Former Hokutan Akama Coal Mine Washery
The washery of the former Hokutan (Hokkaido Colliery & Steamship Co., Ltd.) Akama Coal Mine was built in 1941 behind the present Akabira Station, where the entrance to the Mountain of Coal Mine Debris stairway is located. The three loaders (with two conveyor-belt ramps) and the raw-coal storage area to the left of the mountaineering trail and the washery to its right serve as a reminder of the techniques used in those days. Postwar modern mines such as those in Akabira and Ashibetsu had integrated coal washers and loaders, but at the Hokutan Akama Coal Mine Washery, the washer and loaders were separate and connected by conveyor-belt ramps. The washery’s period of service came to an end when the mine was closed in 1965.
Address
Akabira 693-1, Akabira City 079-1143
Inquiries
Social Education Section of the Akabira City Board of Education’s Social Education Division
Tel.: 0125-34-2311
Fax: 0125-32-0810
Facility tours
Tours are not conducted because the washery itself has now been dismantled.
Access by public transport
Chuo Bus Akabira Eki-mae bus stop → Bunka Kaikan (culture hall) bus stop → 5-minute walk
Access by road
Takikawa IC on the Hokkaido Expressway → (National Route 38) → Road along National Route 38 (approx. 20 min., 11 km)
