Gin no Bashamichi—the Old Silver Mine Carriage Road—was an unprecedented ambition undertaken by a young Japan.
Gin no Bashamichi was Japan’s first high-speed industrial road ordered by the new Meiji government as a means to establish new logistical means under the government’s “industry first” policy. The road was designed to bring Japan up to speed with the times and to embody a national stance of advancement.
The envisioned road would stretch some 49 kilometers between Ikuno and Shikama-tsu Port, offering a faster, safer means of travel. Thanks to an ideal balance of economics, sociality, and convenience, as well as an excellent construction plan, Gin no Bashamichi has come to be a legacy of historical interest and appeal as well as a cornerstone of progress long after its completion and the successful accomplishment of its original goal. Today, the road continues to impress with the luster of historical figures that travelled along its length as a historical medium that transcends time.
The story behind Gin no Bashamichi continues to offer a glimpse into both the past and the future and bristles with the life of the central Harima area.
The Origin of Gin no Bashamichi
Why was this area chosen as the site for Gin no Bashamichi, Japan’s first distribution reformation project? Learn the history that led to this inevitable choice.
Prominent Figures
Meet the influential figures involved in the construction of Gin no Bashamichi—a route that not only saw the transportation of people and goods but also culture and civilization—and from the area, a region with strategic value since ancient times.
Associated Heritage Sites
From brick walls and Western-style buildings to iron bridges and modern mining systems, the area offers numerous heritage sites teeming with the vitality of history waiting to be discovered.
Gin no Bashamichi Products
Using Gin no Bashamichi as a design theme, these products—the results of various initiatives—convey the splendor of the area’s heritage and are designed to foster local vitality and prosperity.
Hyogo Heritage Root
From Kinosaki on the Japan Sea to Shikama-tsu Port and Ieshima Island in the Seto Inland Sea, the Hyogo Heritage Route offers a dazzling trip through the Romantic history of people and history weaved together by time.
Japanese Heritage
Gin no Bashamichi is a road that transcends time beginning in the Middle Ages and traverses the modern era into the present. An important factor in Japanese heritage, the Old Silver Mine Carriage Road is peppered with the dazzling footsteps of those that came before, lending inspiration and power for the path into the future.
