Obata-yama Tatara Ironworks Site

Overview

The Obata-yama Tatara Ironworks Site, located in Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, is the remains of an Edo-era ironworks. Registered as a National Historic Site and a World Heritage property, it stands as a valuable testament to Japan's modernization industrial heritage. Operating intermittently from the mid-Edo period to the end of the Edo period, this ironworks was situated upstream of the Yama-no-kuchi River, a tributary of the Oi River. It employed the traditional Japanese "tatara-fuki" method, using sand iron and burning charcoal to produce iron. Numerous remains of the period's furnaces and workshops survive, allowing visitors to vividly imagine the scene of that time. Particularly noteworthy is that the iron produced during the final operation in the late Edo period was used in the construction of the "Heishin Maru," the first Western-style warship of the Choshu clan (Hagi domain), at the Ebisu-ga-hana Shipyard site. This is a fascinating example of how uniquely Japanese iron-making technology contributed to Western-style shipbuilding and modernization. Furthermore, remnants of the "Iron Road," the path used to transport sand iron, remain in the surrounding area, providing valuable insight into the ironworks' operations. The Obata-yama Tatara Ironworks Site offers a valuable opportunity to learn about the history of iron production in Japan. Nestled in a lush mountain setting, it's a recommended tourist destination where you can enjoy both history and nature.