The Tatsuyama Mine (Ｔ山鉱山) is a very old copper mine located in Okayama. The building is mainly made of an awkward assemblage of wood which, wonderfully, has stood-up fiercely through time.

Entering the mine was not easy and we had to climb in order to find an access into the structure. At the top, at the back of it, we discovered the real entrance of the mine tunnel but it was filled-up with blue water. Probably better not to try to get in there even though I am sure that this would be an unforgettable experience.

Inside of the old skeleton of wood and metal wires we found a heaven of grass and flowers. With a bit of imagination, this place looked like an ancient but magnificent greenhouse with an unique ecosystem full of forgotten species. I sincerely hope this structure will last a long time even though it looked so weak and brittle. The Tatsuyama Mine was closed in 1961 but unfortunately, there isn’t much information about it.

The most famous copper mine in Japan is also abandoned and is located in Tochigi: this is Ashio Mine. I have visited this mine a few time but most of it is now demolished and its history became more interesting (not especially in a positive way) than its appearance.

HIGHLIGHTS

– the quarry
– mix of wood and grass
– magical ambiance

FACTS

• ? – 1961