A gold mine located in the Oya area of Kesennuma. Motivated by the production of the “
Monster Gold” nugget at the
Shishiori Mine, gold extraction began at the Oya Mine in 1905 (Meiji 38), and continued until 1976 (Showa 51). During its heyday, a mining town formed around it. Oya Mine is part of a valuable legacy, a culmination of the gold extraction operations that had continued in the region for 1,250 years. The remains of a huge concrete smelting works on the mountainside serve as a monument by which to remember of the prosperity of the period.