Toi Gold Mine

Toi Gold Mine

MUSEUM

Previously the heart of Toi town, Toi Gold Mine was the second most productive gold mine in Japan, with Sado Gold Mine being the first. It was the source of gold used for the production of coins and closed in 1965, producing approximately 40 tons of gold and 400 tons of silver in its lifetime.

Today the mine is open to the public as a museum, with an illumination event held during cherry blossom season. Toi Gold Mine features a 400m tunnel (with animatronic miners and signs in English), museum dedicated to the old tools/process of gold mining, gold sifting experience and is also home to the world’s largest gold bar (*as of 2021), weighing in at 250kg. It also has a restaurant where you can eat the local specialty, deer rice bowl. Ensure to get there early as stock is limited for this dish.

From late January to early February, the gold mine is open until late for a special cherry blossom illumination. Entry to the grounds is free, although you won’t be able to enjoy anything other than the cherry blossoms at this time. If visiting at this time I recommend visiting during the day and then coming back at night to enjoy the illumination.

Review

Years ago, the gold mine was the heart of Toi. After the gold mine closed, the population decreased and the town has shrunk. They reopened the mine to the public as a museum to help bring tourists to the small town. The mine is pretty small (with 400m of the 100km tunnel open to the public) but worth visiting if you want to learn more about gold production in Japan.

Walking through the tunnel, make sure to watch your head as you walk around. Unlike other tunnels I’ve been to in Japan, they do not provide you with helmets so you do risk bumping your head in certain parts of the tunnel. Along the tunnel walls are some displays and also animatronics, both with English signs. The English sounds a little unnatural although it gets its point across. Ensure to stop to pray at the little shrine inside, the same shrine the miners themselves used to pray at to ensure their safety in the mine. The animatronics, even the females, have very little clothing as in olden Japan it wasn’t seen as sexual to show anything from the waist up and it was also very hot inside so they would wear as little clothing as they could. If you do not want to see this then skip the tunnel. During summer the tunnel is cool so if you want to escape the summer heat then I recommend you visit.

The museum is pretty interesting, although the English signs seem to disappear at this point. You can see a lot of the old tools used to mine, as well as diagrams for the old town. Inside the museum is the world’s largest gold bar (*as of 2021). Feel free to slip a hand in the case and try to lift the bar. Good luck with your attempt as the bar is very difficult to lift! Outside the museum is the gold panning room and for 30 minutes you are able to sift as much gold as you can. At the end you also receive a gift for your experience. Please ensure you buy a ticket for the gold panning if you wish to do this.

At the end of January/beginning of February they hold a cherry blossom illumination for the earliest blooming cherry blossoms in Japan, the Toi sakura. It’s a must-see if you’re in the area at the right time! Information is usually posted online months before with the dates for the upcoming illuminations, as well as the opening event held in the nearby Matsubara Park. Please note that you are able to enter the grounds for free, but unable to enter the tunnel, museum or the gold panning room.

ADDRESS

Toi Gold Mine
2726 Toi,
Izu City,
Shizuoka Prefecture,
410-3302

+81558980800 (Japanese only)
https://www.toikinzan.com/en/

RECOMMENDED ROUTE:

The gold mine has an impressive parking lot, although if you’re travelling by public transport then take the train from Mishima to Shuzenji on the Izu Hakone Tetsudo Line. Then switch to the bus bound for Dogashima (堂ヶ島) and get off at Toi Kinzan (土肥金山). It takes around 50 minutes, ￥1,380 each way and there are 1-2 buses per hour.