Tsurushi Silver Mine Local Magistrate's Office Site

It is unbelievable! There used to be a huge office right in the heart of these mountains?

Before the establishment of the Sado Magistrate's Office in Aikawa, there was a local magistrate’s office near the Tsurushi Silver Mine. In 1589, UESUGI Kagekatsu, a feudal lord of Echigo, launched an offensive on Sado and secured control of the entire island. He established a base in Tsurushi, where he effectively managed the silver mine. Tsurushi Proprietors discovered gold in Aikawa in 1601, and with the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603, Sado was seamlessly incorporated into the Tokugawa domain. Under the leadership of OKUBO Nagayasu, Sado shifted its mining focus from Tsurushi to Aikawa.

I wonder if there was a place here similar to the ore processing plant at the Sado Magistrate's Office?

On the grounds of the local magistrate's office, we discovered not only the remains of government offices, but also the remains of an ore processing workshop and a furnace. Here, workers crushed ore from the silver mine, used water to process minerals, and performed smelting. In the nearby region, archaeologists have discovered fragments of various porcelains, such as blue and white Chinese ceramics and Imari ware, as well as pottery such as Karatsu and Bizen, dating back to the late 16th and early 17th centuries. These findings serve as important historical evidence. They help to date the ruins accurately.