🗺️ Tamagawa City Coal History Museum田川市石炭･歴史博物館

The "Ida Shaft" of the Mitsui Tagawa Mining Company was once the largest mine in the Chikuho region of Fukuoka Prefecture, and the museum is built on the site of this former mine. Since its opening, it has become a rare museum focused on coal, with a collection of approximately 15,000 items related to coal. The exhibition hall features a model that recreates the conditions of the Ida Shaft in Showa 36 (1961), along with actual mining tools used at the time, three-dimensional models of hand-mining techniques, and models of river boats used for transporting coal. One of the highlights is the "Yamamoto Sakubei Collection," which is the first to be registered as a UNESCO "Memory of the World" heritage. Out of a total of 697 items, 627 are part of the collection, displayed in the second exhibition room along with materials related to Yamamoto Sakubei. Additionally, there are large machinery and restored coal mine houses that were used in the mines displayed outdoors. (Note: Yamamoto Sakubei was a miner and coal mine documentary painter from Fukuoka Prefecture.) In addition to coal-related materials, the museum also showcases Japan's oldest horse-shaped haniwa, armor-shaped haniwa, and various weapons, armor, and horse gear excavated from the Catapult No. 1 burial mound. In the nearby Coal Memorial Park, visitors can see the two chimneys and the shaft tower, which symbolize the city of Tagawa, known as the "Coal Mining Capital."

Visit works registered in UNESCO's "Memory of the World" program. Gain an understanding of the history of coal mines. Through the displayed content, one can feel the living conditions of people at that time.