Miike Coal Mines

The Miike Coal Mines (三池炭坑, Miike Tankō) are a collection of coal mines in southern Fukuoka and northern Kumamoto prefectures along the Ariake Sea. The mines played an important role toward the rapid industrialization of Japan during the Meiji Period. Two of the mines, Miike Port and the railway that connected the mines with the port received world heritage status in July 2015 as part of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution.

The two mines, the Manda Mine and Miyanohara Mine, stand about 1.5 kilometers apart from each other. Each mine retains several preserved structures, which can be viewed, while the mines' underground tunnels have been sealed off. Volunteer guides explain the history of the mines, the purpose of the remaining structures and the harsh working conditions in Japanese.

The Manda Mine is the better preserved of the two and is the recommended destination for travelers with limited time. Coal mining ended here in 1951, but the complex continued to pump up water until 1997. Today, the ruined site retains the elevator shaft and multiple old brick buildings, which housed offices, machinery and a bath for the miners. Visitors can enter the entrance hall of the elevator shaft and the building that contains the elevator winch.

An admission fee is required to enter the mine compound, and visitors can choose to walk around freely or join hourly guided tours. Admission is paid at an information center just outside the mine grounds. A short walk away stands the Manda Tankokan, a museum that is free to enter and offers additional exhibits about the area's industrial heritage.

The Miyanohara Mine has considerably less of the compound remains standing. Visitors can see the elevator shaft and a brick building that houses the elevator winch. Inmates of a nearby prison were employed at the Miyanohara Mine until the practice was outlawed in the 1930s, which led to the mine's closure. The Miyanohara Mine is free to visit, and volunteers are present to guide visitors around the grounds in Japanese.

The now defunct Miike Coal Railway connected the various mining pits with Miike Port. Parts of the track can still be seen today between the Manda and Miyanohara mines and in the port area with some track sections replaced by wooden slats.

Miike Port was dredged during the Meiji Period and was groundbreaking in its ability to allow large ships to dock regardless of the Ariake Sea's strong tides. The port is still in use today, surrounded by many factories. The former customs building still remains in the port although it is quite difficult to access by public transport and opens to the public only on weekends.

The history of the Miike coal mines is further explained at the Omuta Coal Industry and Science Museum near Miike Port, but most of the information is only available in Japanese. The museum is nicely designed and exhibits mining equipment and many models and maps of the mines, as well as a short replicated section of a mining tunnel.