The Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center is absolutely the perfect place to start.
The interactive exhibits are smooth and modern, and they vividly bring the mining process and the area’s prosperous past to life right in front of you.

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Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center
A guidance facility worth visiting before touring the World Heritage site of Iwami Ginzan.
Iwami Ginzan was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 2007. This guidance facility offers a chance to learn about its history, life at the mine, and research findings. Stop by before visiting Iwami Ginzan to gain a deeper understanding of why it was selected as a World Heritage site.
The paid exhibition hall introduces the silver mine through a wide range of displays, including a recreated mining tunnel where silver was extracted, a corner featuring VR videos and a dome theater, and a 30 kg silver ingot that visitors can actually touch and lift. It also has a rich collection of artifacts unearthed through excavation surveys. The entrance and information corner, which features a three-dimensional model of the area registered as a World Heritage site and where staff explain how to tour the silver mine, can be used free of charge. Hands-on programs, such as making keychains and straps inspired by silver coins and chogin silver ingots that circulated from the late Muromachi period to the Meiji Restoration, are also held every Wednesday and Thursday and are very popular.
Because this area often gets snow, the center may be closed on days with heavy snowfall. It is recommended to check in advance before visiting in winter.
Highlights
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A guidance facility where you can learn about the value of the World Heritage site, Iwami Ginzan.
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Exhibits using videos and dioramas introduce Iwami Ginzan.
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Recommended for learning about the site before your visit to Iwami Ginzan.
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Hands-on activities such as keychain making are held every Wednesday and Thursday.
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The center may be closed on days with heavy snowfall.
Photos
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There is also a corner where you can learn about the Iwami Ginzan ruins through VR videos
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A recreation of what the silver mine looked like during its prosperous days
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Start here to discover the charm of Iwami Ginzan
Official FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions have been vetted and answered directly by each listing.
Q
Is there free Wi-Fi available in the area?
Free internet access via Wi-Fi is available inside the facility.
Q
Are there coin lockers?
There are 20 coin-return lockers (350 mm wide × 305 mm high × 412 mm deep).
Q
Is re-entry allowed?
Re-entry is allowed as many times as you like on the same day.
Please show your ticket at the entrance when re-entering.
Q
Is there a smoking area?
Yes, there is one outside the facility.
Q
Are there any sightseeing spots nearby?
Yes, there is Mt. Sanbe, which is designated as part of Daisen-Oki National Park.
Reviews
Some reviews are AI-translated.
Details
- Name in Japanese
- 石見銀山世界遺産センター
- Postal Code
- 694-0305
- Address
- 1597-3 I, Omori-cho, Oda, Shimane
- Phone
- 0854-89-0183
- Closed on
- The last Tuesday of every month, New Year holidays
- Hours
- 8:30am–5:30pm Extended by 30 minutes from March to November / Exhibition room 9:00am–5:00pm (Reception closes at 4:30pm) Extended by 30 minutes from March to November
- Admission
- Paid exhibition room: Adults 400 yen, elementary and junior high school students 200 yen, international visitors 300 yen (elementary and junior high school students 150 yen)
- Access
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1) Approx. 30 minutes by Iwami Bus from JR Sanin Main Line Oda-shi Station, get off at World Heritage Center bus stop, then walk a short distance
2) Approx. 8 minutes by car from Sanin Expressway Nima-Iwami Ginzan IC - Credit Cards
- Accepted
- Official website
- Official website (Japanese)




