Lake Ginzan

An artificial lake created by the construction of Okutadami Dam on the border between Fukushima and Niigata prefectures. It is also called Lake Okutadami. It has an area of ​​11.5 square kilometers and a maximum depth of 75 meters. The name of the lake comes from the fact that the surrounding area was once called Ginzan-daira. There were silver mines in the Echigo Takada Domain and the Aizu Domain, and at their peak, they produced 1,200 kilograms of pure silver per year and employed 13,000 laborers. Eventually, the veins of silver disappeared and the area was submerged by the construction of the dam. The entire area is included in the Echigo Sanzan Tadami Quasi-National Park, and the Okutadami Silver Line and the national highway that leads to Ginzan-daira run from Koide Station on the JR Joetsu Line, and there are also sightseeing boats to Oze.

[Shiro Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福島・新潟県境にある奥只見ダム(おくただみだむ)の建設によって生じた人造湖。奥只見湖ともいう。面積11.5平方キロメートル、最大深度75メートル。湖名は、かつてこの付近が銀山平(だいら)とよばれていたことに由来する。越後(えちご)高田藩、会津(あいづ)藩それぞれの銀山があり、最盛期には純銀年間1200キログラムを産出し、人夫1万3000人を数えたという。やがて鉱脈も消え、ダム建設により水没した。一帯は越後三山只見国定公園に含まれ、JR上越線小出(こいで)駅から奥只見シルバーラインや銀山平へ抜ける国道が通じ、尾瀬へ行く遊覧船もある。

［渡辺四郎］

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