Guests offer a moment of silence during a memorial ceremony for the Sado Island Gold Mine in Sado as several seats reserved for South Korean guests remained empty Sunday Mayor of Sado City Ryugo Watanabe delivers a speech during a memorial ceremony for the Sado Island Gold Mine in Sado A staff walks through a tunnel at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Visitors walks out Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs offer a flower on behalf of the government during a memorial ceremony for the Sado Island Gold Mine in Sado One of the industrial heritages Kitazawa Flotation Plant Visitors walk though a tunnel at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado People visit remains of a Sado gold mine are seen on Sado Island Visitors visit at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Visitors look at display at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado A visitor walk through tunnels at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Mannequins enacting a mining scene are seen inside remains of the Sado gold mine on Sado Island A visitor tries to pick up a gold bar at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Visitors look at the display at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Remains of Japan’s Sado gold mine are seen on Sado Island renewed bad feelings between the two sides South Korea boycotted Sunday’s memorial service citing unspecified disagreements with Tokyo over the event I must say (their absence) is very disappointing after all the preparations we made,” said Sado Mayor Ryugo Watanabe “I wish we could have held the memorial with South Korean attendees.” South Korea’s ambassador to Japan and other officials gathered at the mines to pay tribute to wartime Korean forced laborers Participants in dark suits observed a moment of silence and offered white chrysanthemums in honor of the South Korean laborers The Associated Press explains the Sado mines The 16th century mines on the island of Sado about the size of the Pacific island of Guam off the western coast of Niigata prefecture operated for nearly 400 years beginning in 1601 and were once the world’s largest gold producer the mines supplied gold currency to the ruling Tokugawa shogunate the site has been developed into a tourist facility and hiking site where visitors can learn about changes in mining technology and production methods while looking at the remains of mine shafts and ore dressing facilities Critics say the Japanese government only highlights the glory of the mines and covers up its use of Korean victims of forced labor and their ordeals The mines were registered as a cultural heritage site in July after Japan agreed to include an exhibit on the conditions of Korean forced laborers and to hold a memorial service annually after repeated protests from the South Korean government indicating former sites of South Korean laborers’ dormitories A city-operated museum in the area also added a section about Korean laborers but a private museum attached to the main UNESCO site doesn’t mention them at all At the UNESCO World Heritage Committee July meeting the Japanese delegate said Tokyo had installed new exhibition material to explain the “severe conditions of (the Korean laborers’) work and to remember their hardship.” Japan also acknowledged that Koreans were made to do more dangerous tasks in the mine shaft Those who survived also developed lung diseases and other health problems Many of them were given meager food rations and nearly no days off and were caught by police if they escaped But the Japanese government has refused to admit they were “forced labor.” South Korea had earlier opposed the listing of the site for UNESCO World Heritage on the grounds that the Korean forced laborers used at the mines were missing from the exhibition South Korea eventually supported the listing after consultations with Japan and Tokyo’s pledge to improve the historical background of the exhibit and to hold a memorial that also includes Koreans Historians say Japan used hundreds of thousands of Korean laborers including those forcibly brought from the Korean Peninsula at Japanese mines and factories to make up for labor shortages because most working-age Japanese men had been sent to battlefronts across Asia and the Pacific About 1,500 Koreans were forced to work at the Sado mines The South Korean government has said it expects Japan to keep its pledge to be truthful to history and to show both sides of the Sado mines “The controversy surrounding the Sado mines exhibit underscores a deeper problem” of Japan’s failure to face up to its wartime responsibility and its growing “denialism” of its wartime atrocities All workers who died at the Sado mines were honored That includes hundreds of Korean laborers who worked there during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula including central and local government officials and the head of the organizing group thanked all mine workers for their sacrifice and mourned for those who died None offered any apology to Korean forced laborers for their harsh treatment at the mines Attendants observed a moment of silence for the victims who died at the mines due to accidents and other causes The ceremony dredged up long-standing frustrations in South Korea including officials from Japan’s local and central government as well as South Korean Foreign Ministry officials and the relatives of Korean wartime laborers Because of South Korea’s last-minute boycott The Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday it was impossible to settle the disagreements between the governments before the planned event on Sunday without specifying what those disagreements were saying it had erroneously reported that Ikuina was among some 20 lawmakers who visited Yasukuni on Aug widely carried by Japanese and South Korean media might have affected Japan-South Korea diplomatic relations Some South Koreans criticized the Seoul government for throwing its support behind an event without securing a clear Japanese commitment to highlight the plight of Korean laborers There were also complaints over South Korea agreeing to pay for the travel expenses of Korean victims’ family members who were invited to attend the ceremony Japan’s government has maintained that all wartime compensation issues between the two countries were resolved under the 1965 normalization treaty Ties between Tokyo and Seoul have improved recently after Washington said their disputes over historical issues hampered crucial security cooperation as China’s threat grows in the region said listing Japan’s modern industrial historical sites as a UNESCO World Heritage is a government push to increase tourism wants “to commercialize sites like the Sado mines by beautifying and justifying their history for Japan’s convenience.” This story has been corrected to show Ikuina was not part of a Yasukuni visit in 2022 and the erroneous Kyodo report was withdrawn Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul April 22, 2024JPEG magma-heated water containing gold and silver traveled up toward the surface through cracks in the rock The metals precipitated out in the fractures forming the deposits that humans would later exploit Mining looked different in the southern mountains versus the north. In the south, erosional and tectonic processes left gold deposits in granular form, known as placer gold minerals remained locked in veins running deep into the mountains and sometimes exposed at the surface In the lowlands, Lake Kamo is a large brackish water body known for its farmed oysters a network of rivers cuts through a patchwork of fields People have cultivated rice on the plains of Sado for centuries expanding into the hills and creating terraced paddies during the height of gold mining Over the past 15 years, Sado rice farmers have endeavored to balance agriculture with biodiversity by nurturing feeding habitat for the endangered crested ibis (Nipponia nippon) in their paddies. The wading birds became extinct in Japan in 2003, but according to news reports reintroduction efforts and modified farming practices have resulted in ibis numbers exceeding 500 on Sado Island in 2022 NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann View this area in EO Explorer fertile plains are sandwiched between mountain ranges that were mined for gold and silver it’s actually in the Eastern Hemisphere It is the westernmost of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands even farther west than the Hawaiian Islands and most volcanically active of the nine islands of Azores archipelago These rough waters were once traversed by Japanese pirates; now they are spanned by bridges Volcanic activity may soon fuse a newly formed island to its neighbor Nishino-shima With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food E-edition PLUS unlimited articles & videos Personalized news alerts with our mobile app *Refers to the latest 2 years of stltoday.com stories Please subscribe to continue reading… Nick Bognar talks to diners while torching sardines at his sushi restaurant Pavilion on the Hill How do I review a restaurant like Pavilion the new sushi experience from acclaimed Sado and Indo chef Nick Bognar a critic’s navel-gazing about the futility of trying to capture a meteoric talent in deathless prose — though my mind might have strayed that way at a few points during my dinner here like when Bognar torched sardines flown in from Japan the night before with a butane lighter sticking out of a velociraptor’s head Bognar served the blistered sardine on a piece of toasted brioche baked that morning by Sado pastry chef Sarah Osborn The fish slathered this bread like freshly churned butter infused with the ocean’s brine and a smack like a rough wave of vinegar and yuzu Pavilion chef-owner Nick Bognar displays the wagyu beef and three cuts of tuna before slicing them for service at his Hill restaurant The sardine fell roughly in the middle of dinner 17 savory courses that began with masu (ocean trout) cured for 10 days in a glistening pool of coconut-curry laksa broth that paid tribute to the cooking of Bognar’s grandmother It ended with foie gras served as a piece of nigiri sushi garnished with candied quinoa that crackled across the palate like Pop Rocks I assumed this foie gras was Bognar’s cheeky way of finishing dinner with “dessert,” but there was an 18th course practically: How do I visit Pavilion multiple times — three dinners ideally — within a reasonable period to evaluate it comprehensively and fairly When Bognar launched Pavilion in December in its own enclosed structure at Sado on the Hill Bognar aims to increase the number of seatings per week Pavilion hosts two seatings of 12 per night on Friday and Saturday Reservations become available at Resy at 11 a.m I tried for several weeks before I scored a seat A dish featuring masu (ocean trout) aged for 10 days at Pavilion on the Hill Now I would need to repeat that twice more either a la carte or the optional pairings will raise the cost per person even higher Here is the closest to a conventional review I will offer for Pavilion: if you can spend that kind of coin and you want to spend it on a luxe omakase (chef-directed) sushi dinner Bognar’s work here lives up to the expense consider this column a vital addendum to my 2023 review of Sado which I rated Essential and named that year’s No Sado bridges Bognar’s thrilling modern sushi with the fare of Nippon Tei operated from 2001 until just before Sado debuted I already knew what Bognar could do with tasting menus he featured an omakase dinner a few nights a week at its sushi counter from exquisite nigiri sushi to playful dishes inspired by the casino buffet and the Cheesecake Factory Foie gras with candied quinoa served as nigiri sushi at Pavilion on the Hill Bognar has focused his energy — and not simply in the reduced number of courses I was punch-drunk from unadulterated indulgence The second half of dinner included a procession of tuna from lean akami to fattier chutoro to fattiest otoro I’ve already noted his playful take on foie gras and for the course featuring A5 wagyu from Japan he again sought inspiration from his grandmother with the bright flavors of Thai nam tok beef I know I’m up to something good,” he said as he plated this course The growth of Bognar’s talent is also evident in his dry-aging techniques Six days’ aging yields a piece of nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) as fatty and buttery as the chutoro took the lead on one of the evening’s most memorable dishes and bone marrow from the fish’s spine smoked with apple wood I hesitate to share even this much about my Pavilion experience Part of its magic is the singularity of the dinner: you and the other guests in this small space watching the meal unfold before you from slicing to plating I couldn’t tell you with any confidence if the very next seating faintly resembled my dinner I can finally say my review of Sado is complete MORE INFO: 314-390-2883; sado-stl.com MENU: Omakase (chef-directed) sushi dinner by prepaid reservation on resy.com HOURS: Check resy.com for current availability Email notifications are only sent once a day but it does pay tribute to neighborhood tradition Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The transformation of relations between South Korea and Japan during the past two-plus years is one of the signal accomplishments of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration there remain doubts over the durability of this achievement A troubling question remains whether the historical past of Japan’s colonial rule over Korea will again roil relations The ongoing division between the two countries over colonial and wartime history alongside Korean demands for historical justice Background and Controversy Surrounding the Sado Gold Mine On July 27, the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) formally granted the prized World Heritage Site status to the gold mines located on Japan’s Sado Island Japan had included the mines on a list of sites that supported its industrial revolution The Sado gold mines were developed during the Tokugawa era and played an important role in Japan’s modernization Although the mines are no longer operational they have been preserved as a historical site for tourists The controversy surrounding Japan’s application centers on the wartime history of the mines and the use of Korean workers to carry out dangerous mining operations. The South Korean government and civic activists opposed the granting of World Heritage status to the gold mines. Koreans, along with numerous Western and Japanese historians insist that many of the workers were brought to the mines against their will The objections to the granting of World Heritage status rested on compelling Japan to acknowledge the role of Korean forced labor at the site itself and in its official accounts including the fact that they faced more dangerous conditions than their Japanese counterparts and other harsh measures However, it avoided using the term “forced labor,” which the Japanese government has always opposed. Within Korea, this compromise has been assailed, particularly by the opposition Democratic Party and Korean media commentary The Yoon government has been accused of deliberately and misleadingly claiming that Japan had agreed to fully accept this history “The Japanese government had never acknowledged the concept of forced labor,” former Korean Ambassador to Japan Shin Kak-soo told this writer in an email exchange Even in the case of Battleship Island (discussed below) it tried to find language that avoided the term it seemed the negotiations did not squarely address this issue.” Ambassador Shin believes that the compromise was justified “My hunch is that the Korean government strove to put more emphasis on the real teaching of history to the visitors to the site than arguments on the wording,” the former diplomat who remains active on relations with Japan “We need to assess the outcome as a product of diplomatic compromise given the big gap between the two sides on their historical views.” At the time of the 2015 application, the Japanese government, then led by the late Abe Shinzo, denied the forced nature of Korean labor and discrimination against Koreans at the sites. But UNESCO insisted that Japan clearly admit that “a large number of Koreans and others…were brought against their will and forced to work under harsh conditions in the 1940s at some of the sites.” a follow-up monitoring team found in 2021 that the information center failed to do this In the case of the Sado Mine, historians have documented that at least 1,519 Koreans were forced to work from 1939 until the end of World War II The initial application filed by the local government which sought the status to promote tourism to the island It confined itself to the history of the mines during the Tokugawa and Meiji era (until 1912) The Korean government opposed this application, as did UNESCO experts. UNESCO’s International Council on Monuments and Sites requested that the Japanese applicants deal with the wartime period, and a supplemental document was submitted to respond to this issue. The document offers a description of three phases of labor “recruitment” that implies the Korean workers voluntarily agreed to work at the mines until 1944 The Japanese official document also asserts that there was no discrimination between Korean and Japanese workers and that the Koreans were paid wages The descriptions of the phases of “recruitment” in the document are “misleading,” Dr a British scholar at the University of London who has researched and written extensively on this history The workers were signed up by agents supported by the colonial government “who compelled large groups of men from impoverished Korean villages to take up dangerous work in Japan under false pretenses.” During the second phase the colonial regime directly selected the workers and opposition “often had dire consequences” in the form of “forced mobilization,” the scholar said Johnsen explained that “claiming this system was non-discriminatory is simply historical denialism.” Wages and working conditions were far from equal held in accounts by Mitsubishi but never released The Japanese account also uses the term “workers from the Korean Peninsula,” a formulation that treats Koreans as subjects of the Japanese Empire and refuses to recognize them as foreign forced laborers. “Recognition of the true character of this history would greatly elevate the universal value of the Sado mines as a UNESCO World Heritage site,” Johnsen wrote in a paper published two years ago “They cannot be suppressed for the sake of instilling pride in future Japanese generations to the neglect of the victims.” Lingering Disputes and the Shadow of History The contrast with Japan’s approach to Korea remains problematic the Yoon administration’s drive to improve relations with Tokyo is a signal accomplishment the most notable consequence of this improvement has been the deepening of trilateral security cooperation with the United States and Japan both trilateral ties and improved bilateral relations with Japan remain vulnerable not only to a change in political leadership but also to the lingering and potentially explosive effects of unaddressed historical grievances Daniel Sneider is a Lecturer of International Policy and East Asian Studies at Stanford University and a Non-Resident Distinguished Fellow at the Korea Economic Institute of America The views expressed here are the author’s alone Photo from Shutterstock KEI is registered under the FARA as an agent of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy a public corporation established by the government of the Republic of Korea Additional information is available at the Department of Justice An event to commemorate Japanese and Korean laborers who worked at the gold and silver mine complex on Japan's Sado Island during World War II was held Sunday following an agreement between Japan and South Korea to hold the event before the site's addition to UNESCO's World Heritage list earlier this year South Korean officials and families of the Korean laborers scheduled to participate in the event did not attend as the country's Foreign Ministry stated Saturday that it was difficult for the two nations to reach a consensus on the event Seoul's announcement followed a statement by Tokyo that Parliamentary Vice Foreign Minister Akiko Ikuina would attend the event Kyodo News mistakenly reported that Ikuina had visited the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo a frequent source of diplomatic friction with South Korea and other Asian nations "The laborers who came from the Korean peninsula took on difficult work in a dangerous and harsh environment" of the mine adding she pays respects to the efforts made by all the mine laborers and mourns for those who died Ikuina told reporters that she had not visited the Yasukuni shrine since she was elected to the House of Councillors in 2022 South Korea plans to hold its own memorial event on Monday on the island at the site of a former lodging for Korean laborers and relatives of the laborers participating The mine complex was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list in July following a last-minute agreement from South Korea citing links to the wartime forced labor of Koreans One of the conditions agreed upon by the two countries at the time was that Japan would hold an annual memorial event to commemorate all laborers Japan maintains that wartime requisition does not constitute forced labor under international law Ikuina did not mention the coercive nature of the Korean laborers' work at the mine South Korea to skip Japan's Sado mine event to remember laborers UNESCO adds Japan's Sado mine site to World Heritage list South Korea says listing Japan's Sado mine as World Heritage site likely To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Águas Públicas do Alentejo has awarded ACCIONA the construction of the Ermidas do Sado wastewater treatment plant and its subsequent commissioning for a period of one year The facility will serve a population equivalent to 4,100 people 50% of the treated water is of industrial origin eliminating pollutants from the water and returning it to the environment without causing a negative environmental impact The new plant will be located in the district of Setúbal specifically on the site of the existing WWTP but its construction will be carried out without interfering with its operation The facility contains a pioneering biological treatment line that includes pretreatment and a lamination tank which reduces the surface area of the plant and A system will also be installed to reduce odors using a high-performance biofilter I accept Information on data protection In compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on Data Protection and with other Data Protection regulations in force you are hereby informed that your personal data shall be processed by Acciona whose identification data are as follows: Tax ID No (NIF): A08001851; Address: Avenida de la Gran Vía de Hortaleza No.: +34 91 663 28 50; email: protecciondedatos@acciona.com Your data shall be processed in order to send you information through the subscription to our Newsletter through electronic means activities and news pertinent to our activity sectors The consent given by the data subject by indicating that they have read and accept this data protection information comprises the lawfulness of processing the subscription Request cannot be satisfied We may also process your satisfaction or preferences Data shall be stored until the elimination is requested we may give access to your data to service providers (such as technology service providers) who assist us in fulfilling this purpose may be located outside of the European Economic Area in territories that do not offer a level of 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Furthermore, at any time the data subject may withdraw the granted consent by contacting the aforementioned address and file a claim to the Supervisory Authority (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos www.aepd.es) You can also unsubscribe from the Newsletter communication For any further information you can visit the Privacy Police on the website https://www.acciona.com/privacy-policy/ Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth ー Sado Wildlife in Focus | Dramatic Heron Clashes Erupt! While the calm and graceful ibis quietly forages Sado Island has entered its rice harvest season leaving me with little time for photography there's one spot that's easy to capture during my limited free time — the farm ponds As irrigation needs wane and the ponds are drained they expose an abundant feast of loaches and crayfish The ponds transform into a haven for wildlife, attracting crested ibises, cormorants, and other birds, making it a prime yet fleeting location for photography confidently asserting themselves amidst the gathering of crested ibises or "white heron," due to their distinctive white plumage there is no heron species officially named "white heron." The term "heron" is broad encompassing various species classified by size: great egrets all sharing their characteristic white color.  great and medium egrets can be differentiated by their beaks which turn black in summer and yellow in winter the little egret has yellow feet and a black beak year-round Another distinguishing feature is their ornamental plumes—the little egret is the only "white heron" that showcases long crest feathers in summer with distinctive bluish-black wing feathers that set it apart Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to learn more about the unusual behavior of the crested ibis during the hot days of summer And find more great articles on the environment and the challenges of achieving the SDGs on our affiliated website Japan 2 Earth (J2E) sparking a transition to a sustainable future Read more Sado Wildlife in Focus photo essays by photojournalist Fumie Oyama (Read the essay in Japanese.) You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Guests offer a flower during a memorial ceremony for the Sado Island Gold Mine in Sado Visitors stroll one of the industrial heritages Kitazawa Flotation Plant Stone statues are placed near the site of former Fourth Souai Dormitory for the mine workers from the Korean Peninsula The first ceremony of what Japan has promised will be an annual event held at a facility near the mines took place with more than 20 seats for South Korean attendees empty Japan held a memorial ceremony on Sunday near the Sado Island Gold Mines despite a last-minute boycott of the event by South Korea that highlighted tensions between the neighbors over the issue of Korean forced laborers at the site before and during World War II Families of Korean victims of mine accidents and South Korean officials are expected to hold their own ceremony near the mine on Monday as an expression of their “firm resolve not to make a compromise with Japan on history issues,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement It said South korea will continue to strive to achieve the improvement of bilateral ties in a way that serves national interests of both countries None offered any apology to Korean forced laborers for the harsh treatment at the mines praised the craftsmanship of the laborers and their contribution to the Sado mines She noted that “many people from the Korean Peninsula were at the mines under Japan’s wartime labor policies” and that they engaged in difficult work under dangerous and severe conditions away from home and their loved ones and some died in accidents or from illnesses But she did not acknowledge their forced labor or Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula Japan says the terms “sex slavery” and “forced labor” are inaccurate and insists on the use of highly euphemistic terms such as “comfort women” and “civilian workers” instead South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Saturday that Ikuina’s Yasukuni visit was an issue of contention between the countries’ diplomats The 16th-century mines on the island of Sado operated for nearly 400 years before closing in 1989 and were once the world’s largest gold producer Historians say about 1,500 Koreans were mobilized to Sado as part of Japan’s use of hundreds of thousands of Korean laborers Japan’s government has maintained that all wartime compensation issues between the two countries were resolved under a 1965 normalization treaty Some South Koreans had criticized Yoon’s government for supporting the event without securing a clear Japanese commitment to highlight the plight of Korean laborers There were also complaints over South Korea agreeing to pay for the travel expenses of Korean victims’ family members to Sado Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul While photographing the crested ibis as usual, I spotted a flock of oriental greenfinches on a pristine white snowfield. From a distance, they resembled tropical butterflies dancing in the air The oriental greenfinch measures around 13 centimeters in length. Though its olive-brown body appears modest, the bright yellow bands on its wings are striking when spread. These birds can be found in forests, grasslands, and farmlands from Kyushu northward They feed on grass and grain and use their strong but the difference is evident when their wings are open oriental greenfinches form flocks from fall to winter when food becomes scarce I also captured a photo of a pair of rustic buntings sharing grains from an ear of rice in the snow migrate from their breeding grounds near the Kamchatka Peninsula Once widely distributed across the continent, rustic buntings have experienced a significant population decline in recent years, according to the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. In 2016, they were classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Although they remain a common sight in Sado which includes the word "hawk" in Japanese rustic buntings are actually small songbirds belonging to the Emberizidae family They have a tiny crest on their heads that puffs up slightly when they sing or become tense continuous rain during the rice harvest season affected both the quality and yield of Sado's renowned rice crops The moisture-laden rice stalks frequently clogged combine harvesters forcing workers to repeatedly stop and clear the machines It was a frustrating and time-consuming process this challenge turned out to be a boon for the birds providing much-needed sustenance to help the birds endure the harsh winter months record-high rice prices led the government to release rice reserves in February for the first time What may seem like a misfortune for people has become a blessing for animals Perhaps this is the wonder of nature's balance at work Read more essays by photojournalist Fumie Oyama on Japan 2 Earth a JAPAN Forward website featuring Japan's initiatives on the SDGs Author: Fumie Oyama Fumie Oyama is a two-time winner of the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association Award as a photographer for TheSankei Shimbun After covering the reintroduction of the crested ibis to the wild for 11 years Oyama left the company in 2020 to move to Sado Island he continues to photograph the ibis and other wildlife while engaging in farming He currently promotes the charms of Sado Island as a photojournalist You must be logged in to post a comment “Doyu-no-warito,” a symbol of the Sado gold mine complex The sign reads “Doyu-no-warito.” The UNESCO World Heritage committee on Saturday 2024 decided to register Japan’s controversial Sado gold mine as a cultural heritage site after the country agreed to include it in an exhibit of its dark history of abusing Korean laborers during World War II The UNESCO World Heritage committee on Saturday TOKYO (AP) — The UNESCO World Heritage committee on Saturday decided to register Japan’s controversial Sado gold mine as a cultural heritage site after the country agreed to include it in an exhibit of its dark history of abusing Korean laborers during World War II The mine on an island off the coast of Niigata in northern Japan operated for nearly 400 years and was once the world’s largest gold producer before closing in 1989 It was also linked to Japan’s wartime abuse of Korean laborers gave unanimous support to the listing at Saturday’s annual meeting in New Delhi They said Japan provided additional information made all necessary amendments to the plan and consulted with South Korea over the mine’s wartime history The Japanese delegate told the meeting that Japan has installed new exhibition material “to explain the severe conditions of (Korean laborers’) work and remember their hardship.” Japan acknowledged that Koreans were put to more dangerous tasks in the mine shaft Many of them were also given meager food rations and nearly no days off A memorial service for all the workers at the Sado Island gold mines will be held annually at the site Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a statement that she was “truly delighted” by Sado island’s designation underscoring its “extraordinary value as an exceptional cultural heritage.” But the minister avoided referring to the mine’s history The South Korean delegation said the country expects Japan to keep its pledge to be truthful to history and to show “both the bright and dark side” of the Sado mine in order to help improve relations over the long term South Korea’s foreign ministry called on Japan to continue living up to its promises on the mine and take additional steps to sustain the momentum in improving bilateral ties Japan had to demonstrate a commitment to face its wartime atrocities in order to gain support from South Korea which had opposed the UNESCO bid because of the wartime abuse of Korean laborers Such disputes over history that have consistently strained bilateral ties Seoul has said some Koreans brought to Japan during its 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula were put to forced labor at the mine at Japanese mines and factories to make up for labor shortages as most working-age men were sent to battlefronts across Asia and the Pacific Japanese authorities have hailed the Sado Island mine for advancements in mining technology before and after industrialization but made no mention of its connection to the abuse of Korean laborers during WWII Japan initially hoped to get the Sado Island mine listed as a World Heritage site last year but filed documents were deemed insufficient and needed more information The International Council on Monuments and Sites in June called on Japan to give a fuller account of the Sado mines the requested information mostly pertained to technical details though it recommended that the site to reflect the full history of the mine South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was impossible to settle the disagreements between both governments before the planned event near the mines on Sunday assistant press secretary at Japan’s Foreign Ministry called the South Korean decision “disappointing.” He said Japan has thoroughly communicated with the South Korean side but declined to comment on details of the diplomatic exchanges Some South Koreans had criticized Yoon’s government for throwing its support behind an event without securing a clear Japanese commitment to highlight the plight of Korean laborers South Korean sentiment over the event worsened after the Japanese government said this week it would send Akiko Ikuina Ikuina had reportedly visited Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine following her election as a lawmaker in 2022 The shrine honors the country’s 2.5 million war dead Japan’s neighbors view the shrine as a symbol of the country’s past militarism South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul acknowledged that Ikuina’s Yasukuni visit was an issue of contention between the countries’ diplomats “That issue and various other disagreements between diplomatic officials remain unresolved and with only a few hours remaining until the event we concluded that there wasn’t sufficient time to resolve these differences,” Cho said “We notified them of our decision in the afternoon.” Ties between Seoul and Tokyo have long been complicated by grievances related to Japan’s brutal rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945 when hundreds of thousands of Koreans were mobilized as forced laborers for Japanese companies or sex slaves at Tokyo’s military-run brothels during World War II Many forced laborers are already dead and survivors are in their 90s The mines were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site earlier this year after Tokyo and Seoul settled a yearslong dispute South Korea withdrew its opposition to the listing after Japan agreed to acknowledge Korean suffering more clearly in the site’s exhibition and to include Koreans in a memorial ceremony Mizobuchi said Tokyo expects that the event will be held by the local representatives as planned in line with a Japanese government statement released during the July meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage committee where it was decided to register the mines as a cultural heritage site Yoon took a major step toward improving ties with Japan that had deteriorated for years over historical grievances and trade disputes by announcing a plan to compensate Korean forced laborers from the colonial period without requiring contributions from Japanese companies which relies on money raised in South Korea drew an immediate backlash at home from former forced laborers and their supporters who had demanded direct compensation from the Japanese companies and a fresh apology from the Japanese government __ AP writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed Their building habits even reveal glimpses of their individuality as I head out for my daily ritual of photographing the crested ibis dried grass to line their nests.My regular shooting site is a nesting forest with one of the island's highest ibis densities This spring marks five years since I moved to Sado Observing this same forest season after season has led to many discoveries.  I've noticed that pairs that failed to breed the year before are often drawn to nesting sites where chicks successfully fledged likely seeking a better environment for another attempt Just like apartments in prime locations get snapped up quickly successful nesting sites don't stay vacant for long Spots where breeding succeeded the previous year quickly become prime property Some pairs guard their chosen sites in shifts while building their nests Yet not all efforts succeed — many carefully built nests collapse under strong winds truly suitable branches are surprisingly scarce That's because an adult ibis weighs 1.5 to 2 kilograms  —and a nesting pair weighs over 3.  each grows to nearly adult size before fledging the nest may need to hold over 7 kilograms well-anchored branches can support that kind of weight As I mentioned in a previous column birds like sparrows form flocks in winter for protection from predators flocking can actually increase the risk of attracting enemies like crows That is why they are said to gain little from nesting in colonies Some ibises nest one above the other in the same cedar tree while others build just meters apart on the same branch level quietly incubating eggs or raising chicks becomes nearly impossible mated pairs often perform pseudo-copulation  —possibly to signal that the area is already occupied a veterinarian with 32 years of experience in the reintroduction project at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center "Pseudo-copulation doesn't only occur in the wild It even happens in captivity—sometimes when a keeper enters the cage to feed them It seems to act as a kind of threat display." This behavior has been documented in other birds since it is not observed as frequently or consistently in those species as it is in the crested ibis the wild population of crested ibises on Sado Island is estimated at around 500 As their numbers grow and space becomes limited a new release is planned for June in Ishikawa Prefecture Daily observation of the ibises on Sado remains essential to the success of that release Fumie Oyama is a two-time winner of the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association Award as a photographer for The Sankei Shimbun You must be logged in to post a comment Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth ー Sado Wildlife in Focus | Not Just a Scavenger, Behold the Mastery of the Black Kite! I relocated from Tokyo to Sado to capture this unique bird on film Though the crested ibis is usually my primary subject the black kite's commanding presence was impossible to ignore Heavy September rains delayed the 2024 rice harvest The downpours caused the rice plants to topple over making the combine harvest take three times as long as usual.  This was my first autumn joining the combine harvest operation it was enjoyable once I got the hang of it a black kite suddenly swooped down right beside me creating a prime hunting ground for the kites Watching these birds snatch prey mid-air was truly a sight to behold Known as tobi or tonbi in Japan, the black kite is a member of the hawk family with a wingspan that can reach up to 160 cm the black kite feeds on carrion and scraps This has earned it nicknames like "cleaner" and "scavenger." Japanese proverbs reflect its reputation with expressions like: "The black kite will snatch your fried tofu" (meaning something valuable is unexpectedly taken) "A black kite bears a hawk," meaning an exceptional child born to ordinary parents Though often seen as a lesser bird of prey compared to other raptors One only has to watch it diving with precision capturing even the smallest insects with its sharp beak or talons Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to learn more about the unusual behavior of the crested ibis during the hot days of summer (Read the essay in Japanese) You must be logged in to post a comment Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker As the cold deepens, Sado Island's wild crested ibis has once again begun changing color developing its distinctive breeding plumage This transformation to a darker color signals the start of their courtship period Although the crested ibis's mating season is an annual spectacle I set out to capture footage of their feathers darkening as they bathed and preened.Wading into the icy midwinter waters the crested ibis vigorously rubs its shed black neck skin against its plumage while bathing According to veterinarian Yoshinori Kaneko, the birds' neck skin is naturally black due to melanin. Kaneko has spent 32 years breeding crested ibises at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center this skin thickens and gradually peels off in small flakes Each flake is about three millimeters in size the crested ibis breaks them down into a fine powder that stains its feathers The feather barbs and barbules on their necks have a grooved microstructure making the powder difficult to remove once attached noted that when the powder stuck to clothing it was extremely hard to remove.In the past a limited understanding of their behavior led people to mistakenly believe that blackened crested ibises were a different species Dr Kaneko explains, "At least 150 bird species, including pelicans and hornbills, apply substances to their feathers for coloration. However, among the world's estimated 11,195 bird species the crested ibis is the only one that colors itself using its own pigmentation." One theory suggests that this self-coloration helps them evade predators Perhaps it is precisely because of its many mysteries that the crested ibis continues to captivate us Read more essays by photojournalist Fumie Oyama on Japan 2 Earth Author: Fumie Oyama You must be logged in to post a comment Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp located on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture has officially been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the World Commission meeting held in New Delhi further solidifying its significance as one of Japan’s most treasured cultural landmarks the “Golden Mine on Sado Island” including this “Historic Site Sado Gold Mine” was nominated by UNESCO as a candidate for World Cultural Heritage in Japan and since then the preparations were underway for the official registration Sado Island Gold Mines: A Glimpse into Japan’s Golden Era Sado Island Gold and Silver Mines is a general term for the gold and silver mines on Sado Island one of which is the Aikawa-Tsurushi Gold and Silver Mine Gold dust began to be mined around the 12th century and a large amount of gold and silver was produced for nearly 400 years until mining stopped in 1989 The total length of the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine is an incredible 400 kilometers A portion of it is open to the public as a Historic Site Sado Gold Mine the site has been developed as a tourist facility with Sado Museum where you can learn about the traditional mining and production methods while observing heritage sites At the Gold and Silver Mine Guidance Facility Kirarium Sado take a commemorative photo with a giant koban coin The UNESCO designation is expected to draw increased global attention making Sado Island a must-visit destination for history enthusiasts and tourists alike Niigata Prefecture: A Destination for All Seasons From the scenic rice terraces to the historic Sado Island Gold Mines Niigata offers a diverse range of attractions that offers something for every traveler Let’s discover more about Niigata’s beautiful and diverse attractions: Yahiko-jinja Shrine: Yahiko-jinja Shrine's origins can be traced back to 657 B.C this ancient shrine is a spiritual center and a popular pilgrimage site Visitors can enjoy the serene surroundings and the nearby Yahikoyama Ropeway which offers panoramic views of the region Nagaoka Fireworks Festival: Niigata prefecture is also home to one of Japan's top three fireworks festivals celebrated along the banks of the Shinano River near Ote Bridge Kiyotsu Gorge: Known for its dramatic cliffs and crystal-clear waters Kiyotsu Gorge in Tokamachi City is one of Japan's three great canyons and has been designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument It is particularly breathtaking during the autumn season when the foliage turns vibrant shades of red and orange skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking and nature viewing during the warmer months Myoko is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure in a stunning natural setting Ponshukan Sake Museum: Niigata is renowned for its high-quality sake and the Ponshukan Sake Museum located inside Echigo-Yuzawa Station offers visitors a chance to sample a wide variety of local brews It’s a perfect stop for those looking to experience the flavors of Niigata due to the region's excellent rice and water With the recent UNESCO designation of Sado Island Gold Mines the prefecture is poised to become an even more prominent destination on the global tourism map About Japan National Tourism Organization: Affiliated with the Japan Tourism Agency of the Ministry of Land JNTO has effectively functioned as the Japanese government bureau of tourism It has 25 tourism-promotion-oriented offices across the world and a large network of suppliers for tourism and event services in Japan JNTO Website: https://www.japan.travel/en/in/ FB page: https://www.facebook.com/VisitJapan.India Media Kit: https://business.jnto.go.jp/resource/mediakit/#target/page_no=1 Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages UNESCO decided Saturday to add a gold and silver mine complex on Sado Island in Japan to its World Heritage list after a last-minute agreement from South Korea claiming the site is linked to wartime forced labor of Koreans UNESCO's World Heritage Committee unanimously decided during a meeting in New Delhi to inscribe the mine complex after Tokyo vowed to provide explanations at the site about the harsh wartime labor involved bringing the total number of Japan's World Heritage sites to 26 Japan told the committee that it is committed to efforts "to sincerely remember all laborers especially those from the Korean Peninsula and to enhance explanations and exhibitions of the entire history of the mines." The decision delighted people in Japan who had been worried after an advisory body for the U.N Scientific and Cultural Organization suggested in June that the nomination for the site in Niigata Prefecture be referred back to Japan for additional details on its application "We would like to support local efforts to preserve the Sado gold mine site which came to be recognized as a world treasure and pass on its legacy to future generations," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a statement At a public viewing venue in the district hosting the Aikawa-Tsurushi Gold and Silver Mine the 62-year-old president of a tourism firm that manages mine shaft exhibitions "I hope more people from across the country and abroad will visit Niigata Prefecture which is not widely known as a tourist destination," said Nanami Soma South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it agreed to the listing based on the premise that Japan will provide a full explanation of the "whole history" of the mine complex at the site as urged by the UNESCO advisory body Japan has already exhibited data indicating that the rate of Korean workers who engaged in dangerous labor was high and it plans to hold a memorial event to commemorate all laborers every year The advisory body has encouraged Japan to display and explain the entire history of the mines The Japanese government has particularly emphasized the Edo period (1603-1867) during which gold was produced on a large scale The Sado mine complex was regarded as one of the world's largest producers of gold in the 17th century and is known for its pre- and post-industrialization technology both Japan and South Korea sit on the rotating committee which consists of representatives from 21 state parties Japan aimed for a unanimous vote to register the complex as a World Heritage site Japan's Council for Cultural Affairs selected it as a candidate in December 2021 likely in consideration of Japan-South Korea relations initially remained vague on whether it would submit a nomination for the site Pressure from conservative lawmakers within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party regarding the government's stance prompted Kishida to announce the nomination in January 2022 parliamentary vice minister from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivers remarks during the Sado Mines Memorial Ceremony at the Aikawa Development Center in Sado City Seats reserved for South Korean officials and bereaved families remain empty Ikuina's highly criticized visit to the Yasukuni Shrine prompted Korea to withdraw from the ceremony a parliamentary vice minister from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lays flowers at the Sado Mines Memorial Ceremony held at the Aikawa Development Center in Sado City Her previous visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine prompted Korea to withdraw from the ceremony Citizens walk past the Statue of Forced Laborers at Yongsan Station Plaza in central Seoul on Sunday The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information The Sado Island Gold Mines is a serial property located on Sado Island some thirty-five kilometres west of the Niigata Prefecture coast It is formed of three component parts illustrative of different unmechanised mining methods Sado Island is of volcanic origin and features two parallel mountain ranges stretching from southwest to northeast and separated by one alluvial plain Gold and silver deposits were formed by the rising of hydrothermal water close to the land surface and forming veins in the rock; tectonic activity first submerged the surface deposits to the seabed which was later raised again by tectonic movements Placer deposits were exploited in Nishimikawa Area located on the north-western side of the Kosado Mountains the weathering of the volcanic rock exposed ore veins which were mined underground at the land surface and deep underground in the Aikawa-Tsurushi Area at the southern end of the Osado Mountains range Mostly tangible attributes reflecting mining activities and social and labour organisation are preserved as archaeological elements Les mines d'or de l'île de Sado sont un bien en série situé sur l'île de Sado à environ trente-cinq kilomètres à l'ouest de la côte de la préfecture de Niigata Il est composé de trois éléments constitutifs illustrant différentes méthodes d'exploitation minière non mécanisées L'île de Sado est d'origine volcanique et présente deux chaînes de montagnes parallèles s'étendant du sud-ouest au nord-est et séparées par une plaine alluviale Les gisements d'or et d'argent ont été formés par la montée d'eau hydrothermale près de la surface de la terre et la formation de veines dans la roche ; l'activité tectonique a d'abord submergé les dépôts de surface jusqu'au fond de la mer qui a ensuite été soulevé à nouveau par des mouvements tectoniques Des gisements placériens ont été exploités dans la région de Nishimikawa située sur le côté nord-ouest des monts Kosado l'altération de la roche volcanique a mis à jour des veines de minerai qui ont été exploitées à la surface du sol et en profoundeur sous terre dans la région d'Aikawa-Tsurushi à l'extrémité sud de la chaîne des monts Osado La plupart des attributs tangibles reflétant les activités minières et l'organisation sociale et du travail sont préservés en tant qu'éléments archéologiques et en tant que caractéristiques du paysage تُعتبر مناجم الذهب في جزيرة سادو موقعاً متسلسلاً يبعد زهاء خمسة وثلاثين كيلومتراً غرب ساحل محافظة نييغاتا، ويتكون هذا الموقع من عدة أجزاء توضح أساليب مختلفة للتعدين غير الميكانيكي تتميز جزيرة سادو، البركانية المنشأ، بالسلسلتين الجبليتين المتوازيتين فيها وتمتد السلسلتان من الجنوب الغربي إلى الشمال الشرقي ويفصل بينهما سهل كونيناكا الرسوبي وتشكلت رواسب الذهب والفضة في الموقع نتيجة لتدفق المياه الحرارية عالياً نحو سطح اليابسة تاركة عروقاً من الفضة والذهب على الصخور أسفرت حركة الصفائح التكتونية في بادئ الأمر عن غمر الرواسب السطحية في قاع البحر لتعود وتطفو على السطح بفعل تحرك الصفائح التكتونية مرة أخرى وجرى استغلال رواسب المكيث في منطقة نيشيميكاوا الواقعة في الجانب الشمالي الغربي من جبال كوسادو وأسفر تآكل الصخور البركانية عن كشف العروق الخام التي جرى تعدينها تحت الأرض في منطقة أيكاوا تسوروشي في الطرف الجنوبي من سلسلة جبال أوسادو وجرى صون السمات الملموسة في الغالب والتي تجسّد أنشطة التعدين والمنظمة الاجتماعية ومنظمة العمل، باعتبارها عناصر أثرية سواء كانت فوق سطح الأرض أو في باطنها the cold deepens on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture the island experiences little snowfall due to the strong winds from the Sea of Japan I observed the Japanese crested ibis displaying its voracious appetite as it adapted to the harsh winter Having previously written about herons and black kites for this column I now continue to focus on the crested ibis a subject that has become a lifelong passion Sado Island's muddy fields become a treasure trove of food for the crested ibis These birds often probe the mud with their beaks trying to swallow or regurgitate something a crested ibis requires about 230 kcal of energy daily With an estimated 530 crested ibises inhabiting Sado Island they would consume about 26,500 loaches per day if their diet consisted solely of them This variety highlights the importance of a rich natural environment teeming with small wildlife for their survival Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to learn more about the behavior of the crested ibis as winter approaches (Read the essay in Japanese) You must be logged in to post a comment Today's print edition Home Delivery A Japanese government spokesperson said Monday it was "regrettable" that South Korea pulled out of a memorial ceremony Sunday to honor wartime labor victims who worked at the now-defunct gold mines on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture Seoul is believed to take issue with media reports that Akiko Ikuina parliamentary vice minister for foreign affairs who represented the Japanese government at the ceremony has visited Tokyo's war-related Yasukuni Shrine in the past.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said "There was no issue (with sending Ikuina to the ceremony) We acknowledge that Ikuina has not visited Yasukuni Shrine after becoming an Upper House member and we explained the facts to the South Korean side." In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division On July 27, 2024, at a meeting of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in New Delhi, India, the Sado Island Gold Mines were added to the World Heritage list The site on the island of Sado in Niigata Prefecture is a huge complex consisting of the Nishimikawa placer gold mine and Aikawa-Tsurushi gold and silver mine, with four centuries of history until operations ended in 1989. The Aikawa mine is also commonly known as Sado Kinzan A reconstruction of gold mining operations at the Sōdayū mine The government initially recommended the mining complex in 2022 targeting registration on the heritage list in 2023 UNESCO officials found that the documentation was insufficient and the government changed its proposal before resubmitting in January 2023 the UNESCO advisory body the International Council on Monuments and Sites requested additional information It recommended that Japan remove sites developed after the end of the Edo period in 1868 from the proposal and establish facilities for introducing the complete history of the mines South Korea had opposed the registration of the site as world heritage due to the wartime forced labor of workers from the Korean peninsula as Japan followed the ICOMOS recommendations South Korea ultimately approved registration Inside the Sōdayū mine at Sado Kinzan The Sado mines are Japan’s twenty-first cultural World Heritage site registered three years after Jōmon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan in 2021 there are 26 World Heritage sites in Japan the twentieth-century Kitazawa Flotation Plant is another notable representative of mining on Sado the structure has a dreamlike atmosphere reminiscent of the Studio Ghibli movie Castle in the Sky Kitazawa Flotation Plant has become a popular tourist spot known as Sado’s Laputa Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul responds to lawmakers' questions about the controversy surrounding Japan's recent Sado Mines memorial intended to honor Korean wartime forced labor victims during a plenary session of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday Of the approximately 100 planned attendees of a memorial ceremony honoring forced labor victims around 30 seats are left empty due to the boycott of the Korean delegation on Japan's Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture Criticism emerged after Japan failed to properly acknowledge the victims or the site's full history of forced mobilization of labor during World War II when Korea was under Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.[NEWS1] South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Friday that the registration of a gold and silver mine complex on Japan's Sado Island as a UNESCO World Heritage site seems likely as it believes the two countries are reaching a consensus over the site being listed despite its links to wartime forced Korean labor The positive remark was made by a ministry official and comes against a backdrop of South Korea having argued that laborers from the Korean Peninsula were forced to work at the complex during Japanese colonial rule The South Korean government has previously raised concerns about listing the site as one of World Cultural Heritage urging that its "whole history" be reflected at the site if it is registered One of the main reasons the two sides are reaching a consensus is that "Japan has promised to reflect its 'whole history' and has already taken practical measures to achieve this," without detailing the measures The agreement appears to have been made last-minute Scientific and Cultural Organization set to decide on whether it adds the complex to its World Cultural Heritage list during a meeting on Saturday after its advisory body in June suggested the nomination be referred back to Japan for additional details There is still opposition among people in South Korea to the site being listed with the country's parliament on Thursday adopting a resolution urging Japan to withdraw its bid to have the coplex registered with all 225 members in attendance voting in favor A Japanese government source said negotiations with South Korea "are moving forward though it is not yet known" whether the two countries will reach an agreement over the registration Both Japan and South Korea sit as rotating members of the UNESCO's World Heritage Committee which will make a decision at its Saturday meeting in New Delhi The mine complex in Japan's Niigata Prefecture is regarded as one of the world's largest producers of gold in the 17th century and is known for its pre- and post-industrialization technology UNESCO seeks more details on Japan's Sado mine for heritage listing Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Niigata Prefecture--Two separate memorial services honoring those who worked in Sado Island’s gold mines during World War II were held here after the South Korean government’s last-minute withdrawal from the Japan-organized ceremony 24 event and hold its own service on the following day stemmed from reports that a Japanese government representative had previously visited war-related Yasukuni Shrine The two countries have worked to resolve the long-standing historical disputes over forced labor at the mines but South Korea’s absence highlights the lingering challenges 24 memorial ceremony came months after the Sado Island gold mines gained UNESCO World Heritage status citing its history as a place where thousands of laborers from the Korean Peninsula were forced to work during World War II The controversy was reignited after it was announced that Akiko Ikuina a parliamentary vice minister at the Japanese Foreign Ministry would represent Japan at the memorial ceremony Some Japanese media reported in 2022 that she visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo after her election as a lawmaker that year Following the announcement of her participation in the ceremony many South Korean media outlets highlighted these reports sparking criticism in South Korea over her attendance 24 that “we are aware that she did not visit Yasukuni Shrine after becoming an Upper House member in July 2022.” South Korea withdrew from the event and organized its own memorial “Given the possibility that these reports are true we cannot proceed with our participation,” a South Korean official said which operated for nearly 400 years before closing in 1989 were one of the world’s leading gold production centers in the 17th century thousands of laborers from the Korean Peninsula were mobilized to work there under brutal conditions The South Korean government insisted it was a site of “forced labor.” The mines gained UNESCO World Heritage status in July after negotiations between the two countries South Korea accepted the listing after Japan agreed to install an exhibit explaining the harsh working conditions of those brought over from the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere as well as hold an annual memorial ceremony for all who worked there mainly from opposition parties who claim the exhibit should include the term “forced labor.” Discontent also spread concerning the nature of how the memorial ceremony was held Reports of Ikuina’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine added fuel to the fire with growing objection in South Korea saying that her visit insulted bereaved Korean families and was inappropriate Japan believes that efforts have been made to bridge differences between the two governments regarding whether those from the Korean Peninsula were subjected to forced labor at the mines “We accommodated South Korea’s request for a parliamentary vice minister or higher-level official to attend the memorial ceremony,” a Foreign Ministry official said 24 was organized by a committee comprising a local civil society group Niigata Prefecture and city officials who advocated for the World Heritage site designation including Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi and Sado Mayor Ryugo Watanabe Although seating for about 100 people was arranged the absence of the South Korean delegation left several seats vacant including many people from the Korean Peninsula endured harsh labor and some lost their lives We would like to once again extend our deepest condolences to all who have passed away.” Locals expressed regret over South Korea’s absence from the ceremony the South Korean-led event took place on the island at the site of the “Fourth Soai Dormitory,” where workers from the Korean Peninsula lived during the war “I hope this memorial service brings comfort to those who passed away and their families,” Park said “Both Japan and South Korea need to work together to ensure the painful history from around 80 years ago is remembered.” Although Seoul decided not to participate in the Nov “We hope to ensure that this matter does not affect overall Japan-South Korea relations.” Tokyo is also working to coordinate with Seoul to prevent any negative effects on the two countries’ relations with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani scheduled to visit South Korea later this year South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration which has emphasized improving Japan-South Korea relations is now struggling with low approval ratings Some South Korean government officials are calling for greater consideration from Japan (This article was written by Yoshinobu Motegi South Korea will not attend Sado mines memorial event in Japan Japan to hold Sado mines memorial despite S Japan refiles request to list divisive gold mine on UNESCO Japan to ‘cite’ role of Korean labor at historic Sado gold mine Seoul blasts bid for Sado gold mine to go on heritage list Sado gold mine site registered as World Cultural Heritage site Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission The historic gold (and some silver) mines are located on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. In the first half of the 17th century, Japan produced about 20% of the world's gold. Half of that was mined at the Sado Island Gold Mines. That gave the island the status of having the largest gold mine in the world in the Edo period.  Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa welcomed the news with a tweet saying: "I am truly delighted that on July 27th "Sado Island Gold Mines" nominated by Japan was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List by consensus of all Member States of the World Heritage Committee at the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee." In June, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) recommended a "referral" regarding the proposal to inscribe the mines as a World Heritage Site It sought additional information concerning three points: South Korea had initially contested the listing claiming Korean laborers in later eras were unfairly employed Representatives of both South Korea and Japan sit on the committe Sado Island's gold mines became famous around the world even though Japan did not welcome open international trade at the time Marco Polo referred to Japan's richness in gold in his 13th century travelogs were also coveted by the Dutch East India Company and other traders of the era in Europe Its success in the early Edo period is largely attributed to the development of a placer mining technique unique to the site Workers developed a metal extraction method called Onagashi (great flow). Water was channeled to wash away the earthen debris of the mountain it was easy to collect the glittering prize.  those unique techniques left their mark on the Sado Island landscape and culture a large mountain "split" by mining techniques used at the time Kamikawa also expounded on this history in a comment through her press office Her written commented said: "'Sado Island Gold Mines' has an extraordinary value as an exceptional cultural heritage embodying the final advanced stage of the gold production system using traditional unmechanized mining technology which continued until the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the mid-19th Century during which mechanization became increasingly prevalent." "I would like to wholeheartedly welcome the inscription of 'Sado Island Gold Mines' as a World Heritage Site and pay sincere tribute to the long- standing efforts of the local people which made this possible I hope that this inscription will lead to an increase of visitors to Sado Island and that the value of 'Sado Island Gold Mines' as a World Heritage site will become more widely known and appreciated globally." Japan was producing 20% of the world's gold bringing the island to the status of the largest gold mine in the world Niigata Prefecture and the local community have worked hard to maintain the authenticity and accessibility of the site they provide exhibits and other information about the mining techniques and history Find more information about the Sado Gold Mines on JAPAN Forward You must be logged in to post a comment. The oligarchs would have freedom from tax and “red tape.” This meant the public would have “freedom” from services such as decent healthcare and education, maintained bridges, roads and, ultimately, staffed services like air traffic controllers and the weather bureau. The public would also have “freedom” from decent working conditions, safe consumables, clean air and water. The protests that would inevitably result would need to be crushed to prevent interruptions to profits. The private education system has boomed: those that can afford it can boost their own children into the enabler class. The public education system has been cut to bare bones: the Civil Rights era proved the threat to the oligarchs of an educated populace without enough debt to chain it to the grind. Oligarchs and their spin doctors disguise the dehumanising campaigns against the poor and against vulnerable minorities as “virtue” and “patriotism” instead of the unmerited bigotry it truly is. The creation of a separate “reality,” where migrants are rampantly committing crimes, Antifa is burning down our cities and abortion doctors are murdering full-term babies, is a mutually isolated space from fact-based civil society. Neither of us sees what the other knows. This allows Trump to win the popular vote in 2024 against expectation. The fact that the climate crisis has only begun to generate the massive numbers who will be displaced as their homelands become uninhabitable is providing an exponentially-growing reservoir of hate and fear to be siphoned. The oligarchs’ iron grip on career politicians, preventing them acting on the popular will, leads to burning outrage and merited disdain. In the world inhabited by the radicalising Right, it is not the oligarchs that are hurting them, but minorities. In this world it is not poor health care, inadequate education or guns that are hurting children; it is the existence of LGBTQIA+ people. The billionaire tech-bros’ social media platforms in all their variety have replaced mainstream media as the generator of reality. Mainstream media, meanwhile, has earned the deep cynicism that has resulted from its many failures and accompanied its flailing efforts to retain relevance and financial sustainability in the internet era. The strongest surviving media platforms are those owned and deployed by oligarchs intent on manufacturing the reality they need. The oligarchs’ media, their spin operations such as the Atlas Network, and their online operations are not bound by truth or decency or good faith. They are splattergun operations that shoot muck at a wall to see what sticks. Humour, cruelty and disingenuousness are easy to deploy when all that matters is victory, power and profit. The coalition of conspiracists, misogynists, and Religious Right theocrats is being coalesced into a voting bloc that does not care that it is voting for its own immiseration. The oligarchs funnel torrents of money into the project that gives them the political power to shape their world to their desires. People who care about the wellbeing of the community and the world’s population more broadly look laughably earnest to the cackling mass of disaffected. Politicians who do offer policy find themselves discredited by oligarch spin as “socialists” or “woke.” Furthermore, in sado-populism policy no longer matters: oligarchs have created a world that has lost faith in the power of government to help them. Every extra hurt experienced by the public fuels the Right’s political machine and supercharges oligarchs’ wealth acquisition. Anthony Albanese’s government needs to make some truly dramatic decisions that can pierce the walls that separate realities. Without genuine efforts to address community anger about such blights as profiteering supermarkets or climate inaction, the trap made for them by the oligarchs will be sprung. Then, we too will return to the fascist-trending politics of Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton. Lucy Hamilton is a Melbourne writer with degrees from the University of Melbourne and Monash University. She is a doctoral student at the University of Technology Sydney. and meet the warm-hearted people who call this region home and uniquely nestled along Japan's coastline Hokuriku is brimming with scenic beauty and authentic encounters The region is also characterised by a resilient spirit embodied in the way communities have come together to rebuild after the Noto earthquake in January 2024 Lying off the coast of Niigata Prefecture, Sado is among the largest islands on Japan's coastline. Among its many attractions is the chance to meet some of Japan's most charming birds, the toki (crested ibis) at the Toki Forest Park With a white body and distinctive pink wings and tail toki were common throughout Japan until about the 1930s when they were driven to extinction on the island due to overhunting and habitat loss thanks to a breeding programme supported by China – where toki are also found – along with collaborative efforts from wildlife experts and local farmers The toki are now inhabitants of Sado Island "The toki have shown us that a species can disappear due to human actions and also reminds us that creating an environment where we can co-exist with other creatures can improve quality of life for us humans as well," says Tomoki Tsuchiya from the Agricultural Policy Division of Sado City Office we now practise agriculture that's more mindful of wildlife such as reducing the use of pesticides in rice paddies while still producing safe and high-quality agricultural products." Tsuchiya says the hope is for this successful human-ibis coexistence to expand nationwide in the future but for now Sado Island is the go-to destination to see the birds and learn more about their remarkable story Sado can be reached from the Niigata mainland by ferry in about two-and-a-half hours or by high-speed boat in just over an hour home of the acclaimed Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale PreviousAn onsen bath overlooks an expanse of mountains at Satoyama Jujo.Satoyama Jujo preserves exquisite private residences that have stood the test of time.Satoyama Jujo preserves exquisite private residences that have stood the test of time.Trek across rice fields a quintessential part of Niigata’s landscape (Photo credit: Uchida Haruyuki “Memory of the Earth” photo by Kioku Keizo)Kiss & Goodbye by Jimmy Liao in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field is set against the majestic backdrop of Mount Makihata early mornings unveil a mesmerising sea of clouds drifting through the valley below The restaurant at Satoyama Jujo was featured in a 2020 Michelin Guide for Niigata showcasing a "mountain-to-table" philosophy featuring bounty foraged from the surrounding mountains recognised by Unesco as a Global Geopark for its outstanding geological heritage Mount Hakusan is considered one of Japan's holiest mountains. According to legend, in the year 717, a revered Buddhist monk known as Taicho (682–767) was the first person to ascend the mountain, where he carried out ascetic rituals. Visit the atmospheric Hakusan Shirayama-Hime Shrine the grand shrine that sits at the foot of the sacred mountain and is said to protect the Hokuriku region follow trails through shimmering cedar forests and flower-filled alpine meadows up the mountain to the smaller Okumiya (the upper shrine of Hakusan Shirayama-Hime) and soak in the tranquility at the summit PreviousThe Mikata Five Lakes glimmer with different shades of blue and green.Find multiple lookout points by exploring the region around the lakes.The beautiful foliage surrounding the Mikata Five lakes changes with the seasons Next13People have enjoyed the Mikata Five Lakes for thousands of years and this legacy continues through respectful management of the lakes' resources today Learn more about local culture at Kumagawa-juku a historic staging post town dating back to 1589 Once a flourishing hub for travellers on the Saba Kaido – the route used for transporting mackerel from Wakasa to Kyoto – some of Kumagawa-juku's traditional wooden buildings have been preserved allowing visitors to explore the town's rich history Take a scenic journey through one of Japan's most breathtaking landscapes aboard a very unique train in Toyama Prefecture. Set among mountains blanketed in lush forest, the Kurobe Gorge Railway route through the stunning Kurobe Gorge is the deepest V-shaped ravine in Japan and home to Kurobe Dam Originally built in 1923 to transport workers and materials for dam construction the Kurobe Gorge Railway now serves as a tourist attraction carrying visitors by open-air trolley train from late April to November PreviousHop on a sightseeing train to journey through the Kurobe Gorge Railway.The trolley train traverses multiple tunnels and bridges.The majestic Yamabiko Bridge is part of the Kurobe Gorge Railway route.A journey made unforgettable by autumn leaves illuminating the iconic route. Next14Departing from Unazuki Onsen Station the trolley train meanders through Kurobe Gorge treating passengers to views of forested mountainsides towering cliffs and the azure waters of the Kurobe River below While the autumn foliage season is very popular the scenery is a feast for the eyes at any time Highlights include the vibrant red Yamabiko Bridge along with hiking trails and secluded onsen (hot springs) accessed from stops along the way Advance reservations are recommended to secure your spot for this unforgettable journey aboard the trolley train Whether you're seeking peaceful solace Hokuriku's diverse natural landscapes and deep-rooted traditions offer opportunities to connect with a different side of Japan with moments steeped in the rich history and enduring beauty of the region. Visit Hokuriku for unforgettable experiences and memories to last a lifetime A commercialproduction byA Tapestry of Tradition and ResilienceImmerse yourself in the heart of Hokuriku where rich landscapes shape vibrant cuisine From Niigata's lush rice fields to Fukui's timeless artistry explore Toyama's coastal beauty and Ishikawa's historic charm Let Hokuriku's resilience and deep connection to nature inspire your journey Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth - Sado Wildlife in Focus | Newly Fledged Crested Ibis Chicks Take Flight! Summer has arrived on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. The chicks of the endangered crested ibis have now left their nests and are testing their wings as they learn to fly but independence is just around the corner I rise still sleepy in the mornings to head out early to get the best shots My camera is focused on crested ibis chicks Although they are technically still chicks the young birds have grown to almost the same size as their parents it is not easy to distinguish between parents and their offspring But you can tell them apart by looking at their faces The crest feathers on the back of the chicks' heads are still short their faces are not the bright red of adult birds but a pale orange characteristic of ibis chicks The vibrant pink-orange color of the crested ibis feathers is attributed to the intake of carotenoids This comes from the birds' diet of crabs and crayfish The young chicks not only have pale faces but the color of their feathers is also still pale Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to learn more about how farmers are reacting to the black-tailed gulls (Read the article in Japanese.) Author: Fumie Oyama Click here to read more Sado Wildlife in Focus photo essays by photojournalist Fumie Oyama You must be logged in to post a comment Korea backs Japan's Sado mines UNESCO bid contingent on colonial history disclosure South Korea on Saturday consented to Japan's long-pursued bid to have the gold and silver mines on Sado Island designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site signaling a step towards reconciliation over historical disputes Seoul's agreement is contingent on Tokyo's commitment to take concrete actions to confront and acknowledge the dark history of forced Korean labor at the Sado mines during its colonial rule from 1910 to 1945 South Korea approved the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's decision in New Delhi in exchange for Japan's commitment to operate exhibitions portraying the reality of Korean forced labor at the Sado mines and to hold annual memorial ceremonies honoring the Korean workers Japan's relentless pursuit of a World Heritage listing for the Sado Island Gold Mines has fueled controversy in South Korea The core of the controversy lies in Japan's deliberate omission of critical historical details regarding the forced mobilization of Koreans to work in the mines during its brutal colonial rule Tokyo deliberately focused on the mine’s operations during the Edo period (1603-1867) intentionally excluding any reference to the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula (1910-1945) Seoul and Tokyo have now buried the hatchet with the Japanese government taking prior actions before securing UNESCO World Heritage status the Foreign Ministry in Seoul explained in a statement South Korea could have pushed for a vote on the listing of the Sado mines which would have required the approval of a two-thirds majority as one of the 21 rotating members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee it chose to follow the customary consensus approach instead Japan has already set up an exhibition titled "The Life of Mine Workers Including Those from the Korean Peninsula" at the Aikawa History Museum on Sado Island highlights the harsh living and labor conditions faced by an estimated over 1,500 Koreans who were mobilized to work at the Sado mines towards the end of Japanese colonial rule According to South Korea's Foreign Ministry the exhibition illustrates that Korean workers were often assigned hazardous tasks at mines such as drilling through rock The exhibition also sheds light on ongoing conflicts over the working conditions food shortages and reports of fatalities among the Korean workers the exhibition documents that these workers labored an average of 28 days per month and includes records of their escape attempts and subsequent detentions South Korea's Foreign Ministry also disclosed that Japan plans to distribute brochures to tourists which will include information about the exhibition on forced labor An estimated over 1,500 Koreans were forced to work at the Sado complex of mines under harsh conditions and without proper compensation toward the end of Japanese colonial rule in the 1940s according to a joint report in 2022 by the Korean Center for Historical Truth and Justice in Seoul and the Network for Research on Forced Labor Mobilization in Kobe South Korea's Foreign Ministry also announced that Japan has committed to holding an annual memorial ceremony for the Koreans mobilized to work in the Sado mines This ceremony will start this year and is scheduled to occur every July or August on Sado Island The specific date and location for this year's event are still being coordinated within Japan memorial services in Japan have been organized by private groups but the significance of the memorial service that Japan has promised this time lies in the participation of Japanese government officials," South Korea's Foreign Ministry explained The Foreign Ministry also noted that excluding the Kitazawa industrial site on Sado Island known for mobilizing a significant number of Korean workers from the World Heritage designation carries "considerable significance." criticism has emerged as the Aikawa History Museum featuring exhibitions on Korean forced labor is situated in the Sakashita area within the Aikawa-Kamimachi district This district has been excluded from the UNESCO World Heritage inscription raising concerns about the museum's recognition and accessibility The Foreign Ministry acknowledged the situation but refuted these concerns stating that the location of the exhibition "has only a minimal impact on both the presentation of the exhibits on Korean workers and the accessibility for tourists." as the Foreign Ministry conceded that South Korea lacks the leverage to compel Japan to fulfill its commitments if Japan does not honor them "Since UNESCO is not the UN Security Council there are no sanctions or penalties if Japan does not comply with this decision Japan's commitment to implementation is the most crucial factor," a Foreign Ministry official stated on Friday being unable to hold Japan accountable for failing to honor its commitments which was made when 23 sites from Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution were registered on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2015 The Japanese government has yet to fully honor its promise to raise public awareness about the forced labor of Koreans and others under harsh conditions at certain industrial heritage sites Key unfulfilled commitments include establishing an information center or informational panels to educate the public about this forced mobilization The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Friday stated that it "can never agree with the listing of the Sado mines as a World Heritage site," according to spokesperson Rep Hwang pointed out Japan's failures to keep promises regarding sites associated with Japan's Meiji-era industrialization "Shouldn't we first verify the fulfillment of the Hashima Island promise before seeking any new commitments from Japan?" she asked Hwang emphasized that "The Yoon Suk Yeol government should not use unfulfilled promises as an excuse to commit a historical injustice It must block the designation of the Sado mines as a World Heritage site." The plan to unify the candidacies of conservative People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo faces a rocky road From booking beds to building AI: Yanolja Cloud CEO reimagines travel Amazon Prime sign deal to increase K-content access Korea mark 60 years of ties with sculpture Respect wanes: Teaching no longer highly coveted job in S As unused homes increase in rural South Korea Supreme Court’s verdict sours Lee Jae-myung’s presidential bid Korean mothers are opting for C-sections at record rates South Koreans get creative with Parents’ Day gifts Lee Jae-myung leads in hypothetical three-way race with Han Duck-soo Costco’s steep membership hike tests loyalty of Korean shoppers A UNESCO advisory body has recommended that Japan provide additional details regarding its submission of a gold and silver mine complex on Sado Island for World Heritage list registration Japan's cultural affairs agency said Thursday Scientific and Cultural Organization suggested the nomination for the mine complex in Niigata Prefecture be referred back to Japan for more information There are cases where the World Heritage Committee still decides to inscribe despite the advisory body's recommendation The development comes after Japan resubmitted its application for registration of the mine complex last year despite protests from the South Korean government which claims the site is linked to wartime forced labor of Koreans will make a formal decision at its meeting in New Delhi Both Japan and South Korea sit on the rotating committee this year The committee evaluates site nominations based on the advisory body's decision and categorizes them into the same four categories -- inscription If the committee also decides to refer the nomination back to Japan the inscription of the site will be postponed until next year or later An Agency for Cultural Affairs official said the UNESCO body's referral recommendation means it "has recognized (Sado) has value worthy of consideration for registration." The Sado mine complex is regarded as one of the world's largest producers of gold during the 17th century and is known for its pre- and post-industrialization technology It encompasses the Aikawa Gold and Silver Mine the Tsurushi Silver Mine and the Nishimikawa Placer Gold Mine Japan's Council for Cultural Affairs selected Sado mine as a candidate in December 2021 Pressure from conservative lawmakers within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party regarding the government's stance prompted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to announce the nomination in January 2022 It was subsequently submitted a month later citing insufficient explanation regarding the Nishimikawa Placer Gold Mine The Japanese government resubmitted an amended application the following year If the inscription of Sado mine is approved Japan will have a total of 26 World Heritage sites Japan to nominate shodo calligraphy for UNESCO heritage list in 2026 Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong speaks during a regular press briefing at the ministry building in Seoul on Tuesday Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth - Sado Wildlife in Focus | The Surprising Way Crested Ibis Cope with Summer Heat Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture was once a place where air conditioning was unnecessary. But now global warming has led to ongoing summer days where it is hard for us to manage without it. The crested ibis Summer temperatures on Sado Island at midday exceed 30 degrees Celsius Mowing the grass along the rice paddy ridges is an important part of farm work farmers reduce their use of agricultural chemicals to ensure the crested ibis have enough food But mowing under the scorching sun with no shade is pure torture.  The ibis mostly avoid foraging for food in the sun during the heat of the day That is when they can be observed making a soft sound with their beaks open Just like dogs that pant with open mouths when hot crested ibis open their beaks and take repeated shallow breaths to lower their body temperature Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to learn more about the unusual behavior of the crested ibis during the hot days of summer (Read the article in Japanese.) You must be logged in to post a comment The bereaved family members of Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor at the Sado mine complex during World War II along with other South Korean participants pay silent tribute on Monday at a site that once served as lodging for Korean forced laborers near the Sado gold and silver mines on Sado Island including Korean Ambassador to Japan Park Cheol-hee and the family members held a separate memorial ceremony to honor the victims after boycotting a Japan-hosted event due to Tokyo's apparent insincerity in fulfilling its pledge to remember the victims South Korean Ambassador to Japan Park Cheol-hee delivers a memorial address during a ceremony honoring Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor at the Sado mine complex during World War II on Monday at a site that once served as lodging for Korean forced laborers on Sado Island parliamentary vice minister of Japan’s Foreign Ministry Seats reserved for South Korean officials and bereaved families remain empty Japan held an exclusive memorial service at the Sado gold mine site on Sunday The South Korean government and the surviving family members of Korean forced labor victims boycotted the ceremony to protest the attendance of Akiko Ikuina a parliamentary vice minister of Japan’s Foreign Ministry who has a history of paying respects to war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo The Yoon administration signed off on Japan’s bid to register the Sado mine as a UNESCO World Heritage site without any agreement on how the mine’s history as a site of forced Korean labor would be documented Observers say that this was the inevitable result of Yoon’s “diplomacy of degradation” the moment it spawned controversy The ceremony was held at the Aikawa Development Center on Sado Island and was attended by Japanese government representatives Ikuina noted that laborers from Korea were among those who worked at the mines in the 1940s “Even taking into account the special circumstances of war they partook in difficult labor amid the dangerous and brutal conditions of the mine while far away from their homes and thinking of their loved ones,” Ikuina said Her statement was adorned with flowery language but did not include the phrase “forced labor.”  the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying “There hasn’t been enough time to properly address the controversy surrounding the Sado mine memorial service and to bridge the gaps in perspective between the two countries’ diplomatic authorities.”  we decided to not attend the memorial ceremony,” the statement went on The ministry has refrained from elaborating as to what the “overall circumstances” are but the comment seems to be a reference to Ikuina’s past attendance at Yasukuni memorial services her refusal to acknowledge the mine’s history of forced labor and the Sado memorial service’s absence of any mention of the forced labor victims After being elected to Japan’s House of Councillors in July 2022 Ikuina attended the memorial services at Yasukuni Shrine where Class A war criminals from the Pacific War are enshrined Kyodo News reported that Ikuina attended the service at Yasukuni on Aug the anniversary of Japan’s official surrender While the derailment of the Sado mine memorial service superficially appears to be the fault of a provocation by the Japanese government critics say the fundamental cause goes back to July when the South Korean government consented to the Sado mine’s registration as a UNESCO World Heritage site despite the de facto erasure of the mine’s history as a site of Korean forced labor Japan claimed that the mine’s relevant facilities would contain the “whole history” of the site but there is no mention of “forced” labor in these facilities The South Korean government announced the important thing is that Japan has “taken practical measures to reflect the site’s whole history,” and lauded Japan’s promise to hold annual memorial services for forced mobilization victims as a success The administration added that high-level Japanese officials were to attend these services proclaiming they had successfully “negotiated to get cash instead of credit.”  In the detailed negotiations that followed Japan demanded that the word “gratitude” be included in the name of the ceremony to celebrate the mine’s UNESCO World Heritage registration and the event was dubbed the “Sado mine memorial service,” and any mention of “forced labor” was omitted The event was also organized by a Japanese civic group instead of the Japanese government it was announced that the high-level government official who would attend the event was a far-right vice minister who had paid respects at Yasukuni Shrine Just like the 2015 registration of Hashima Island as a UNESCO World Heritage site South Korea believed Japan’s promises only to be double-crossed the South Korean government made the strategic error of agreeing to the date of the ceremony without even confirming the attendees or the content of the memorial addresses These blunders appear to be the result of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s hastiness in attempting to preserve in appearance this symbol of improved relations with Japan “There is no indication of any response on a professional or organizational level during the negotiation phase,” said Yang Kee-ho a professor of Japanese studies at Sungkonghoe University who formerly served as consul-general in Kobe “As the government has forfeited our position on historical disputes it seems that our diplomacy as regards Japan is not operating properly,” he added Democratic Party spokesperson Hwang Jung-ah announced the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s groveling diplomacy bows its head in front of Japan’s brazen provocation.” “They insist that the diplomatic strategy of giving them what they want and the Sado mine negotiations have yielded ‘results,’ but all that remains in the cup that’s been half-filled by Japan is mockery and contempt,” she added “The government must demand a sincere apology from Japan and move forward with clear countermeasures.”  Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]