Besshi copper mine, Copper mine in Niihama, Japan.
Besshi is an abandoned copper mine in Niihama, Japan, with tunnels excavated into the northern slopes of the Akaishi Mountain Range. The site includes railway tracks, brick buildings, and a preserved power substation from the industrial period.
The mine opened in the late 17th century and supplied copper until the early 1970s. Operations ended after nearly three centuries once roughly 700,000 tons of copper had been extracted.
The mining town grew in the mountains with houses and shops where families lived in an isolated community. The site still shows how a complete settlement formed around copper extraction and operated for nearly three centuries.
The site lies in the mountains and can be explored through guided tours or theme park visits. The route passes through old industrial buildings and offers access to some of the preserved facilities.
An early 20th-century power substation still holds its original interior equipment. Red-brick structures stand scattered across the mountain site, marking the scale of past industrial activity.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
