Site of Oya Mine

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.