Tagawa City Coal History Museum

The museum was built on the grounds of the former Mitsui Tagawa Mining Plant Ita Shaft, the largest in Chikuho Region. This museum with a rare theme of coal curates nearly 15,000 pieces of coal-related information. Exhibitions feature a model recreating the Ita Shaft around 1961, the mining tools which were used, a diorama which depicts hand digging, a model boat used for carrying coal, etc.

The highlight is Yamamoto Sakubei’s collection which was registered as the first UNESCO Memory of the World in Japan. Of 697 pieces in all, 627 are curated. The 2nd exhibition room shows Yamamoto’s information and his work. Outdoors, large equipment used in the mine and miners’ recreated housings stand.

Besides coal-related information, archeological findings, perhaps Japan’s oldest, from Nekohako 1st barrow are displayed - clay art in shapes of horse and armor, various weapons, armor, horse equipment from Sesudono barrow, etc. Shiragi roof tiles excavated from Tendai Temple ruin (Kamiita Temple ruin) are regarded as the most elaborate in patterns. There are other very rare archaeological and historical contents on display.

In the adjoining Sekitan Memorial Park, you can see the symbol of Tagawa, the mining town - the double chimneys and mining shaft.