Remains of the Kami-Aikawa Mining Villages

Who knew there were bustling mining towns hidden in these mountains?

Kami-Aikawa, adjacent to the Doyu-no-warito Opencut Mine, was a settlement where the workers of the Aikawa Gold and Silver mines lived during the Edo period. Kami-Aikawa was at its peak in the early Edo period, when it was also known as "Kami-Aikawa Sengen" or "The Thousand Houses of Kami-Aikawa District" due to its large population. According to records dating back to 1652, Kami-Aikawa had 22 villages and 513 houses. The leveled land built on the slopes, the remnants of the stone walls, roads, and temples and shrines, all serve as reminders of the past. It is said that the name "Aikawa" originated from this area, which served as the foundation for the later mining town of Aikawa.

The ward names on the map kind of resemble people's names, don't they?

You have a good eye for detail. The towns were often named after proprietors, such as Kurozaemon-machi Ward and Yazaemon-machi Ward. As you might expect, these Proprietors lived in the towns along with many miners. As the towns grew, specialized towns emerged, such as Kaji-machi Ward for blacksmiths and Tokoya-machi Ward, which had many smelters that extracted gold from ore. The town evolved as manufacturing technology advanced and production systems changed.