and moreover, the company built a new beneficiation plant in 1931. However, a decrease in ore grade caused low profitability. Consequently, the beneficiation operations were forced to suspend in 1961, and the mine closed in the following year. The remains of the plant can be found even now.
closure in 1962
新潟県東蒲原郡阿賀町五十沢
金、銀、銅、鉛、亜鉛、硫化鉄
Ikazawa, Aga Town, Higashi-Kanbara County, Niigata
gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron sulfide
三川の鉱石は低品位でありながらも埋蔵量に富み、成分中に金銀を含有しました。 単独経営を始めた日本鉱業は亜鉛、鉛、硫化鉱の回収に順次取り組み、銅精鉱を日立製錬所、亜鉛精鉱を三日市製錬所、鉛精鉱を佐賀関製錬所、硫化精鉱を新潟硫酸などへ向けて出荷します。 山内に築かれた役宅や鉱員住宅は合計 49 棟 108 戸に上り、その他に独身寮二棟、診療所や供給所、理髪所、浴場などが備えられて町を形成しました。 1951 年（昭和 26 年）の町の人口は 800 人ほどに及び、最盛期には 188 名の児童が山内に設けられた金山小学校に通いました。
The mine had abundant reserves, in spite of low-grade ore. Moreover, the ore contained gold and silver. Under the independent management, Nippon Mining Co., Ltd. began the recovery of zinc, lead, and sulfur from ore sequentially. The company sent each refined ore to various smelters, namely, copper ore to Hitachi Smelter, zinc ore to Mikkaichi Smelter, lead ore to Saganoseki Smelter, and sulfur ore to Niigata Sulfuric Acid Co., Ltd. A mining town built in the mountains had 49 residential buildings with 108 units for employees and miners, two dormitories for singles, and welfare facilities, such as a hospital, a shop, a barbershop, and bathhouses. About 800 people lived there in 1951, and Kinzan Elementary School had 188 children at its peak.
© 国土地理院
© 国土地理院
© Google
The Remains Photographed in
Abandoned Mikawa Mine
鉱床は宝坑、本磐坑、豊國坑、八方坑、眞名板倉坑の五鉱脈群からなり、既知の鉱脈は十数条を数えます。 かつては宝坑、眞名板倉坑から高品位の金銀鉱が採掘されました。
The mine had over 10 ore veins, which formed five groups of ore veins, namely, Takara, Motoiwa, Toyokuni, Happo, and Manaitakura. Takara and Manaitakura deposits formerly produced high-grade gold and silver ores.
各精鉱はトラックによって搬出拠点となる磐越西線白崎駅（後の三川駅）まで輸送されましたが、冬期は鉱山専用道路の積雪によって出荷の停止を余儀なくされました。
The products were transported to Shirosaki Station, later Mikawa Station, on the JNR Ban-Etsu West Line by truck. However, the shipments stopped during every winter due to accumulated snow.
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