Iwami Ginzan

Iwami Ginzan is a silver mine in Shimane Prefecture, and is now listed as a World Heritage Site. Developed in the mid-16th Century, it was frequently contested by warlords until Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of it following the Battle of Sekigahara. The silver was used to mint coins. In the 17th Century, it produced 38 tons a year, a third of the world's production of silver at the time. It was closed down in the nineteenth century. This site shows the role that resource production played during the Sengoku Period and Edo Period.

Site: http://ginzan.city.ohda.lg.jp/wh/en/