CHICHIBU, Saitama -- With a reputation as a refuge for the gods, Mt. Buko in Saitama Prefecture has attracted people of faith since ancient times over its Once renowned for its unique geographical features and wide range of animal and plant species, today the mountain is more widely recognized as the site of one of the nation's biggest limestone mines.
The Mt. Bukoh Museum in Chichibu collects natural materials from the mountain that are under threat from mining, in an effort to pass down the complete story of Mt. Buko to future generations.
At the center of the exhibition room is a huge diorama of the mountain, at a scale of 1:3,000, showing the extent of the mining through a faithful reproduction of the mountain's northern face, where limestone has been excavated in tiers.
Visitors can compare limestone pieces in different colors and sizes, and enjoy photographs showing the mineral's various uses. These include helping remove animal hair and other substances from animal skin as part of the leather production process, and reducing the amount of oil in chocolate.
Mt. Buko used to be a place of worship frequented by pilgrims visiting the Chichibu area's temples. However, World War I and the Great Kanto Earthquake triggered higher demand for cement, and full-fledged limestone mining on the mountain began in the Taisho era (1912-26).
Mining reached an even larger scale in the high growth period that began in the 1950s. Photographs reveal that the elevation of the mountain has decreased over the last 100 years from 1,336 meters to 1,304 meters. At the same time, precious mountain views and plants have gradually disappeared.
The turning point came in 1972, when Prince Naruhito, now the crown prince, visited Chichibu on an elementary school field trip and wrote an essay describing his sadness upon seeing Mt. Buko's exposed white limestone layer.
The museum's chronological history of the mountain shows that the essay, which ran in newspapers, triggered a massive response from the public and built momentum for greening the surfaces of the mountain where mining had been completed.
Also introduced are the efforts of local governments and mining operators to grow endangered plants in an area of Mt. Buko designated as a national treasure by the central government. They have been exploring effective ways to preserve the endangered plant species, many of which are often eaten by deer, boar and other animals.
"I'm surprised to find that the shape of the mountain has changed so much," said visitor Noriko Tobita, 68, from Namegawa, Saitama Prefecture. "However, it's also surprisingly rich in nature."
Mt. Bukoh Museum
Opened in November 1979 by the Chichibu municipal government in Hitsujiyama Koen park, where moss pink flowers attract tourists in spring.
Address: 6176 Omiya, Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture
Open hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays and the New Year holidays
Admission: 200 yen for high school students and older, 100 yen for junior high school students and younger.
Tel: (0494) 24-7555 (in Japanese)
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