Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor Japan hs held a memorial ceremony near the Sado Island Gold Mines listed in July as a UNESCO World Heritage site after the country moved past years of disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the dark side of their history SADO, Japan — Japanese officials have held a memorial ceremony near the Sado Island Gold Mines, listed in July as a UNESCO World Heritage site after Japan moved past years of historical disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the mines' dark history At these mines, hundreds of Koreans were forced to work under abusive and brutal conditions during World War II Japanese officials at Sunday’s ceremony paid tribute to “all workers,” including Korean laborers who died at the mines without acknowledging that they were forced laborers — part of what critics call a persistent policy of whitewashing Japan's history of sexual and labor exploitation before and during the war 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 There has been speculation that the South Korean boycott might have been due to the presence of Japanese parliamentary Vice Minister Akiko Ikuina at Sunday's ceremony because of reports — later withdrawn as erroneous —- that after she was elected in 2022 she had visited Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine which commemorates 2.5 million war dead including war criminals Ikuina denied visiting Yasukuni since becoming a lawmaker 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 especially in the final years of World War II Korean compensation demands for Japan's atrocities during its brutal colonial rule have strained relations between the two Asian neighbors, most recently after a 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling ordered Japanese companies to pay damages over their wartime forced labor 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 South Korean conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol announced in March 2023 that his country would use a local corporate fund to compensate forced labor victims without demanding Japanese contributions. Japan’s then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later expressed sympathy for their suffering during a Seoul visit business and other ties between the sides have since rapidly resumed Japan’s whitewashing of wartime atrocities has risen since the 2010s, particularly under the past government of revisionist leader Shinzo Abe 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 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 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 Leaf KYOTO Store Locations Enjoy the spicy triplet of flavor and richness at Kyoto Ramen Kinzan in Teramachi Nijo The second branch of Kyoto Ramen Kinzan in Shichijo opened on the west side of Kyoto City Hall and the soup is made from sweet Kyoto Kogen pork bones which are simmered for 9 hours to extract their flavor Two types of ramen are available: Kinzan Ramen made with Gokou soy sauce and Black Ramen made with rich Oyama soy sauce Black with the richness of Koyama soy sauce like tamari soy sauce It is accented with the refreshing spiciness of green peppercorns There are six levels of spiciness to choose from (You can also request only lean or fatty pork ［Kondo Seimen's medium-thin noodles blend well with the pork bone soy sauce broth and are easily enjoyed The thinly sliced pork chashu is topped with two kinds of pork chashu Chashu-don comes as a set with ramen for +300 yen Two pieces of chashu pork and shredded pieces are topped on rice black kaeshi and broth are poured over the top After working in a ramen restaurant for one year After working at a ramen restaurant for a year On August 27, 2022, a lecture was held in Niigata Prefecture by a citizens' group opposed to the registration of Sado gold mines as a World Heritage site The organization in question was the Network for Research on Forced Labor Mobilization (the Network) and included a speaker from South Korea.  I attended the lecture in order better to understand the positions which the Network holds on the question of Korean labor at the Sado mines The Network's basic argument is that if the mines are to be listed as a World Heritage site then it should also be noted that Koreans were taken to Japan by force (forced mobilization) and subjected to slave-like labor (forced labor) this argument has no basis in historical fact I and a team of researchers at the Historical Awareness Research Council along with other researchers in South Korea and Japan have found the historical facts of Korean labor in Japan to be as follows the total number of Koreans who came to Japan between 1939 and 1945 was approximately 2.4 million some 600,000 came to Japan through recruitment by Japanese companies official mediation by the Governor-General of Korea's Office and conscription orders issued by the Japanese government about 75% of all Koreans who came to Japan did so voluntarily primary sources reveal that many Koreans who responded to the recruitment campaigns of Japanese companies actively participated in the recruitment process and went to Japan to work historical documents attest that Koreans were employed under the same conditions as Japanese nationals In July of 2022, the Historical Awareness Research Council hosted two academic symposia, one in Tokyo and one in Niigata, on the history of Korean labor at the Sado mines The Historical Awareness Research Council also traveled to Sado Island in July to verify facts and details through on-site investigation Historical documents match with on-site observations Both the forced mobilization of Koreans and forced labor narratives are myths with no academic basis.  This led to the curious counter argument that Nishioka's theories were not recognized by the Japanese academic community Professor Nishioka responded to these criticisms earlier in 2022 pointing out that such criticism was divorced from primary sources and relied solely on ideological positions adopted decades ago Also, even among the Network's own members, there were researchers in the past who rejected the expression "forced mobilization," a notable example of which is Kim Young Dal (1948-2000) the Network has been unable to accept the facts pointed out by Nishioka and has further failed even to reach a consensus on their own side's previous studies I stayed in Niigata to participate in the Network's on-site survey of Sado Island on August 28 It was while with the Network on Sado Island that I caught a glimpse of the true nature of its members what is important to the Network is not the facts of history their political ideology of belittling and criticizing everything about Japan takes precedence.  It is for this reason that the Network wishes to criticize Japan by linking the forced mobilization and forced labor of Koreans with matters to which these things bear no verifiable relation the remains of a communal kitchen for workers at the mines can still be seen today Boxed lunches were reportedly prepared there for both Japanese and Korean workers and then carried to the mines.  This is just one indication that the treatment of Korean workers was no different from that of the Japanese the Network members believe that this was simply one of the countless methods utilized to force Koreans to work is evidence that the Koreans were being made to work in the mines against their will This interpretation strains credulity to the breaking point but it is an indicator of how the Network uses historical facts to arrive at unsupported conclusions The Network didn't stop at this outlandish interpretation The Network members then discussed building a memorial to the Korean workers at the site of the communal kitchen It is simply political gamesmanship by another means the Network and other members of the observation team paused to take a commemorative group photograph the behavior of the Network members during this short photo session was surprising the Network members raised cries during the commemorative photo session for people to pump their fists in the air and yell is scheduled to be honored with a state funeral in September The Sado mines have nothing to do with Abe or with his funeral the Network members shouted their opposition to the funeral while making gestures for the camera ignored the instructions and simply posed normally for the commemorative photo shot that nothing could be more symptomatic of the true nature of those who oppose the registration of the Sado mines as a World Heritage site Why would such a politically-charged and unrelated clamor be raised during an activity intended to deepen understanding of the history of the Sado mines It is because the Network is a political organization with a specific ideology and its agenda is to criticize Japan even by distorting the facts of history You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " is a collection of historic relics depicting the 400-year history of Sado's gold and silver mines which includes facilities such as 'the Best Gold Processing Plant in Asia' and 'Japan's First Western-Style Vertical Tunnel' will cause visitors to marvel at the impressive scale." which has been formally recommended by the Japanese government for a UNESCO World Heritage listing appeals to history enthusiasts at first reading But it conceals a dark history of human rights abuses and war crimes regarding Korean forced labor during World War II was the largest gold and silver mine in the Edo period throughout the 17th century numerous unregistered dwellers in cities like Edo and Osaka were kidnapped by the Tokugawa government to toil 24/7 draining and mining the extended tunnels underground an order to the Sado mines was a death sentence this natural treasure was used to finance Japan's invasion of its Asian neighbors When the Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule over 2,000 Koreans were forced to labor in the mine Statistics cited by The Diplomat indicate approximately 70 percent of Koreans forced to work at Japanese mines made harrowing escape attempts because of the unbearable conditions Their memories were fraught with endless toiling in dark tunnels with no sunshine and no hope for freedom full-size dolls and robots are displayed to present the activities of the miners is how desperate Korean labors were forced to abandon their families and give their lives Niigata and Sado prefectures have promoted Sado Kinzan as a UNESCO project Officials at Japan's Cultural Affairs Agency have said the site offered a rare example of how traditional manual mining technology was improved as machinery began being introduced in other mines around the world up to the 19th century By deliberately limiting the time frame of the site's history to the Edo period the Japanese government covers up the the mine's dark side where many Koreans were forced to work in coal mines was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site Japan promised to exhibit the history of forced mobilization of workers and take measures to honor the victims the Tokyo Industrial Heritage Information Center instead displayed documents showing how well the miners were treated and disregarded their suffering the UNESCO World Heritage Committee passed a unanimous resolution expressing misgivings over Japan's failed pledge to disclose facts about the use of forced Korean labor at Hashima during World War II The Japanese government is a habitual manipulator of history accustomed to skewing facts while ignoring the painful memories of its neighbors Sado Kinzan is just the latest attempt by the Japanese government to whitewash its past through carefully curated historical sites The only way for Japan to successfully bid for a world heritage listing is to seriously repent over its war history and make sincere apologies to its Asian neighbors for its crimes and atrocities The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Global Times, China Daily and other outlets. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website If you have specific expertise or would like to share your thoughts then send your writings to opinion@chinadaily.com.cn and comment@chinadaily.com.cn Seoul furious at Japanese bid for Unesco listing for Sado gold mine complex Japan has set itself on a diplomatic collision course with South Korea by applying for Unesco world heritage status for gold and silver mines on an island off its west coast which used forced labour from Korea The row over the mines – on Sado island in the Sea of Japan – is expected to further sour relations between the countries just as the US is pressing them to present a united front against North Korea’s nuclear programme The mines are among dozens of industrial sites that played a key role in Japan’s modernisation but relied on slave labour. An estimated 780,000 Koreans worked in mines and factories during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula many in appalling conditions and without proper pay or holidays Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida nominated the mines this month after pressure from conservatives in his party including former prime minister Shinzo Abe This drew an angry response from South Korea whose foreign ministry accused Japan of “ignoring the painful history of forced labour for Koreans” Kishida said: “We are aware that South Korea has its own opinions That’s why we feel we should have meaningful which maintains that compensation claims stemming from the war were settled “completely and finally” by a 1965 bilateral treaty Companies that do not comply with the rulings risk having their assets in South Korea seized – a move observers say would harm the economies of both countries was once among the world’s biggest gold producers but its success was partly built on the exploitation of more than 1,000 Korean labourers In an editorial, the Korea Herald called the Unesco proposal “shameful” adding: “Japan’s move to list the site … is a thinly veiled to attempt to whitewash the brutality that took place during its rule of Korea the Sado mine is one of many sites illustrating the atrocities of Japanese colonialism amid the long-running view that Japan has yet to issue a sincere apology and offer proper compensation.”A Unesco advisory body will survey the complex and decide whether to include it in the list of heritage sites – a status that would encourage tourism and attract funds for protection and conservation Japan was admonished by Unesco for failing to honour a commitment to explain that their workforces had included thousands of exploited Koreans Local government descriptions of the Sado mines do not mention their use of Korean labourers Ties between South Korea and Japan are at their lowest level for years amid disputes over forced labour and “comfort women” – girls and women forced to work in Japanese military brothels before and during the war The US has called on leaders in Seoul and Tokyo to resolve the row and focus on addressing threats posed by a more aggressive China and an unpredictable North Korea This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media located in the western part of Oita Prefecture there is a Michi-no-Eki where visitors can experience panning for gold dust We hear from the manager of the Michi-no-Eki situated in an area that was once Japan's leading gold mining site in terms of annual production Visitors can reflect on the area's historical connection to gold while partaking in gold panning and indulging in these distinctive local products No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form Please contribute to The Village Sun’s GoFundMe campaign We are very grateful for other ads from our local businesses but unfortunately they don’t cover all of our expenses Your donation will definitely make a difference See above to make a GoFundMe donation and help ensure that The Village Sun keeps publishing the 24-hour homeless drop-in center at 114 W don’t call us at The Village Sun newspaper You can call Paul’s Place directly at 332-895-6860 The Village Sun NYPA Better Newspaper Contest Awards: Coverage of Elections & Politics – Second Place Coverage of Local Government – Third Place Best Distinguished Coverage of Diversity – Third Place Coverage of Local Government — Second Place Coverage of Elections/Politics — Honorable Mention Best News or Feature Series — Second Place Coverage of Elections and Politics — Honorable Mention Investigative/In-depth Reporting — Honorable Mention BY CAROLINE BENVENISTE | We’ve seen many Asian restaurant openings lately beer taprooms and French and Italian newcomers The large space that was Sammy’s Noodle Shop & Grill for many years is now an Italian cafe The first phase of the project to open was Pamina the gelato shop at the corner of 11th Street Poets & Friends is part of the One More Hospitality Group two Italian pescatarian restaurants in the West Village and the pescatarian theme continues at Travelers as well as for pasta dishes at Travelers and the other restaurants in the group a coffee bar also displays pastries from different regions of Italy (a cream-filled brioche from Sicily including a particularly delicious one with pistachio crème and raspberry jam) On the side is a small market area selling Italian dry goods can be purchased to go or eaten at a number of small tables in the front A cocktail/wine bar is separated from the main area by a partition All the food I’ve tried so far has been delicious the vibe is meant to be “chill,” and it is and literally wrote the book on the subject (well “Hamburger America.” He describes it as follows: “Stepping into HAMBURGER AMERICA is a step back in time Our 15-stool counter is an authentic piece of living hamburger history a LOVE LETTER to one of America’s favorite foods.” The restaurant does have a very retro feel and the signs over the counter mimic those found at classic diners There are two burgers available (onion and smash) a Chinese restaurant chain with over a dozen locations in China Many of the classic dishes are offered here such as slippery eggs over rice and pineapple buns There are also sugar bears that dissolve into beverages outer space-themed in the enclosed courtyard Fourth and Bleecker Streets) is the sister restaurant to Silver Apricot and the food is a mash-up of Chinese dishes incorporating Southern ingredients has opened a stand at the Market 57 food hall (25 11th Ave. Sandwiches and other prepared foods are available for purchase but the newest outpost does not carry any bulk items or spices has opened a branch at Sixth Avenue at the corner of 13th Street between Charles and Perry Streets) is the latest athletic luxury brand to open a flagship store on Bleecker Street Hokkaido sells Japanese baked cheese tarts at 166 Second Ave The brand launched in Malaysia in 2016 and now has stores all over Asia The tarts have a shortbread crust with a creamy cheese filling (somewhere between a curd and a cheesecake) Some of the more exotic flavors are Purple Yam Hokkaido is an island in Japan that produces half of Japan’s dairy products between Bedford and Downing Streets) is the latest entrant into the omakase game in the Village It has opened in the space that briefly housed Clover Grocery between Avenues B and C) serves rice balls similar in concept to onigiri but square rather than rectangular which can result in long lines at peak times The original location of Hao Noodle and Tea by Madame Zhu’s Kitchen (401 Sixth Ave. between Waverly Place and Greenwich Avenue) A sign on the door explains: “As our lease for West Village location is ending on November 19th 2023 we will not be able to operate after November 19th our Chelsea location remains open.” The Chelsea restaurant operates nine Madame Zhu’s restaurants in China then closed during the pandemic but reopened in October 2020 The Italian sandwich shop All’antico Vinaio will be opening its fourth NYC location at 89 Seventh Ave South (between Grove and Bleecker Streets) in the old Cuba Libre space (and before that All’antico Vinaio opened in Florence in 1991 and now has a number of other locations in Italy which has been plagued by empty storefronts which served Brazilian-inspired sushi at 87 Seventh Ave South for 17 years until it closed in 2017 There may yet be hope for that space too: The Real Deal reported in April that a yet-unnamed Japanese restaurant had leased the space At December’s Community Board 2 State Liquor Authority Subcommittee meeting Par Avion Group sought approval for a wine and beer license for a wine bar located at 37 Carmine St The establishment plans to serve classic French small plates are planning to open Savta at 259 Bleecker St (between Jones and Cornelia Streets) in the space that used to be Baker & Co I met the team behind Demo Natural Wines and Fine Food in front of their establishment at 34 Carmine St They told me that it would be a cafe during the day and a restaurant at night Everything will be cooked simply and without too much butter One of the owners was previously at Wildair Jody Williams’s and Rita Sodi’s Italian bar just like all their other Village restaurants is expanding into the old Panca space at 92 Seventh Ave South (between Bleecker and Grove Streets) Many cities have had a lively beer culture for a long time and while there have been a number of breweries in the outer boroughs Talea recently opened a taproom in the West Village Sixpoint Brewery will be opening Downtown in Brookfield Place there is an outpost of Other Half Brewing in Rockefeller Center and Threes Brewing has a store in Moynihan Train Hall Torch and Crown brews beer in Soho and operates a seasonal beer garden in Union Square (which is closed now Even more breweries continue to expand in Brooklyn such as Grimm Artisanal Ales (a short train ride away in East Williamsburg) which has added a New Haven-style pizza restaurant Please write to us at vsuncandg@gmail.com to let us know what you’re seeing Local News is more important now than ever In an era of rampant media consolidation and homogenization — when the connection to community is being lost and abandoned — your contribution to The Village Sun will help ensure that this vital source of local news continues to publish Please click on the black button directly below to donate Click on the black box at right or below to donate Visitors visit at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Visitors walk though a tunnel at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Visitors look at display at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado 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 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 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 Sado has long been associated with shining riches a collection of fanciful stories from the twelfth century tells about a miner from Noto province who traveled to Sado and returned with piles of gold The celebrated nō playwright Zeami also alluded to Sado’s gilded past in his work Kintōsho (The Book of the Golden Island) that recounts his exile there in 1434 Mount Toramaru at the historic Nishimikawa gold mine (left) and the entrance of the Ōtakimabu tunnel at the Tsurushi silver mine (right) Although these literary works show that gold excavation had been underway for some time the first recorded mining operation on Sado was in 1460 at the Nishimikawa mine Early miners primarily worked sedimentary deposits sifting through tons of rock and soil in search of gold flakes and nuggets The discovery of the Tsurushi silver mine in 1542 prompted mine administrators to develop new techniques to exploit the site’s rich mineral veins Following the discovery of the Sado kinzan mine in 1601 workers rapidly put these new technologies to use in developing the site The mine’s opening focused attention on the island and drastically altered Sado’s history The split mountain top of the kinzan gold mine attests to the intensity with which the site was exploited The man-made crevice measures 30 meters across and 74 meters deep Word of the kinzan mine quickly reached Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) who promptly dispatched a representative to Sado and in 1602 the island’s magistrate sent Ieyasu 10,000 kan of the precious metal an amount roughly equivalent to ¥20 billion today In the first part of the seventeenth century 40 tons of silver were excavated from the kinzan annually making it in its day one of the world’s richest silver mines The mountain eventually came to be strongly associated with gold production producing over the same period an average of 400 kilograms a year A reproduction of the magistrate’s headquarters on Sado near the kinzan In 1603 Ieyasu placed Sado under direct control of the central government and appointed Ōkubo Nagayasu (1545–1613) a trusted administrator who had experience running mines the subsequent inflow of workers and other people had a dramatic effect on Aikawa In a very short span Aikawa transformed from a sleepy outpost of fewer than 20 buildings to a bustling mining town of 50,000 people Only half of the four square kilometers of land comprising the village was open to habitation and residents had to make the most of what space was available The solution for many was to build vertically and it is said that several three-story buildings could be seen towering above Aikawa’s narrow streets Records from this period describe a community buzzing with prosperity One account even goes so far as to compare the liveliness of the town’s central Kyōmachi district to the gaiety of Kyoto The Sado Kinzan Museum offers visitors a glimpse at Aikawa’s lively past Sado has long been known as a destination for political exiles Famous outcasts include Zeami as well as the influential Buddhist priest Nichiren and Retired Emperor Juntoku it is equally infamous as the last stop of hordes of convicts refutes the common image that mushukunin were ne’er-do-wells pointing out that refugees also made up a considerable portion of this group “There were mostly skilled mineworkers along with some mushukunin who provided manual labor,” he explains “But not every person pressed into service was a criminal or vagrant Around the middle of the Edo period [1603–1868] natural disasters and famine forced large numbers of people off their land in the provinces many of these refugees found their way to Edo and other urban centers on Japan’s main islands The bakufu considered them a threat to public safety they rounded many of them up and shipped them off to the kinzan.” A display shows mineworkers inside the Sōdayū tunnel taking a break Minework could be lucrative for skilled laborers This policy coincided with the emergence of a dire labor shortage at the mine as tunnels grew deeper Early excavation exploited deposits of gold and silver close to the surface But as these were depleted miners dug further underground and by the 1690s tunnels extended far enough down that they needed specialized laborers to remove groundwater and keep the mine shafts from flooding A display shows the snaking tunnels miners carved through the mountain in pursuit of gold and silver Administrators initially employed men from local villages to pump the mines paying them high wages for the backbreaking work as tunnels grew deeper and the work more perilous it became increasingly difficult to secure enough hands to keep minework moving along smoothly By sending Edo’s burgeoning population of mushukunin to Sado the central government was able to address two problems at once Nabata says that while social outcasts being rounded up and sent into the mine remains a popular perception among people it does not accurately reflect life at the kinzan Aikawa supported a population of 50,000,” he explains “Most workers were townspeople or skilled laborers During the Edo period only 1,874 mushukunin were put to work in the mines.” Hand-cranked screw pumps were used to bring water out of the mine shafts The kinzan mine was a self-contained operation from ore processing to the minting of coins The riches that flowed from the mine during the Edo period helped finance the Tokugawa shogunate and kept the regime self-sufficient in gold and silver A gold koban coin (left) and ichibu ingot the new Meiji government took over mine operations It brought in foreign engineers and adopted Western technologies in a bid to boost flagging productivity In 1896 it sold the mine to the Mitsubishi conglomerate which continued to mechanize the extraction process helping fund Japan’s wartime ambitions The mine was finally closed in 1989 after 388 years The mine’s 50-meter-wide thickener was built in 1940 to separate tailings and water The vein of gold running through the kinzan measures a mere 3 kilometers east to west and 600 meters north to south Over nearly four centuries miners bore more than 400 kilometers of tunnels into the mountain and extracted an impressive 15 million tons equivalent to a cube 180 meters on each side The Dōyū tunnel was excavated from the end of the Meiji era (1868–1912) until the mine was closed According to Nabata it took an average of 1 ton of ore to produce 5 grams of gold and that around 78 tons of gold and 2,330 tons of silver were extracted over the lifetime of the mine In 1997 the Hishikari mine in Kagoshima Prefecture surpassed Sado’s kinzan in terms of gold production but the mountain retains its title as Japan’s richest silver mine Golden Sado employee Nabata Shō stands at the entrance of an old mining tunnel The Sado kinzan mine holds a unique place in Japanese history for its pivotal role in helping finance the government from feudal times all the way to the modern age. In recognition of its historical importance, there is now a campaign underway to have it registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site The Sado Kinzan Museum preserves mining machinery used from the Meiji era onward These sites provide an important historical and cultural record of Japan’s mining history stretching back more than five centuries that includes advances in operation and excavation techniques and the lifestyles of people who depended on the mines for their livelihood Operating from the nineteenth century to the early twentieth century the Kitazawa floatation plant—a facility for separating precious metal from raw ore—boasted the largest capacity in East Asia Entrance to the Sado Kinzan Gold Mine (Originally written in Japanese by Aoki Yasuhiro and published on December 22 Banner photo: The Kitazawa floatation plant Photos by Miwa Noriaki except where noted.) I made my way to a nondescript hotel set amid the gray and black edifices of Tokyo’s government district I eventually found what I was looking for: the Historical Awareness Research Committee’s symposium on the history of the Sado Kinzan (Sado Gold Mines) two men were checking names off a guest list Only those cleared for attendance could go in What does need protecting is Sado’s history. The Sado mines are up for registration with the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site some in South Korea are claiming that Koreans were forced to work in the Sado mines The Historical Awareness Research Committee (HARC), under the direction of Reitaku University Professor Tsutomu Nishioka convened the March symposium to tell the true story of Sado and its mines but of equal opportunity and voluntary Korean immigration to Sado to take the high-paying jobs available there Six speakers took the podium during the nearly three-hour symposium including two who joined remotely from South Korea Professor Nishioka provided an overview of the labor and mobility frameworks in place during the period of annexation during which the Korean peninsula was a part of Japan and Koreans were Japanese citizens While some claim today to have been tricked or forced to work on Sado Island the primary documents tell an entirely different story Professor Nishioka cites Government-General of Korea statistics which show that 727,094 Koreans voluntarily applied at local police stations on the Korean peninsula for permission to travel to Japan to work but were denied Even during part of the mobilization period of the Pacific War some 22,800 Koreans were apprehended in Japan as having entered from Korea without permission and were sent back of which approximately one-fourth (604,492) were mobilized as part of the war effort The remaining three-fourths (1,773,740) voluntarily and individually went from Korea to Japan searching for work there was no reason to force anyone to work in Japan Hundreds of thousands of Koreans were trying to work in Japan of their own accord The historical record is unmistakable and undeniable Koreans volunteered to go to the Japanese home islands in droves The pay tended to be better in the home islands and the job opportunities much more plentiful.  where did the falsehood of forced labor come from was the origin of the myth that Koreans were abducted en masse from the Korean peninsula and dragooned to work in Japan but left-wing academics in Japan and Korea seized on Pak’s fictions to advance their political ends Unfortunately, the fictitious “forced labor” narrative persists. In the third talk at the symposium, Nadeshiko Action representative Yumiko Yamamoto traced the “forced labor” narrative through the United Nations International Labor Organization (ILO) records is that the Government of Japan accepted this false narrative for years and even apologized for something that never happened that the Japanese Government rebutted in an official report a South Korean labor organization’s insistence that Koreans had been forced to work in the Sado mines Yamamoto also referenced a curious overlap in timing right when some in South Korea started claiming to have been forced to work in Japan (which led to the “forced labor” narrative entering the records of the ILO) others in South Korea also began claiming to have been “forcibly abducted” to work as comfort women Historical Awareness Research Committee researcher Ryosuke Nagatani relied on a wealth of primary sources to reveal what life was like at the Sado mines before and during the Second World War Nagatani’s array of data showed that wages for those in the Japanese home islands (including Koreans) were much higher than those on the Korean Peninsula according to data compiled by the Japan Mining Cooperative (Nihon Kozan Kyokai) the average wage for mine workers was 66 yen the average wage for a male teacher in Korea was 15 yen and for a male bank employee in Korea was 30 yen Not only were wages high for mine workers in Japan but the Sado mines provided special amenities rare at other operations Korean men on Sado were encouraged to bring their wives and children to live at the mine complex with them.  Food and bedding charges were deducted from wages, but workers (both Japanese and Korean) still enjoyed high pay and pay seems to have been commensurate with the risks involved in mining Even though the working conditions in the Sado mining complex were good There were many other jobs available in Japan with even higher pay.  This point was reinforced by the fifth symposium speaker, Naksungdae Institute of Economic Research research fellow Lee Wooyoun. Dr. Lee worked deeply in primary sources to show that wages for Korean workers at mines in Japan were high and living conditions better than on the Korean peninsula 95 sen per month had 21.2% of his monthly wages deducted for food and 16.4% deducted for other goods and services for a total of 56.2% of monthly wages deducted The worker also sent a large portion of his earnings—34.5% Being able to send more than one-third of one’s wages home and still have money left over at the end of the month indicates very favorable conditions for Korean workers at mines in Japan Based on this and extensive other research Lee concluded that there is “no problem in registering the Sado mine complex with UNESCO as a World Heritage site.” The sixth and final presenter at the Sado Kinzan symposium was Hwang Uiwon, a South Korean journalist and researcher and the representative of MediaWatch Hwang pointed out that the South Korean media tends to ignore primary historical sources and instead seeks out interviews with those who will confirm the preferred anti-Japan narrative of the South Korean Left the mainstream media in Korea has not reported any evidence or testimony that supports the truth on the comfort women or forced conscription issues to the public Japan must establish communication channels to convey its views to Korea If Japan prioritizes goodwill over truth,” Hwang said “friendship efforts with Korea will inevitably fail the general public has no incentive to get involved in anti-Japan sentiments if we continue to persuade the Korean public with the conviction that they’ll one day embrace the truth the dishonest groups in Korea shall eventually collapse.” The March 2022 Sado Kinzan symposium in Tokyo, featuring researchers from both South Korea and Japan, did just as Hwang suggested. It is also symbolic of the work spearheaded by HARC president Professor Nishioka. In his most recent book, My Korean Experience Nishioka writes that only a shared devotion to historical truth will help Japan and South Korea overcome division and achieve mutual respect Read other essays and interviews by Dr. Jason Morgan at this link You must be logged in to post a comment Mayor of Sado City Ryugo Watanabe delivers a speech during a memorial ceremony for the Sado Island Gold Mine in Sado Guests offer a flower during a memorial ceremony for the Sado Island Gold Mine in Sado as several seats reserved for South Korean guests remained empty Sunday Guests offer a moment of silence during a memorial ceremony for the Sado Island Gold Mine in Sado Visitors stroll one of the industrial heritages Kitazawa Flotation Plant One of the industrial heritages Kitazawa Flotation Plant A visitor tries to pick up a gold bar at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado A staff walks through a tunnel at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado Stone statues are placed near the site of former Fourth Souai Dormitory for the mine workers from the Korean Peninsula A visitor walk through tunnels at Sado Kinzan Gold Mine historic site in Sado 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 “I wish we could have held the memorial with South Korean attendees.” 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 South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Saturday that Ikuina’s Yasukuni visit was an issue of contention between the countries’ diplomats 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 Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Asia & World Korean Peninsula South Korea’s absence at Sunday’s memorial to which Seoul government officials and Korean victims’ families were invited is a major setback in the rapidly improving ties between the two countries which since last year have set aside their historical disputes to prioritize U.S.-led security cooperation The Sado mines were listed in July as a UNESCO World Heritage site after Japan moved past years of disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the mines’ dark history promising to hold an annual memorial service for all victims including hundreds of Koreans who were mobilized to work in the mines South Korea announced it would not attend the event saying it was impossible to settle unspecified disagreements between the two governments in time an assistant press secretary in the Foreign Ministry said Japan has been in communication with Seoul and called the South Korean decision “disappointing.” The ceremony will be held as planned later Sunday at a facility near the mines South Korea had long opposed the listing of the site as World Heritage on the grounds that the Korean forced laborers, despite their key role in the wartime mine production, were missing from the exhibition. Seoul’s backing for Sado came as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol prioritized improving relations with Japan The Japanese government said Sunday’s ceremony was to pay tribute to “all workers” who died at the mines but would not spell out inclusion of Korean laborers--part of what critics call a persistent policy of whitewashing Japan’s history of sexual and labor exploitation before and during the war Preparation for the event by local organizers remained unclear until the last minute which was seen as a sign of Japan’s reluctance to face its wartime brutality South Korea will not attend Sado mines memorial event in Japan Japan refiles request to list divisive gold mine on UNESCO Japan to ‘cite’ role of Korean labor at historic Sado gold mine Japan digs in on stance regarding Korean workers at Heritage site South Korea protests Sado gold mine bid in talks over North World Heritage gold mines add exhibits on harsh work conditions 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 Please upgrade to a more modern version to fully experience JapanToday site and for security reasons Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture has many of the charms of the Japanese archipelago It is a place where you can enjoy rich nature and the traditional culture of Japan including picturesque beach inlands to cascading rice paddies as well as learn about the rich gold-mining history nihonshu (rice wine) and onsen (hot spring) culture One of the best ways to experience the island is by using the Discover Sado Pass includes a return trip ferry ticket and experience program coupons which costs ¥6,900 for adults and ¥3,480 for children you’ll win a 720 ml bottle of Manotsuru Sake ② Special Sake Tasting Experience (Adults ¥1,000） Compare six different kinds of sake and get a sake cup to take home with you ③ Special Sake Tasting Experience (Adults ¥500） Compare three different kinds of sake and get a sake cup to take home with you ① Taraibune (Tub Boat) Ride (Adults ¥1,000） Take a tub boat ride and get a pack of Sado Wakame as a gift ② Taraibune (Tub Boat) Ride (Children ¥1,000 yen; ¥400 for children aged 4-6) Take a tub boat ride and get a cookie souvenir gift MR Attraction Experience (No Advance Reservation): Adults ¥3,300; Children ¥2,850 *The daily number of participants is limited ① Slip back in time to the Edo period with the Sado Gold Mine Picture Scroll Experience (Adults ¥3,000/Children ¥2,000） Get an experience certificate and Niibo silver mine ore to take home ② Salt-Making and Rice ball Cooking Experience (Adults / Children ¥2,000） Put everything together in a traditional bamboo wrapped rice ball Get a special pack of Sado Salt to take home (200g) Source: Sado Island Tourism Exchange Organization Join the leading Asian tourist attraction to assist our diverse range of customers Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts A mix of what's trending on our other sites Today's print edition Home Delivery They are spoken by an 80-year-old woman we have met at a bus stop just after arriving at the port of Akadomari on Sado Island She has the signature stoop of many elderly rice farmers after decades of constantly bending over her torso leaning from her waist at a 90-degree angle even when she stands it’s clear her mind is still sharp.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); “My ancestors labored in the fields there for many generations,” she explains “We didn’t have cars back then and at the end of a hard day we never had any reason to walk the several kilometers to the sea.” 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. 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