住友金属鉱山会社案内_英

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Sumitomo Metal MiningCorporate Profile5Kanki-ko (Pit of Exultation), the first pit mouth of the Besshi Copper MineA woodblock print depicting the nanban-buki technique from Kodo Zuroku(Illustrated Book on the Smelting of Copper) [Sumitomo Historical Archives]A Story in Visual MediaHistory of SMM1590Development of the nanban-buki technique and laying the foundation for Sumitomo’s business operationsIn 1590, Soga Riemon established a copper smelting and coppersmithing business in Kyoto under the trade name Izumiya. Shortly thereafter, he developed nanban-buki, a smelting technique for separating silver from unrefined copper. As copper smelting techniques in Japan were rudimentary in those days, copper containing silver impurities was exported, resulting in a loss of wealth. Establishment of the nanban-buki technique made it possible to recover this silver, and Izumiya prospered. The business grew and developed, laying the foundation for Sumitomo’s business operations. Soga Riemon, who established this revolutionary technology, chose to widely disclose his discovery to others in the copper trade rather than monopolize it. This accelerated development of the copper industry.1691Opening of the Besshi Copper Mine triggers discovery of new value, mineral resourcesIn 1690, 100 years after development of the nanban-buki technique, large outcrops of copper ore were discovered in Iyonokuni (in present-day Ehime Prefecture). Seizing the opportunity presented by this discovery, in 1691 the Sumitomo family opened the Besshi Copper Mine. This marked a shift in emphasis from copper smelting, Sumitomo’s principal business up to that time, to a new business of unlocking the value of copper ore. Along the way, Sumitomo would face crises including a decrease in output and the threat of requisition by the Meiji government but managed to avert these threats through various initiatives. Furthermore, Sumitomo undertook modernization of mining and transportation. The mine operated continuously for 283 years until 1973, providing a foundation that underpinned Sumitomo’s development. Mining technologies cultivated at the Besshi Copper Mine continue to be passed down through the generations and are used in today’s global mineral resources business.