These tools were used for panning for gold dust in the streams of
Mount Nonodake. The collection of
gold dust here, a practice which began over 1,000 years ago, took root as a livelihood of people in the region through the
early-modern era permit system. In Wakuya, which was the first gold-producing area in Japan, the collection of gold continued as a side business during the agricultural off‐season until recent years. These are tools that were incorporated into everyday life and continued to see use for many years.