- 著者
-
岡田 有功
- 出版者
- 経営史学会
- 雑誌
- 経営史学 (ISSN:03869113)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.37, no.1, pp.1-27, 2002-06-25 (Released:2009-11-06)
The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of Kosaka Silver Mine in the 1880s in terms of the relationship between the running of the mine and regional environment.In 1861, the operation of Kosaka Silver Mine started in earnest. Moreover, it was placed under the government management in 1869. Some changes in silver refining were effected by the introduction of various technologies and brought about improvement in mining. Since Ziervogel's process, which Curt A. Netto adopted in 1877, resulted in large charcoal consumption, trees were cut down for the use in the mine. As a result, only a few trees were left in the surroundings of the mine.Kosaka Mine operated on a loss. The change in refining technologies from Ziervogel's process to Augustine's process in 1881 lowered the costs and brought profits and success to the management. The conversion of the refining process was initiated by Ohshima Takatou. In 1884, the government disposed of Kosaka Silver Mine by selling it to Fujita Gumi & Co., under which business management policy changed and cut expenditures in the mine.Kosaka Silver Mine became the principal silver mine in Japan. Development of the mine returned profits to Kosaka's society by creating employment opportunities. In the 1880s, the development of the mine resulted in a population explosion in Kosaka village and improvements in the regional infrastructure, such as the building of an elementary school, post office, police substation, and many stores. The mine thus donated to the village and contributed to the community.The mine was able to produce a large volume of silver and changed the regional environment as the living spaces of the inhabitants into those that depended on the mine. The sustainable management in turn required the continuation of the regional environment.