Iwami Ginzan, located in Shimane Prefecture, is the wellpreserved remains of a silver mine that dates back to the 16th century. Its large production of high quality silver, as much as 38 tons annually at its peak, contributed significantly to commercial and cultural exchanges between Japan and the trading countries in East Asia and Europe. Along with the traces of large-scale silver production such as transportation routes and port facilities, it was registered as a World Heritage site in 2007.
(島根県にある石見銀山は、当時のまま保存されている銀鉱山遺跡であり、その歴史は16世紀まで遡る。全盛期には年間38トンもの高品位の銀を産出し、東アジアからヨーロッ パにまたがる重要な国際貿易や文化交流へと導いた。多量の銀を産出した当時を偲ばせる 輸送路や港湾設備などと共に、2007年に世界遺産に登録された)