Mining lease - Sokouken

A person who is not a mining right holder has the right to mine and acquire minerals in a certain area (mining lease area) within a mining district based on a contract with a mining right holder. Approval from the Director-General of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and registration are required, and approval is only granted when it is necessary to mine remaining ores or to economically develop a part of a mining district, such as when mining is required. In principle, two or more mining leases cannot be established in the same area of ​​the same mining district. Mining leases are considered real rights, and the regulations regarding real estate apply mutatis mutandis. The duration is up to 10 years, and can be extended only once for up to 5 years. Transfer to others and creation of mortgages are prohibited. Mining should be carried out by the mining right holder himself, and the so-called "kinsakibori" contract, which leases out someone else's mining rights, was considered an invalid contract under private law because it made it difficult for the government to supervise mining management and made the location of responsibility for mining unclear. However, the practice of digging the spit has been widely practiced since ancient times, and the authorities had no choice but to tolerate it due to economic necessity, so during and after World War II, it was recognized as a right of use under special laws and put to use. The Mining Act newly institutionalized this practice as a mining lease.

[Saburo Miyata]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鉱業権者でない者が、鉱業権者との契約に基づき、鉱区内の一定区域（租鉱区）において、鉱物を掘採し、取得する権利。通商産業局長の認可を受け、登録することを要し、認可は、残鉱の掘採その他鉱区の一部を経済的に開発する必要がある場合にだけ認められる。原則として、同一鉱区の同一区域には2以上の租鉱権を設定できない。租鉱権は物権とみなされ、不動産に関する規定が準用される。存続期間は10年以内で、延長は1回限り5年以内とし、他人への譲渡、抵当権の設定が禁止される。鉱業は鉱業権者自ら行うべきで、他人の鉱業権を賃貸借する、いわゆる斤先掘(きんさきぼり)契約は、鉱業経営に対する国の監督を困難にし、鉱業に伴う責任の所在を不明確にする弊害があったので、私法上無効な契約とされていた。しかし斤先掘は古くから慣行上広く行われ、当局も経済的必要からこれを黙認せざるをえず、第二次世界大戦中・戦後には特別法で使用権として認め、活用した。鉱業法はこれを租鉱権として新しく制度化したのである。

［宮田三郎］

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