UNESCO unlikely to register Iwami silver mine as World Heritage

That this silver mine got the shaft by the advisory board, I'd say.
I hope they try again next year, they might be able to dig up a few more votes by then.

 

Dont have any idea of the concept of the word culture.

 

If anyone is interested this site gives the mines arguments for why they should be World Heritage. Unfortunately it seems UNESCO does not agree.

http://www2.pref.shimane.jp/ginzan/e/wheritage/necessity.html

The comments above imply that mines are not "culture". However mines and industrial landscapes can be listed as World Heritage. For example, Blaenavon industrial landscape, Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape and Derwent Valley Mills, all in the UK. Even in China the Du Jiang Yan Irrigation System is considered World Heritage. If an irrigation system can be considered "culture" why not a mine? There are railways in India and rice terraces in the Philippines which are World Heritage Cultural Sites too.

The above UK sites were key sites and remnants of the Industrial Revolution. For the Chinese irrigation system, according to the World Heritage site it is OK because built in the 4th century BC "it is a major landmark in the development of water management and technology, and is still discharging its functions perfectly." and "The immense advances in science and technology achieved in ancient China are graphically illustrated by the Dujiangyan Irrigation System." and because there is a mountain and temples closeby that is considered where Taoism was founded. The Laenavon Industrial Landscape, "Criterion iii The Blaenavon landscape constitutes an exceptional illustration in material form of the social and economic structure of 19th century industry. Criterion iv The components of the Blaenavon industrial landscape together make up an outstanding and remarkably complete example of a 19th century industrial landscape." The Derwent Valley Mills, "Criterion ii The Derwent Valley saw the birth of the factory system, when new types of building were erected to house the new technology for spinning cotton developed by Richard Arkwright in the early 19th century. Criterion iv In the Derwent Valley for the first time there was large-scale industrial production in a hitherto rural landscape. The need to provide housing and other facilities for workers and managers resulted in the creation of the first modern industrial towns."

I think the silver mine must not have been able to convince the committee that it represented any impressive advance in science and technology (as the Chinese irrigation system did) or had a major enough impact changing the very nature of society (as the Valley Mills did). The castle ruins nearby probably aren't impressive and the mine is probably not in good enough shape to represent an "outstanding and remarkably complete example" of Japan at the time like the Industrial landscape in the UK.

However, it was not foolish for the mine owners to try to get it listed as World Heritage just because it is a mine. It was probably foolish because the mine isn't in good shape/not important enough though.

 

If I remember correctly, the Iwami Silver Mines had at one point provided up to one-third of all the silver mined in the world at its peak. The area was known to Portuguese sailors before Japan was known to the West, specifically because of the the sheer volume of silver it produced. That seems like a rather important point to consider for the judging committee, especially when one imagines all the wars of colonialism that silver may have financed. Of course, this could all just be hearsay...