Oda City (大田市) is a city located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Shimane Prefecture, Japan.  As of July 1, 2012, the city has an estimated population of 37,061, with a population density of 85 persons per sq km.  The total area is 436.12 square kilometres (168.37 sq mi).  The city was founded on January 1, 1954.  Oda is home to the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine (石見銀山), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  
  Located in the central coastal portion of Shimane Prefecture, Oda borders the Sea of Japan to the north and the Chugoku Mountains (中国山地) to the south.  Mount Sanbe (三瓶山; 1,126 metres [3,694 ft]), part of Daisen-Oki National Park (大山隠岐国立公園), is a double volcano of the Hakusan Volcanic Zone (白山火山帯/大山火山帯), and is situated to the southeast of the city.  
  The area of present-day Oda is located in Izumo Province (出雲地方).  The area was a strategic meeting point of three ancient transportation routes: the San'in (山陰), Izumo (出雲), and the Bingo (備後).  As a result, numerous market towns were developed in the area.  On October 1, 2005 the towns of Nima (仁摩町) and Yunotsu (温泉津町), both from County Nima (邇摩郡), were merged into Oda, and County Nima was dissolved as a result of this merger.  
  

Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site (UNESCO World Heritage, listed in 2007)
  The Iwami Ginzan (石見銀山; Silver Mine of Iwami) was a silver mine in the city of Oda, Shimane Prefecture, on the main island of Honshu, Japan.  It was the largest silver mine in Japanese history. It was active for almost four hundred years, since its discovery in 1526 until its eventual closing in 1923.  It was added to the World Heritage List in 2007.  
  It was developed in 1526 (大永6年) by Kamiya Jutei (神谷寿貞), a Japanese merchant.  It reached its peak production in the early 17th century of approximately 38 tons of silver a year which was then one third of the world's production.  Silver from the mine was used widely for coins.  It was contested fiercely by warlords until the Tokugawa Shogunate won control of it in 1600 as a result of the Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原の戦い) in 1600.  It was later secured by fences and barricaded by pine trees. Yamabuki Castle was built in the centre of the complex.  Silver production from the mine fell in the nineteenth century as it had trouble competing with mines elsewhere.  Then in exchange for silver some kinds of mineral like copper had been mainly mined in the mountain.  The mine was eventually closed in 1923.  
  Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine played a pivotal role in East Asian trade, where silver was the key currency.  In Europe and China, the mine had been known as the largest silver mine that could compare with the Cerro Rico in Potosi (now the World Heritage Site in Bolivia).  In foreign countries, because the silver mined at Iwami Ginzan was very high quality, it came to be known as one of the Japanese brand of silver called "Soma Silver" (ソーマ銀).  The name derived from the village of Sama (佐摩; Soma) in which the mine was.  This silver was given the highest trading credit in East Asia.  From 17th century, the silver coin made of the silver of the mine had been traded as not only one of the basic currencies in Japan but also as the currency in the trade with China, Portugal and the Netherlands.  (Portugal had traded with Japan from late 16th century.  Netherlands had traded with Japan from 17th century.)    The prosperity of the mine can be known that it was indicated in the maps at the time as the "Silver Mine Kingdom."  With the progress of navigation, the monarchs of Western Europe had gotten a lot of maps imported from the Muslim world and had made their own maps.  The fleet with the maps came to India, China and Japan to trade goods and get the silver mined.  The feudal lords who governed the mine traded with these countries actively.  
  Parts of the mining town remain in good condition and the Japanese Government has designated it as a Special Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区: 種別 鉱山町) in 1987 (昭和62年).  The government also applied for it to become a World Heritage Site.  The bid succeeded in July 2007, although an evaluation of the site by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOSMOS) produced no findings of "outstanding universal value."  Usually the development of silver mine needed large quantities of lumber.  But in Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine it was developed with fewer ecological pollution because of the proper control of the forest.  It was one of the reasons that Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine was selected in the World Heritage Site.  It's also selected in 100 greatest geological sites of Japan in 2007.  (Cited from the site of "Wikipedia")

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Iwami-ginzan Park

Iwami-ginzan Park (石見銀山公園) is the first place you should visit for sightseeing.

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(Friday 31 August) Iwami-ginzan Park, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Iwami-ginzan Park, Oda City: An illustrated map of Iwami-ginzan.

Promenade

Promenade (遊歩道) from Iwami-ginzan Park to Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft (龍源寺間歩).

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(Friday 31 August) Promenade (遊歩道) from Iwami-ginzan Park to Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft (龍源寺間歩).

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(Friday 31 August) Promenade (遊歩道) from Iwami-ginzan Park to Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft (龍源寺間歩).

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(Friday 31 August) Promenade (遊歩道) from Iwami-ginzan Park to Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft (龍源寺間歩).

Takahashi House

Takahashi House (高橋家住宅) on the Promenade (遊歩道) near Fukujinyama-mabu Mineshaft (福神山間歩). The chief of Takahashi family was a leadman of the mine from generation to generation. This is the only existing house of a leadman.

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(Friday 31 August) Takahashi House (高橋家) on the Promenade (遊歩道) near Fukujinyama-mabu Mineshaft (福神山間歩).

Ryugenji-mabu

Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft (龍源寺間歩) is the only gateway tourists can walk through. There are seven mineshafts of Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site registered on the list of the World Heritage Site: Ryugenji-mabu (龍源寺間歩), Kamaya-mabu (釜屋間歩), Shinkiri-mabu (新切間歩), Okubo-mabu (大久保間歩), Fukujinyama-mabu (福神山間歩). Hon-mabu (本間歩) and Shinyokoai-mabu (新横相間歩).

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(Friday 31 August) Entrance to Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Entrance to Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City: Illustrations of mining.

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City: Illustrations of mining.

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(Friday 31 August) Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City: Illustrations of mining.

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(Friday 31 August) Exit of Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft of the Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

Sahimeyama-jinjya Shrine

Sahimeyama-jinjya Shrine (佐毘売山神社) near the exit of Ryugenji-mabu Mineshaft. It enshrines Kanayamahiko-no-kami (金山彦命) who is the God of Mines. It was founded in 1434 (永享6年) by 12th lord of Suo Mochiyo Ouchi (大内持世, 1394-1441) at the command of 6th Muromachi Shogun Yoshinori Ashikaga (足利義教, 1394-1441; r.1428-1441). The present shrine building was reconstructed in 1819 (文政2年) after the great fire in the previous year.

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(Friday 31 August) Sahimeyama-jinjya Shrine, Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Sahimeyama-jinjya Shrine, Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Sahimeyama-jinjya Shrine, Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

Reigi-zan Saihon-ji Temple

Reigi-zan Saihon-ji Temple (霊亀山西本寺) is located at Ho 209 Omori-cho, Oda City (大田市大森町ホ209). It was founded in 1631 (寛永8年) as a temple of the Tendai-shu (天台宗) sect of Buddhism: now it is a temple of the Jodo-shinshu (浄土真宗) sect. The gate was originally built for Yamabuki-jo Castle (山吹城).

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(Friday 31 August) Reigi-zan Saihon-ji Temple, Ho 209 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Reigi-zan Saihon-ji Temple, Ho 209 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Reigi-zan Saihon-ji Temple, Ho 209 Omori-cho, Oda City

Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke

Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke (銀の里 渡辺家) or the Watanabe House (渡辺家住宅) was originally owned by the Watanabe family, officers of the mine. It was built in 1811 (文化8年) and after restoration now opens to the public from April 2010. The address is Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City (大田市大森町ニ４-３).

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(Friday 31 August) Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

Totsutotsu-an

Gin-no-Sato Watanabe-ke (銀の里 渡辺家)/Totsutotsu-an (咄々庵) is a Japanese restaurant where you can enjoy traditional local food with bits of modern tastes. The restaurant is just behind the historical Watanabe house.

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(Friday 31 August) Totsutotsu-an, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) My lunch at Totsutotsu-an, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) My lunch at Totsutotsu-an, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) My lunch at Totsutotsu-an, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) My lunch at Totsutotsu-an, Ni 4-3 Omoricho Oda City

The Mining Town Remain

Machinami-chiku (町並み地区), or the Mining Town Remain, was designated it as a Special Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区: 種別 鉱山町) in 1987 (昭和62年).

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(Friday 31 August) The Mining Town Remain, Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) The Mining Town Remain, Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) The Mining Town Remain, Iwami-ginzan Silver Mine Site, Oda City

500 Stone Statues of Disciples of Buddha [Gohyaku-Rakan]

Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple (五百羅漢 羅漢寺) is part of Kongo-san Anraku-ji Temple (金剛山 安楽寺). It is located at I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City (大田市大森町イ804). There are 500 Buddhist stone statues are seated in two caves, about 250 in each.

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City: The Stone Statue of Sarasvati (the goddess of fortune).

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City: No photo-taking inside.

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City: No photo-taking inside.

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

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(Friday 31 August) Gohyaku-Rakan Rakan-ji Temple, I-804 Omori-cho, Oda City

        

Copyright (c) 2012 Eishiro Ito.  All rights reserved.