The Story ofMichinoku Gold

Zipangu, the Land of Gold —that is how Marco Polo once described Japan. Japan’s first gold was produced roughly 1,300 years ago. A journey begins to trace the “Japanese heritage” of gold.

“I can tell you the quantity of gold they have is endless; for they find it in their own islands . . .
and thus it comes to pass that their gold is abundant beyond all measure.”
—Marco Polo

With these words, Marco Polo introduced Japan to the West. Little do most people know, his depiction is based on Tohoku, a region far to the north that is seldom visited today. For centuries, the gold produced here supported a sophisticated and vibrant culture. It is a legacy still appreciated to this day: Michinoku Gold has received Japan Heritage designation from the national Agency for Cultural Affairs. Come witness this radiant land with your own eyes and experience its rich cultural heritage.

A regional folk toy made from papier mâché, taking the form of a cow carrying bales of Tamayama-produced gold on its back. A traditional craft that has been produced since the Edo period, it has been handed down in the region as an item that celebrates the prosperity of the gold mines.

These are tools that were used to collect gold dust in rivers and extract gold from ore. The collection of gold dust, which began over 1,000 years ago , took root as an occupation of people in the region through the early-modern era permit system. Even in gold mines where gold was extracted from ore, gold collection continued through individual businesses even after the mines ceased large-scale operation. That practice took root in the villages, where gold-collecting operations continued until recent years. These are tools that were incorporated into everyday life and continued to see use for many years.

A 200- to 400-year-old pine tree on the grounds of Shogon-ji Temple. Shogon-ji had been the temple associated with Tamayama Gold Mine, but after the mine’s decline the temple was transferred to its current location and this tree was planted. The treee’s pose, like that of a twisting dragon, is said to represent the desire to return to Tamayama; it is prized as a symbol of villagers’ sentiments toward the mine.

A shrine that was transferred here to serve as a guardian deity for the Tamayama Gold Mine alongside Tamayama Shrine. It is an important shrine that, together with its counterpart Tamayama Shrine, protected the gold mine. The Oshu Fujiwara and Date clans held deep faith in it, but with the decline of the gold mine, it was transferred to its present location in the village. It is a valuable cultural property that relates to the rise and fall of the Tamayama Mine.

A weir channeling water from the Tsubonosawa River to the crop fields of Shinden in order to support the livelihoods of miners working in the declining gold mines. The main channel that stretches about a kilometer from the weir is still in use today.

A monument honoring the development of this mountainous area as fields in order to support the livelihoods of miners working in the declining gold mines. The fields around the monument are known by the name of “Shinden.”

A shrine that was transferred here to serve as a guardian deity for Tamayama Gold Mine alongside Takekoma Shrine. The Oshu Fujiwara and Date clans held strong belief in it. Exposed gold ore and crystals lie scattered around the shrine grounds, much the same as they were during the mine’s heyday.

With the establishment of Takekoma Station on the JR Ofunato Line in 1932, this tower was built as a result of local people’s strong desire to honor the Tamayama Gold Mine and pass on its memory to future generations. Although the tower has been destroyed numerous times by war and disaster, it has consistently been rebuilt through the efforts of local residents. It is a valuable historical artifact that is essential to understanding how the prosperity of the gold mine exerted a major impact on the local community.

Crystals extracted from mineral deposits in the granite of Mount Hikami. The crystals are crystallized quartz, the main constituent mineral of granite, a common type of gold ore. They were used as eyes in Buddhist statuary. Even today, they can be found scattered among the debris at Tamayama Gold Mine. They are valuable byproduct characteristic of gold ore.

An old document containing many descriptions of gold mines in the Kesen District. The Yoshida family served as administrators in the Kesen district, and these documents describe the operation of the gold mines at that time. It is a valuable document that concretely details how warlords of the time, like Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Date Masamune, actively developed gold extraction operations.

A gold mine located on the slopes of Mount Hikami. In the Edo period, Date Masamune actively commissioned the development gold mines in Michinoku. The Tamayama Mine was known as one of the the Four Great Gold Mines of Kesen. The remains of refineries, checkpoints, and the Sennin shaft are scattered all over the mountains, communicating the full story of early-modern gold mining.

This 874-meter-high mountain is part of the Sanriku Geopark. It is is made of Hikami granite from 450 million years ago. Known for over 1,000 years as a valuable source of high-quality gold and crystals, the ruins of Tamayama Gold Mine are located  here on the slopes of Mount Hikami.

As the production of gold spread throughout Michinoku and mining operations grew more expansive and more sophisticated, the mountains and mines that had at first become known for their gold came to be seen as sacred places due to the prosperity and stability they brought to the region. The culture born from this connection between people and gold spread from the mountain areas to the people of the villages and seas, a culture that has been passed down over generations through celebrations and ceremonies symbolizing past ways of life and prosperity.

Mining tools found new uses in the daily lives of villagers. The sounds of drums and work songs dedicated to the gods of the mountain fused with the culture of the sea, leading to the flourishing of a unique performing arts tradition that brought color to the region’s port towns.

Marco Polo once described Japan as “Zipangu,” an earthly paradise and a land of gold. Gold is certainly rooted in the landscape of Michinoku, just as surely as its mountains, rivers, villages, and seas are. The story of Michinoku Gold, embedded in our culture, faith, industry and daily life, is rich with a sense of industrious glory. The more we explore, the more we learn about the wonders of our story, and we invite you to experience the world of Michinoku Gold alongside us.

During the Warring States period, when the technology to process gold from ore was introduced, Japan saw the spread of underground mining begin in earnest, in addition to placer mining of gold dust.

Near the coast in Rikuzentakata, Iwate, the Tamayama Gold Mine was established under the direct supervision of Date clan ruler Date Masamune and managed by state officials he appointed to the task. Located at the western foot of Mount Hikami, which rests on granite bedrock, Tamayama became the most valuable of the Kesen area’s four major gold mines. In addition to its exceptional gold yield, the mine yielded high-quality quartz crystals, prized for use as eyes in Buddhist statuary.

Visitors are greeted by a fifteen-meter tiered pagoda at the entrance of the mountain trail, alongside the Kesen River. The pagoda, which has suffered in war and earthquakes throughout its history, has been rebuilt multiple times, exemplifying the pride and importance the local community still places in their mine. Walking the trail, one can see terraced fields opening out across the hills, constructed to help support the miners who took up farming after the decline of the gold mine. Also among the remnants of the mine’s history are the Matsuzaka Jubei Sadanari Clearance Monument, a marker celebrating the achievement of converting the mountainous terrain into workable fields; Takekoma Shrine, where miners worshiped; and the Shogon-ji Pine, an aged tree growing at Shogon-ji Temple, with outstretched branches said to represent the yearning to return to the glory days of the mine.

Along the roads to the top of the mountain, old smelters can still be found. The entrance to the Sennin Mineshaft can also be seen here, a relic of the mine’s heyday. Near the top of the mountain lies Tamayama Shrine, another testament to bygone glory days, erected to house a guardian spirit for the mines. This mountainside grew quite long ago. The discarded fragments of quartz scattered across the mountainside here stand in telling contrast to the golden stalks of rice spread across the countryside below, illustrating the shifting fortune of a community once made prosperous by the productive mine.

It was in Mutsu Province during the Nara period (710–794 CE) that gold was produced in Japan for the first time. Traditionally referred to as “Michinoku,” meaning “The Deep North,” this region includes present day Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures. The region is unique within Japan in that it possesses veins of gold first formed about 100 million to 450 million years ago. It had been common knowledge that there was no gold to be found in Japan, until the discovery of a single flake of gold here in Michinoku overturned that idea and created a sudden appetite for the precious metal.

Gold mining in Michinoku began with the collection of gold dust, with operations eventually spreading to rivers and coasts throughout the region, turning the area into one of the leading gold producers in Asia. Once the technology to extract gold from ore was introduced, the feudal rulers of the time actively pursued the development of gold mines. As technology evolved to enable industrial-scale mines, the production of gold in Michinoku reached its peak. By the late twentieth century, gold mines in the region had largely ceased operation. This brought the remarkable story of Michinoku Gold to an end, the conclusion of over 1,250 years of history rooted in an even longer geological heritage.