Omori Ginzan is the town that silver built, and it is one of the most appealing historic places in western Japan. It stretches for about two kilometres along a narrow valley, a single winding street lined with merchant houses, samurai residences, temples and shrines, and a stream that tumbles beside it. At the height of the mining boom, thousands of people lived in this valley, but now it is a quiet place of a few hundred residents, and the contrast with its busy past is part of the charm.
The history is large. A merchant from Hakata is said to have started the mining in the 1520s, and a new refining method, brought from Korea, made production soar. By the early seventeenth century, Iwami silver was a major part of the world's supply, and the Tokugawa shogunate took direct control of the mine in 1600, sending a magistrate to run it. When the silver ran low, the mine declined, and it finally closed in 1923. The forest returned and covered the old workings, so that the valley looks like a normal mountain landscape, which is one reason why UNESCO praised it as an example of low-impact mining.
The town is a pleasure to walk. Old houses with white plaster walls and dark roof tiles now hold small shops, cafes and guesthouses, and a few young families have moved in to run them, giving the street a gentle life. Local bread, pottery and cloth are good buys. The street is closed to most vehicles in the day, so park at the visitor lot at the edge and walk, or rent a bicycle.
Getting here by motorbike means a narrow, wooded road up from Oda, with a few tight bends and light traffic, so take it steadily. Fuel is available in Oda, about eleven kilometres away, and there is none in the valley. The weather can be wet in any season, with fog in the early morning, so carry waterproofs. The best light is early, before the coaches arrive, when the street is quiet and the stream is audible.