![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/xxwkQT-COPPER-MINEphoto01.JPG\")
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\n\t\t\t\tCheck out a replica of the The Great Buddha of Nara at the Naganobori Copper Mine in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. (Seth Robson\/Stars and Stripes)
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A day may come when robots take all the jobs and popular holidays are extracting copper ore with a pickax just to experience backbreaking manual labor.<\/p>\n
That day is not here yet, but you can get ahead of the game in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan, with a visit to the Naganobori Copper Mine.<\/p>\n
The mine, which operated from the early eighth century until 1962, is a tourist attraction these days. The remnants of the mine were rediscovered in 1972, and its smelting site was excavated. The area was designated a national historic site in 2003.<\/p>\n
Visitors can\u2019t do actual mining, but they can check out and even operate some of the old-school equipment and learn about the history of the facility.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tIllustrated tiles show daily life for ancient workers at the Naganobori Copper Mine in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. (Seth Robson\/Stars and Stripes)
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The Museum of the Great Buddha greets visitors arriving at the mine, which is surrounded by forested hills and valleys.<\/p>\n
Japan\u2019s oldest state-operated copper mine produced copper that was used to make a giant Buddha statue in Nara in the eighth century.<\/p>\n
The Great Buddha of Nara – known as the Daibutsu – is a colossal bronze statue at Todai-ji Temple in the ancient Japanese capital. It\u2019s the largest bronze Buddhist statue in the world, standing 49 feet tall and weighing an estimated 250 tons.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The statue was constructed over nine years by building casts, then pouring 500 tons of molten bronze into them. The museum includes a small replica of the Buddha and explanations of how it was made.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tCopper was used by ancient Japanese artists to make green paint. (Seth Robson\/Stars and Stripes)
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\n\t\t\t\tStatues of ancient Japanese workers greet visitors to the Naganobori Copper Mine in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. (Seth Robson\/Stars and Stripes)
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The museum includes sculptures of ancient miners, ore samples, and a pile of green powder made with copper that was used to make paint highly valued by ancient Japanese artists.<\/p>\n
From the museum you can take a short hike up hill to see what\u2019s left of the mine. On the day Stars and Stripes visited a guide handed out bear bells to ward off any furry friends that might be lurking in the trees.<\/p>\n
After a short climb, you\u2019ll find yourself at the mine, where remnants of copper extraction including the ruins of old buildings, tailings and a display of tiles showing what daily life was like for the people who worked there.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tA guide shows visiting journalists how to operate bellows using bodyweight at the Naganobori Copper Mine in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. (Seth Robson\/Stars and Stripes)
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Once you\u2019ve explored the area you can head back down the hill to a small workshop. If you have energy left, hop onto an old set of bellows used to pump air into a furnace. The bellows are operated by two or more people using their body weight like a seesaw.<\/p>\n
For 500 yen, or $3.08, try your hand making small tin medallions. Kids might enjoy decorating them with Japanese cartoon characters.<\/p>\n
\t\t![\"Craft](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/xxwkQT-COPPER-MINEphoto03.JPG\")
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\n\t\t\t\tTry your hand making tin medallions decorated with Japanese cartoon characters at the Naganobori Copper Mine in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan. (Seth Robson\/Stars and Stripes)
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On the QT<\/p>\n
Directions: Naganobori Copper Mine – Museum of the Great Buddha<\/p>\n
610 Mit\u014dch\u014d Naganobori, Mine, Yamaguchi 754-0213, Japan<\/p>\n
Times: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.<\/p>\n
Costs: Adult admission, 300 yen; children aged 7 to 15 admitted for 150 yen.<\/p>\n
Food: No food or drink are sold at the mine, so bring something to drink at a minimum.<\/p>\n