Toi Gold Mine

The Doi Kinzan was the second largest gold producer in Japan after Sado Kinzan during the Edo and Meiji Periods, and was closed in 1965 due to depletion of ore reserves.

Also called the Doi Mine, it is estimated to have produced 40 tons of gold and 400 tons of silver, second only to the Sado Gold Mine.

Part of the 100-km-long tunnel has been preserved and maintained, and in the sightseeing tunnel, motorized dolls that reproduce the appearance of miners in those days are on display to show how gold was mined in the mines.

In the museum, models of gold ore and a model of a Sengoku Boat that carried gold out of the mine are on display, as well as gold coins minted using the methods used in those days.

Visitors can also touch the world’s largest gold nugget weighing 250 kg and try their hand at panning for gold. There is also a restaurant and a coffee shop.

Sightseeing Tunnel

The tunnel is a reproduction of an Edo period mining scene. The Doi Gold Mine, the largest gold mine in Izu, boasts a history of more than 400 years.

The total length of the tunnels is more than 100 km!

Some of the tunnels have life-size dolls, realistically recreating scenes of gold mining operations in the Edo period.

The mine also has a “mountain shrine” and a “golden fountain/washing place” that are power spots to increase one’s luck in gold mining.

Visitors can touch the “Golden Torii” at the shrine and wash their money at the Golden Fountain to increase their golden fortune.

The sightseeing tunnels are 350 meters long and wheelchair- and stroller-accessible, and the temperature inside the tunnels is warm throughout the year and cool in summer for comfortable sightseeing.

Gold Museum (Gold Museum)

The museum exhibits valuable materials including gold ore, a 1/8th size Sengoku-bune, a diorama reproducing the scene of gold smelting in the Edo period, materials related to the Dohi Gold Mine, and ores as the products of the gold mine.

The museum tells how the mine flourished as the second largest gold mine after Sado Island from the Tensho era until its closure in 1965.

A must-see exhibit is the world’s largest gold nugget (250 kg), which has been certified as a Guinness World Record.

The world’s largest gold nugget

The world’s largest gold nugget, weighing 250 kg, is worth more than 2.1 billion yen!

If this gold nugget (pure gold) were stretched into gold leaf, it would be equivalent to more than 70,000 tatami mats, 2.6 Tokyo Domes, or 18 times the circumference of the earth in gold wire.

Gold Sand Museum

Visitors can enjoy the experience of taking 24k round gold (grains of pure gold), not gold sand, at the hot spring gold mining experience for adults and children alike.

The method of gold dust extraction is very simple: scoop the sand with a panning dish and shake it to find gold dust.

Because gold is heavy, the gold will sink to the bottom and remain there. Then, as you shake the pan, you discard the sand from the top, and the gold sand remains in the pan at the end of the process.

You can enjoy the experience inside the facility even if it rains, and the hot spring water makes the experience pleasant even in winter.

The gold sand can be put into small jars to make souvenirs, key rings, and other goods.

If you collect more than 30 pieces of gold dust in 30 minutes, you will be awarded the title of “gold dust collector” and your record will be engraved in the history books. Please enjoy the fun as you aim to make a fortune!

Mines in Izu

The high geothermal heat generated by volcanoes in Izu has led to the formation of a variety of ores. One of them is a gold mine, and gold has been mined throughout Izu.

These mine sites are valuable not only for their geological features, but also as industrial remains.

Nearby is another mine site, the Ganzuki Tensho Mine, where the tunnels from the Edo period have been preserved as they were.

History

The Dohi Gold Mine was the largest gold mine in Izu, boasting the second largest production after the Sado Gold Mine from the Edo period through the Meiji period to the Showa period. Estimated production was 40 tons of gold and 400 tons of silver.

The gold mine closed in 1965 and has since been used as a sightseeing tunnel, where life-size motorized dolls recreate scenes of mining operations in the Edo period. In addition, the Gold Mine Museum “Kogane-kan” exhibits valuable materials and ore related to the gold mine.

In addition, a huge gold nugget weighing 250 kg was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest gold nugget. This world’s largest gold nugget is open to the public in the Gold Hall.

Historical Background

It is said that during the Kentoku, Bunshu, and Tenju periods (1370s), a gold mine magistrate under the direct control of the Ashikaga Shogunate took control of Dohi and began digging for gold.
In 1577, five sites were developed in Dohi, including Oyokotani, Hyuga-do, Kusuyama, Kakiyama, and Kajiyama, and Dohi’s gold mines began to be mined in earnest.
In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu focused on the development of gold mines in Izu.
In 1606, Okubo Iwami Nagayasu, the magistrate of the Izu gold mine, also served as the magistrate of the Izu gold mine, and new technology was introduced, leading to an increase in gold production. The gold mines in Dohi prospered and became so prosperous that they were called “Dohi Senken” (a thousand houses in Dohi).
After the death of Nagayasu Okubo Iwami-no-Mamoru in 1613, the Izu gold mine declined and was closed in 1625.
In 1906, Mr. Hasegawa, a businessman from Kobe, invited a foreign engineer to conduct exploration, which was successful.
In 1917, Mr. Hasegawa established the Dohi Gold Mine Co.
The mine was closed in 1965 due to depletion of ore reserves.
In 1972, the company name was changed to Doi Marine Kanko Co.

The Doi Gold Mine experienced its first golden age in the Edo period (1603-1868) and its second golden age from the Meiji era (1868-1912) to the Showa era (1926-1989), and since then it has preserved its historical heritage as a tourist tunnel and is enjoyed by many people.