Changes in Mining Production and the Related Factors in the Nishi-Waga Region, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

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  • 岩手県西和賀の中小鉱山における生産形態の変化とその要因
  • イワテケン ニシワガ ノ チュウショウ

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Abstract

From the late Meiji to early Showa Era (1901-1935), Japanese mining industry changed remarkably in the form of production and marketing. In this paper the author tried to examine these changes of mining industry in a case of the small and medium size mines in the Nishi-Waga Region, Iwate Prefecture (Fig. 1), and to analyze the related socioeconomic factors of the region. The Nishi-Waga Region is surrounded by mountain area and there is a large obstacle in traffic conditions.<br>Before World War I, mines in this region had usually their own refineries had been shipped the refined minerals to markets by men and horses. Through the period of the recession after World War I, the mining production and marketing systems in this region had drastically changed, many mines abandoned their refineries and converted into the source of raw mineral supply. These changes are considerd to have resulted from the improvement of traffic systems they are the opening of the Waga-Keibin (from Krosawajiri to Sennin, at 1910) and the Okoku Railways (from Kurosawajiri to Yokote, at 1924) and the technological development of mining by means of the mechanization such as the introduction of the Flotation and so on.<br>That is to say, most mines became possible to produce a large amount of raw minerals by technological development and possible to transport them at a low cost by using the improved systems made the total cost of producing and transporting of raw minerals to be lower than that of refinary minerals.<br>Through these changes the mines in this region became to be affiliated with the major refining companies outside the region and serve as the source areas supplying raw minerals.

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