Ashio Copper Mine (Ashio-cho, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture)
Overview (History, Features, and Attractions) The Ashio Copper Mine, located in Ashio Town, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, is one of Japan's leading historic mining heritage sites. Copper production began in the Edo period, and the mine underwent full-scale modernization and expansion from the Meiji period onwards. Mining progressed particularly under the management of Ichibei Furukawa (Furukawa) and others, and the mine became a national treasure.
