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Hashino Iron Mining Site

Hashinoblast furnaceWorld HeritageOshima TakatoKamaishi

Iwate · Kamaishi

39.3569°N, 141.7255°E

In 1858 Oshima Takato, working from a Dutch textbook, built a Western-style blast furnace here and produced Japan's first continuously smelted iron from iron ore. Three furnace bases survive in the woods above Kamaishi, along with the water channels and the quarry, and they are the oldest surviving Western-style blast furnace remains in the country.

The site was inscribed as part of the Meiji Industrial Revolution Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list in July 2015. What stands now is stone: square furnace foundations set into the hillside, with the mountains behind them, and very little else — this was heavy industry in a place where there was iron ore, charcoal and falling water, and nothing else at all. An information centre next to the furnaces explains it with panels and film.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

Site accessible in daylight | Information centre keeps its own hours

Closed: Affected by winter conditions — confirm before travelling

Entrance Fee

Free | AR tablet and audio guide rental charged

Best Season

Late April–November | Autumn colour in October

Visit Duration

90 minutes

Getting There

Access Information

Hashino-cho 2-6, Kamaishi, in the mountains inland from the city. Car recommended; the site is a considerable drive from central Kamaishi. The Hashino Iron Mining Site Information Center beside the furnace remains has panel displays and three films, and offers paid rental of AR tablets and audio guide pens with English, Chinese and Korean options; on-site guides are available. Phone 0193-54-5250. Confirm opening hours and seasonal access before travelling, as the site is affected by winter conditions.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Rent the audio pen or AR tablet.** Three stone foundations in a wood need explaining, and the rentals cover English, Chinese and Korean. The centre is next to the furnaces. **Oshima worked from a Dutch book.** No foreign engineer came. He read a translated text and built it, which is what makes 1858 here significant rather than merely early. **It is a long drive inland.** Considerably further from Kamaishi than most visitors expect, on mountain roads. Fuel and time accordingly. **Winter affects access.** This is upland Iwate. Confirm before setting out between December and March. **One of twenty-three components.** The Meiji Industrial Revolution listing spans eight prefectures. Hashino is the oldest thing in it.

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