Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center

The first settlements of the Ginzan Zone were mainly on Mt. Sennoyama during the Warring States Period (1477 - 1573). As the mine began to develop, the settlements spread to the vicinity of the Ginzan River.
During the Edo Period, fences were built to enclose the settlement of people involved in silver mining, and checkpoints were set up at the entrances. Although only a few houses remain, the temples, shrines and stone walls along the valley recall the hustle and bustle of the mine's heyday.