英語版のサイトに "Ginzan Area" のページをアップロードしました：
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/index.html
五百羅漢を過ぎると、銀山エリアとなります。
この地域は江戸時代から銀が採掘された、間歩と呼ばれる鉱山が残り、石見銀山のメインの観光地域です。
"Ginzan Area" のページへどうぞ：
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/TravelDestinations/Chugoku/GinzanArea_E.html
日本版の散策記は下記です：
http://shanehsmt.html.xdomain.jp/Travel/Japan/Chugoku/IwamiGinzan.html
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My English site:
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/index.html
The mining galleries of Iwami Silver Mine were located to the south of Rakanji Temple. This area is named "Ginzan" Area, which means "Silver Mines" in Japanese. In Iwami Silver Mine, one thousand of abandoned mining galleries remain. Some of them are open for public. You are also able to visit the sites of silver smelters.
If you walk eight hundred meters to the south from Rakanji Temple, the grave of OKUBO Nagayasu (1545-1613), who was the first magistrate of Iwami Silver Mine, is located in mountains.
After OKUBO Nagayasu was died, he was condemned that he made illegal savings to take advantages of his positions.
Then, his grave was destroyed and his body was exposed to the public.
If you walk another five hundred meters from the site of the "Shimogawara-Fukiya" smelter to the south, you will be at the entrance to "Shimizudani" Smelter.
The "Shimizudani" Smelter is located in a mountain area.
Iwami Silver Mine was run by "Edo Bakufu", the central government of Japan during the Edo Age (1603-1868).
After the Edo Age ended in 1868, Iwami Silver Mine declined and many mining galleries were abandoned.
In 1894, the "Shimizudani" Smelter was newly developed by building the modern smelter with the investment corresponding to approximately a hundred million dollars in present currency value.
Just two years after the operation of the "Shimizudani" Smelter stared, the silver production was stopped, due to the poor silver contents and not sufficient production capacity of the smelter.
Halfway up the mountain, the site of "Kuranojyo" Mining Gallery is located.
When the "Shimizudani" Smelter started it's silver production, "Kuranojyo" Mining Gallery was abandoned.
The ruins of gallery were used as a tunnel to deliver silver ore was transported through the abandoned "Kuranojyo" Mining Gallery.
If you walk 1.3 kilometers to the southwest from the site of the "Shimizudani" Smelter, you will finally arrive at the site of the "Ryugenji-Mabu" Mining Gallery.
The "Ryugenji-Mabu" Mining Gallery was the one of the main mining galleries in Iwami Silver Mine and it was developed after the middle of the Edo Age.
The site of the "Ryugenji-Mabu" Mining Gallery is open for the public.
An abandoned gallery was excavated without timbering.
The rock surface is exposed and you will see the chiseled works made in the Edo Age.
In order to protect valued Iwami Silver Mine, a couple of castles and forts were built.
Yamabuki Castle is one of such castles.
It was built by OTOMO Hiroyuki (- 1352) in the Kamakura Age (1185-1333), when Iwami Silver Mine started to produce silver.
After climbing up steep stairs for thirty minutes, you will be at Yamabuki Castle.
Yamabuki Castle was abandoned in 1601, when the Omori Magistrate's Office was built.
More than four hundred years has passed since Yamabuki Castle was abandoned.
The ruins of the castle is overgrown with rank weeds.
However, the view from the ruins of Yamabuki Castle is spectacular.
You will see Mt. Sanbei
Please visit the homepage article for more detail:
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http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/TravelDestinations/Chugoku/GinzanArea_E.html
"Your Destinations in Japan":
http://handejapan19.html.xdomain.jp/TravelDestinations/TravelDestinations.html
http://shanehsmt.html.xdomain.jp/index.html
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