Oita: Fluorescent Stones Create Alluring Scene

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:46 JST, October 19, 2024

HITA, Oita — Fluorescent stones scattered around the obsolete mine shaft emit colorful light to form the so-called underground museum of the Taio Kinzan gold mine, once said to be the largest producer of the precious metal in the East.

The tourist facility in Hita, Oita Prefecture, features about 30,000 such stones throughout a 40-meter section of the area accessible in the tunnel. The stones glow when illuminated by black light.

The temperature inside the tunnel, which has few areas exposed to the outside air, remains at around 14 C all year. The tunnel this year drew more visitors than in a typical year because of the brutal summer heat.

“There are so many colors that are sparkling — it’s like Christmas,” an 8-year-old from the city said.