In recent years, "industrial heritage sites" such as Gunkanjima in Nagasaki have been attracting attention nationwide, but Hokkaido also has "coal mining heritage sites" that tell the story of the past to the present. When a visit to a certain coal mining heritage site was posted on social media, it became an instant hit! What kind of place is it?

The post shows the inside of a shaft tower that was dug to excavate the coal mine. The tracks and cages remain as they were at the time, and the stunning sight is reminiscent of the mine's former prosperity, with many people posting comments on social media such as "I didn't know this," "I want to see this place," and "I really want to go."

Akabira City Coal Mine Heritage: A tour of the interior, which remains as it was at the time

An actual "Guided tour of coal mining heritage"

The remains of this coal mine are located at Akabira City Coal Mine Heritage Site, about a 90-minute drive from Sapporo. Guided tours by former miners are available here, and the public is also welcome to enter.

If you like industrial and coal mining heritage, this is a place you should visit.

The tour fee is 800 yen for adults (junior high school students and above) and 300 yen for elementary school students who are not from Akabira City. For this price, you can see the inside of the coal mine shaft, which was once hailed as the "best in the Orient," so what a bargain!

Solo Travel Research Group talks about the appeal of Akabira Coal Mine

The person who posted on social media was Yuto Kurihara, also known as the "Solo Travel Research Group," who travels around Japan and introduces areas that exude a sense of travel and nostalgia. We asked him to tell us about his actual visit.

The world that unfolds there seems as if time has stopped.

Take a romantic journey through industrial heritage sites!

There used to be four coal mines in Akabira City, and the last one that can be visited is the remains of the Sumitomo Akabira Coal Mine, which was the last in operation. It closed in 1994.

Kurihara has written a detailed account of his visit to the Akabira Coal Mine on his website. This spot has been gaining attention on social media, so why not go and see it for yourself?

Interview cooperation and photo provided by: Solo Travel Research Group, Yuto Kurihara