Ashio [town] - Ashio

Japanese: 足尾[町] - あしお

A former town in Kamitsuga County, western Tochigi Prefecture. A mining town that developed around the Ashio Copper Mine. The entire town is mountainous, and the Watarase Valley Railway runs through the upper reaches of the Watarase River. The mine was discovered in 1610, and during the Edo period it was under the direct control of the Copper Mine Magistrate. It reached its peak between 1661 and 1687, and produced 400,000 kan of copper in 1684. After the Meiji period, it was taken over by Furukawa Ichibei, and by adopting modern mining and smelting methods, it became a large copper mine that accounted for 40% of the country's copper production. However, as production increased, ore poisons leaked out, causing the Ashio Copper Mine Pollution Incident. In 1968, monthly copper production was 500 tons, and monthly smelting volume, including imported and domestic ores, was 3,000 tons, but the mine closed in 1973, bringing an end to its 360-year history. The remains of the mines are desolate, and the smelters are still refining imported ore, but the population has dropped sharply. Mount Sukai and Mount Koshin in the west are part of Nikko National Park. In March 2006, Imaichi City, Fujiwara Town in Shioya County, and Kuriyama Village were incorporated into Nikko City. Area: 185.79 ^km2 . Population: 3,521 (2003).

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

栃木県西部，上都賀(かみつが)郡の旧町。足尾銅山を中心に発達した鉱山町。全町山地で，渡良瀬(わたらせ)川上流にわたらせ渓谷鉄道が通じる。銅山は1610年発見，江戸時代は銅山奉行が直轄，1661年―1687年最盛期を迎え，1684年には銅40万貫を産出。明治以後古河市兵衛が譲り受け，近代的な採鉱・製錬法の採用などにより全国産銅の４割を占める大銅山となった。しかし，生産増大に伴い鉱毒が流出，足尾鉱毒事件をひき起こした。1968年には月産銅量500t，製錬量は輸入鉱，国内鉱を含め月産3000tであったが，1973年閉山，360年にわたる歴史の幕を閉じた。鉱山跡は荒涼とした景観を呈し，製錬所は輸入鉱の製錬を行っているが，人口も激減した。西部の皇海山(すかいさん)，庚申山(こうしんざん)は日光国立公園に属する。2006年３月今市市，塩谷郡藤原町，栗山村と日光市へ編入。185.79km²。3521人（2003）。

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