Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine in Shimane Prefecture is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was once the largest silver mine in Asia, producing a third of the world's silver in its 16th to 17th century heyday. Unlike many industrial heritage sites, the surrounding landscape has been carefully preserved, revealing a rare intact cultural landscape of mining towns, shrines, and forest paths. The site offers a fascinating glimpse into the era when silver from Iwami flowed across the globe through trade routes.