2017/12/22NEW
Detailed Chronological Table of Hashima
Major events related to Hashima from the first year of Meiji era until the end of the war in 1945 were cited from “Coal Mine Magazine - Chronological Table of Coal History, Nagasaki Prefecture by Masao Maekawa” and summarized in this chronological table.
Chronological Table of Hashima
| 1868 (Hashima) | Hidenoshin Koyama opened mine; shallow portion of Johasshaku stratum; Koyama owned mine until 1882 (Goaf investigation, 1959-1960, conducted and owned by the Coal Department of the Fukuoka Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry) |
|---|---|
| 1870 (Hashima) | Mine opened at Hashima, Takahama village; by descendants of samurai families of Fukabori village, Bunro Watanabe and Baigo Fukabori (1874, = 9,000 tsubo or approx. 30,000m for 2,000yen) (Request to Open Mine by Land Lease, 1874, written by the Industry Section of Nagasaki Prefecture, owned by the Nagasaki Library of Nagasaki Prefecture) |
| January 1873 (Hashima) | Coal output: Jan - June 983 tons; July - December 2,168 tons; total of 3,151 tons; average 263 tons / month (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| August 1874 (Hashima) | Two coal mines in Hashima, Takahama village opened, no coal output this year (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| August 1874 (Hashima) | Mining area obtained in Hashima by Magorokuro Nabeshima of Fukabori village (Former Lord of Fukabori); mine will be transferred to Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi, in August 1890 (Mine tax payment ledger, 1874- , Nagasaki Prefecture, owned by the Nagasaki Library of Nagasaki Prefecture) |
| September 1875 (Hashima) | Hiide Koyama of Amakusa, Kumamoto Prefecture, signed mining contract with Bunro Watanabe, Lord of Hashima Nagasaki coal mine, and Baigo Fukabori (proxy Matsuichiro Koga), at aforementioned coal mine between September 1st, 1875 to October 2nd, 1877. (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| 1875 (Hashima, Oshima, Koyagishima) | Tsuna Takeuchi began mining in Hashima, Oshima, and Koyagishima “I have obtained the mining rights of Hashima, Oshima, and Koyagishima near Takashima from the Fukabori family (Fukabori is the Chief Retainer of the Saga Domain), and began opening the mines at the end of 1875. By the fiscal term in June 1877, the three islands alone achieved a monthly coal production of 21,000 tons.) (Tsuna Takeuchi biography, 1968, included in the Miscellaneous Facts Section, volume 25 of the Meiji Culture Collection, Nippon Hyoron Sha) |
| June 1876 (Hashima) | Due to the collapse of the Hashima coal mine, Hiide Koyama, the contractor at the coal mine, mortgaged his private land and family estate in Amakusa, to borrow 15,000 yen from the Fukabori Company, to use for various expenses. (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| July 1876 (Hashima) | Hiide Koyama, the contractor at Hashima coal mine, planned to sign an agreement with the English merchant Thomas Blake Glover to reconstruct the coal mine, but failed to reach an agreement. (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| January 22nd, 1877 (Hashima) | By request of Hiide Koyama of Nagasaki, the Nagasaki Kosaku Bunkyoku (Nagasaki Engineering Work Branch Office), lent him a bulk cargo ship, which Koyama used as a tugboat to transport coal between Nagasaki and Hashima daily (until March 3rd). (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| December 1882 (Hashima) | The coal mine changed hands from Hiide Koyama to Magorokurou Nabeshima; then in 1890, to Mitsubishi (Goaf investigation, 1959-1960, conducted and owned by the Coal Department of the Fukuoka Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry) |
| December 22nd, 1886 (Hashima) | Koreyoshi Takatori was commissioned by Magorokuro Nabeshima (former Lord of Fukabori) to restore Hashima coal mine (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| August 12th, 1887 (Hashima) | Mitsubishi Hashima coal mine flooded by seawater intrusion; 32 deaths, many injured (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| December 1887 (Hashima) | Construction of Shaft #1 began for purpose of mining in the Johasshaku stratum (Japan Coal Mining Magazine, September 1908, written by Kitaro Konoue, Maruzen Co. Ltd.) (Catalog of Important Coal Mines in Japan (1918) 1918, edited by Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Kozan Shimposha) |
| December 1887 (Hashima) | Mitsubishi Takashima opened Shaft #1 in Hashima (depth 27m, length 3.3m, width 3m); will open Shaft #2 in 1895. (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| Mid November 1889 (Hashima) | Miners demanded pay raise, company rejected demand and threatened miners; miners gathered in outhouse and staged a work slow-down (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| August 1890 (Hashima) | Mitsubishi purchased Hashima coal mine from Magorokuro Nabeshima (former Lord of Fukabori) for 100,000 yen. At the same time, they acquired 251,000 tsubo (approx. 830,000m²) of mine lot at the bottom of the sea. “By this, the infinite treasure house resting at the bottom of the ocean in the vast area connecting Takashima, Nakanoshima, Futagoshima, and Hashima, will now be opened by the hands of Mitsubishi” (Yanosuke Iwasaki biography, 1971, edited by the publication committee of the biography) Upon making improvements, tunnel excavation work is scheduled to begin in February 1891 (Japan Coal Mining Magazine, September 1908, written by Kitaro Konoue , Maruzen Co. Ltd.) |
| September 1st, 1890 (Hashima) | Ownership transferred to Mitsubishi; removal of pooled water; tunnel excavation work began February 1891 (Catalog of Important Coal Mines in Japan (1918) 1918, edited by Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Kozan Shimposha) |
| September 1890 (Hashima) | Opening of mine (coking coal) (Catalog of Coal Mines in Japan (End March 1958) September 1958, Ministry of International Trade and Industry) |
| Februrary 1891 (Hashima) | Mitsubishi began tunnel excavation for Takashima coal mine and Hashima coal mine (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| September 12th - 14th, 1892 (Hashima) | 300 miners went on strike for dispute over mining (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| November 3rd, 1893 (Hashima) | Mitsubishi celebrated opening of Hashima Elementary School (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| December 1893 (Hashima) | New shaft opened (530 shaku, or 159m), Shaft #3 opened the following year, reached 1600 shaku (480m) below ocean floor (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, Nishinihon compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Cultural Association) Shaft #2 opens, reaches coal in Gomagoshaku stratum at 530 shaku (159m) depth (Catalog of Important Coal Mines in Japan (1918) 1918, edited by Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Kozan Shimposha) |
| Februray 23rd - 24th, 1894 (Hashima) | 200 miners went on strike demanding improvement of meals; they ignored persuasion by company staff and police officers and destroyed their bunkhouses (Naya), etc. On February 24th in the afternoon, appproximately 20 police officers were dispatched, 39 miners were arrested and suppressed (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| December 1894 (Hashima) | Shaft #3 opened; reached 4th Goshaku (1.51m wide) stratum and the Ichijo stratum (3.03m wide), the bottom stratum (Catalog of Important Coal Mines in Japan (1918) 1918, edited by Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Kozan Shimposha) |
| December 17th, 1896 (Hashima) | Excavation for Shaft #2 began (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| Februrary 1897 (Hashima) | Fire broke out in Shaft #1; water was injected, shaft closed (Johasshaku stratum); only Shaft #2 and Shaft #3 remained. (Collection and Distribution of Coal in Nagasaki, 1918, Nagasaki Board of Trade) (Catalog of Important Coal Mines in Japan (1918) 1918, edited by Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Kozan Shimposha) |
| April 13th - 24th, 1897 (Hashima) | Approximately 3,000 miners went on strike, two Naya (bunkhouse) leaders killed, calmed by police officers’ persuasion (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, 1973, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| November 26th, 1897 (Hashima) | A loan of 5,493yen, lent to Naya (bunkhouse) leaders and others, deemed uncollectable and canceled (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| September 18th, 1900 (Hashima) | Request to supply light fixtures to structures in and out of the pit approved (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| March 3rd, 1903 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident killed 1; A roof-fall (cave-in) accident occurred after drilling was finished at Shaft #3, 14th Down Slope, Third Gate, #24 Civilian Shuzo Kushida (25) of 248 Sorazayacho, Hiroshima-city (Toyo Hinode Shimbun 1902-1934, Toyo Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| October 28th, 1904 (Hashima) | Gas explosion, 9 people injured Miner born in Kagoshima, Nobumasa Iwayama (28), whole body seriously injured, life in danger; miner born in Ehime Prefecture, Ichigoro Yoshimatsu (20); miner Section Chief born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Yonetaro Fujiwara (40); miner Section Chief born in Shimane Prefecture, Kikutaro Kashiwai (37); miner from Minasemura 232, Gentaro Toyooka; four others burned skin in several areas of body (Toyo Hinode Shimbun 1902-1934, Toyo Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| August 11th, 1905 (Hashima) | Miners evacuated due to Typhoon, discontent spread among the miners; 233 miners laid off immediately 30 Naya bunkhouses were completely destroyed and 9 bunkhouses partially destroyed due to strong wind and rainstorm; total cost of damage was 200,000 yen; 850 residents of Naya (1,200 including family) evacuated to hospital and elementary school “Because miners who normally lived with three to five others in their quarters all gathered in one place, conversation turned to the issue of miners against the mining company, where some spoke of the inhumane treatment (omitted), bad food, discontent with salary, and arrogance of office workers (omitted), whereupon their pent-up frustration came out all at once. They brought up selfish complaints (omitted) and began to make a racket, murmuring extreme words like strike; for a while they became unsettled and frenzied (omitted), thus, the principal office workers held a meeting and decided to take decisive measures; anticipating that the miners will make demands for conditions, they gave strict orders to lay off the miners effective today (11th), and chased them out of Hashima. Simultaneously, the island was placed under heavy policing. 233 miners, losing their momentum, departed for Nagasaki without resisting. Police officers conducted physical exams at Nagasaki landing. After being persuaded, miners left, turning to employment agencies or acquaintances in Nagasaki.” (Toyo Hinode Shimbun 1902-1934, Toyo Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| July 4th, 1906 (Hashima) | Coal wagon accident left one in critical condition Miner Shonosuke Nagao (30), born in Kagoshima Prefecture = lived at Masahichi Sakata’s residence in the Hashima coal mine company housing; around 3pm, while hoisting coal from a trolley, his head was pressed to the roof frame; he fell on to the trolley below and bruised his hip; in critical condition, suspended from work for 6 weeks (Toyo Hinode Shimbun 1902-1934, Toyo Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| July 16th, 1906 (Hashima) | Four miners escaped Tatsuo Shirotani (17) of Nankokita Arimamura Aza Tanigawa; Motokichi Muraki (19) of Ehime Prefecture Onsengun Shinhamamura 411; Yorimitsu Higashida (20) of Ehime Prefecture Kitagun Uchikomura 1164; Taruichi Wakasa (19) of Hiroshimashi Tenmacho 321 – No longer able to tolerate working in the recent hot weather, after 10PM, the four conspired to escape; they held on to a 3.6m x 0.5m gangplank and swam away from the Gasu no Hana beach. Taruichi gave up halfway, turned around and reported to the mining company. A search party traced them on a company boat, but were unsuccessful due to darkness of night; no evidence of the workers reaching land was found, raising the possibility of death by drowning (Toyo Hinode Shimbun 1902-1934, Toyo Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| January 24th, 1907 (Hashima) | Accident, one miner in critical condition; Tokushige Tomonari (50), born in Oita Prefecture = lived at the residence of Tosuke Obiya; at 1AM, at the boiler at Shaft #3 Gate 7, Tomonari was hit by a rail dropped by the carpenter section chief; injures right and left side of neck and right hip; ordered 50-day work suspension (Toyo Hinode Shimbun 1902-1934, Toyo Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| Februray 13th, 1907 (Hashima) | The pump and the hoist in mine shaft converted to electrical equipment at construction cost of 150,000 yen (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| 1907 (Hashima) | Labor condition at Mitsubishi Hashima (Around March - August) ①Recruiters earned 3 yen for each miner applicant; they advertised the coal mine as if it was paradise, deceiving people ②Every miner missed his hometown and regretted being cajoled and betrayed by recruiters ③Company employed prostitutes and opened brothels here and there; they also encouraged gambling ④Miners sadly fell for this trap – they fell victim to their debts, got tied up to their jobs, and were forced to surrender their freedom (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, November 30th, 1973, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| July 24th, 1908 (Hashima) | Newcomer miners exploded with pent-up resentment, scores attacked the mine office and police box; resulted in 1 death, 2 serious injuries, and 20 minor injuries. 60+ miners arrested (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| July 24th, 1908 (Hashima) | Riot - 29 police officers and 7 military policemen were dispatched; company supressed riot without help; 55 arrested, 37 laid off (Newspaper Articles> A miner who was kicked out of his boarding house due to bad behavior was asking his supervisor to find another living arrangement for him, when an office worker yelled at him; the miner assaulted the office worker, and was taken to the police box. Friends of the miner gathered at the police box and started a scuffle with the police officer; 50 to 60 miners attacked the police box, breaking appliances and throwing mine timber. Three police officers escaped to the back room, without resisting. The miners proceeded to mob a neighboring variety store, killing one storekeeper, ransacking alcohol, canned food, cigarettes, etc. Eventually miners began to leave one by one, and the riot gradually ended. The miners explained that they were “trying to get their detained friends back and express their frustration towards the officers who treat them as annoyances, and vent their anger towards them”. The infighting caused 24 serious injuries. The Umegasaki and Nagasaki Police Stations called an emergency summons; Umegasaki Police Station (Police Superintendent, 1 Inspector, 13 Police Officers, 3 Detectives), with the support of Nagasaki Police Station (1 Inspector and 10 Police Officers) as well as the Nagasaki Military Police Squad (1 Corporal and 6 others) also rushed to the site. 56 were apprehended, 55 arrested for rioting. The company took this opportunity to lay off 37 miners for bad performance. The cost of damage was unexpectely low, at 800 yen; the damage was mostly repaired; there was no sign left of the riot, and miners became completely submissive. 10 officers from Takashima Police Branch and Umegasaki Police Station remained on alert (350 officers normally on duty, each day and night). (Toyo Hinode Shimbun 1902-1934, Toyo Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| May 7th, 1911 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident kills 3, at 8AM Miner Tomisaburo Fukuda (24) of Okayama Prefecture; miner Hayao Hosoki (23) of Kochi Prefecture; miner Hisatsugu Matsunaka (24) of Tottori Prefecture (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| October 24th, 1911 (Hashima) | A sick miner wanders looking for friend, commits suicide Miner Moshiro Takano (38) of Oita Prefecture ①Moshiro worked at Hashima coal mine but frequently missed work due to illness with gonorrhea; “the mine gave him 3 yen 80 sens as travel expense and expelled him”. ②He came to Nagasaki and used up his travel expenses after wandering ③On July 1st, he visited a miner in Kouyagi coal mine, Tomojiro Kozasa (49), (a friend from Ogi Yunokihara coal mine, September 1909), and worked at the same mine between 7.14～8.27, but his illness worsened, and he became dependent on Tomojiro ④Tomojiro also frequently missed work due to eye disease; they sank to the level of subsisting by selling their tools ⑤10.23 The two traveled to Nagasaki to ask for help from Sahachi Eshima, a prosperous Naya (bunkhouse) leader at the Matsushima coal mine, who was a friend of theirs, and recuperated; they spent the night at agent Hikoju Kurokawa’s residence, at 2-3 Suehirocho Dejima ⑥Moshiro begged Tomojiro for sake and joked “ah, I have nothing to regret, as long as I can drink this”, and drank the sake ⑦10.24 (the following day), at 4PM, Tomojiro heard the sound of Moshiro leaving the residence; Tomojiro thought he was going to the bathroom ⑧7AM a neighbor found “a dead man in a loincloth hanging from a laundry drying stand, who used a dust bin as a footstool” ⑨He had tattoos of Dan Kurobei on his chest and Umewakamaru on his back (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| November 17th, 1912 (Hashima) | Two miners beat supervisor-in-training Miner Shimazaki (37) of Nagasaki Miner Yasuda (22) of Tottori Prefecture Supervisor-in-training Kuichi Sakai At 12PM, Sakai found Shimazaki, who left the mine without permission, and the two began to quarrel; Yasuda happened upon them and tried to mediate; the two miners beat Sakai (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| July 5th, 1913 (Hashima) | Miner addicted to gambling committed suicide Carpenter, Ryutaro Kumase (40) of Kagoshima Prefecture = lived with Kisaburo Masuya in company housing; Kumase never fought or argued but was a crazy gambler; he was pressed for gambling money, so he asked Takeji Matsuo to lend him 17 yen which he owed Masuya, but lost the money on gambling; there were reports of other similar incidents. With remorse and pessimism, at 8PM, he descended to the Second Gate of Shaft #2, and died by hanging from a frame 2.12 meters high (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| August 1st, 1913 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident killed 2, at 1PM, while mining Miner Kanzo Sasaki (24) of Moriyamamura and Miner Kiyoshi Miyawaki (19) of Ehime Prefecture (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| August 10, 1913 (Hashima) | Coal wagon accident, 4 dead, 3 in critical condition <Deaths> Gisuke Kimura (26) of Kochi Prefecture; Toranosuke Yokokawa (37) of Kagoshima Prefecture; Kumaichi Miyazoe (28) of Nagasaki Prefecture; Tomaru Kurihara (25) of Hiroshima Prefecture; 3 others seriously injured The signalman committed an error, steered coal wagon in wrong direction, and plunged into a group of 40-50 miners resting in the cooling area (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| November 20th, 1913 (Hashima) | Coal wagon accident, 1 seroiusly injured Tsurumatsu Okada (40) of Ehime Prefecture was hit by a coal wagon while transporting coal; in critical condition. 4PM. (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| July 26th, 1914 (Hashima) | A newcomer miner injured from fight over escape plan <Assaulter> Aihara (26) of Ehime Prefecture <Victim> Yutaka Uchiyama (19) of Hiroshima Prefecture The two miners came to Ujina in response to the call for recruitment, but became disillusioned after realizng that the work was more trying than expected; they planned to escape, but Uchiyama changed his mind. Aihara inflicted serious injury on Uchiyama with a knife (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| November 26th, 1914 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 2 deaths Miner Kouemon Ura (31) of Kitamatsunakanomura Miner Hiroshi Tanaka (21) of Mitsuigun At 2:30PM, while the miners were resting at 12th Down Slope First Gate, the roof of the mine fell on them, killing both miners. (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| March 22nd, 1915 (Hashima) | Coal wagon death 1 Miner Koichi Niihama (21) At 10:40PM, at Gate #9 landing by the steam-powered hoist in pit, Niihama’s head was squeezed between a derailed coal wagon and a railroad tie, killing him (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| May 1st, 1915 (Hashima) | Celebration for reaching coal at 3.636 high stratum The entire mine took a break this day to celebrate with a special festival held at Konpira Jinja (shrine), the village shrine of Hashima; a Mikoshi (portable shrine) paraded through town Miners and the Restaurant Association provided teams of volunteer dancers to dance the festival dance; a play was perfomed at Noryojo (cooling area), which was enjoyed freely by all. Several fireworks were launched, which added to the excitement; the whole island bustled. Two Inspectors were dispatched to help control the crowd (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| July 8th, 1915 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 dead; Eitaro Yamanaka (33), born in Nagasaki = lived in Tadataro Yoshida’s Naya, at 4PM, while working (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| January 27th, 1916 (Hashima) | Gas explosion, 3 deaths, 3 serious injuries, 3 mild injuries Right side of steam-powered hoist at Gate 18, 1,132 meters to the North East of the gallery, 196.56 meters directly under Shaft #3 On January 25th, the man-powered fan (called Toumi) was crashed by a falling roof; an electrical fan was installed on the 26th On January 27th, the new electrical motor broke down (sparks flew from the spindle); at 7PM, after the repair was completed, as soon as the power was turned back on, the motor exploded <Deaths> Electrician Hirohito Iwao (21), of Kumamoto Prefecture; miner Uichi Muranaka (18) of Yamaguchi Prefecture; miner Yasutaro Umekawa (48) of Ehime Prefecture <Serious Injuries> Miner Gento Yamashita (29) of Kanagawa Prefecture; miner Bunjiro Miyamoto (35) of Hyogo Prefecture; miner Chuzo Ushio (30) of Yamaguchi Prefecture; <Mild Injuries> Electrician Banju Koizuka (27) of Sasamura; miner Gunji Kihara (28) of Hiroshima Prefecture; miner Kinnemon Miyata (42) of Hiroshima Prefecture; miner Kikuo Ichinose (26) of Oita Prefecture; the miners were creating unloading space for coal, or loading coal, or mining <Responsible Parties> Pit supervisor Nobuo Nishikawa, electrical supervisor Kakuichi Yamaguchi, and electrician Banju Koizuka likely to be charged with involuntary manslaughter (Kyushu Hinode Shimbun December 1899 - February 1918, Kyushu Hinode Shimbunsha) |
| March 1916 (Hashima) | In-pit sprinkler pipe installment work completed (work began in 1915 to prevent gas explosions) (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| March 1916 (Takashima / Hashima) | Purchased two Drager-type life saving apparatus to address in-pit disasters, to be shared among Takashima, Hashima, and Futagoshima coal mines (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| March 1916 (Takashima / Hashima) | Trial employment of boys and women in pit (boys between the ages of 14 and 16 were employed in March, and women in May; good results found) (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| August 3rdth, 1916 (Hashima) | Labor Support Regulation for Miners enacted (Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Ordinance #21) “Placing an intermediary such as a Naya-gashira (Head of Naya, or bunhouse leader) between the miners and the mine owner, who are the contracting parties of the labor contract, must be strictly forbidden; this regulation outlines the rules of employment and labor that must be directly followed by the mine owner”. (Investigation on the Employment Conditions of Miners, 1929, edited by the Fukuoka Local Office of Employment) |
| September 1916 | Revised the Mining Law Enforcement Regulations to include monthly reports on mine disaster incidents in a standardized format “If death or serious injuries are caused by gas or coal dust explosions, fires, flooding, or other accidents, the cause and status of the incident must immediately be reported to the Head of Mining; even if death or serious injuries do not occur, if an incident forces the operation to shut down partly or entirely, the incident must likewise be reported; in this case, the course of the accident and the reponse to it must be reported to the Head of Mining without delay” (Article 64) “Deaths and injuries must be reported on an appended form to the Head of Mining” (Article 65) Causes of disasters inside the pit were defined in 15 categories, while causes of disasters outside of the pit were defined in 8 categories; the incidents were classified into the number of occurrences and the numbers of deaths, serious injuries, and mild injuries; this regulation took effect until 1929, when the Mining Law was revised. (Annual Report oF Mine Safety in Japan (1949 version), August 13th, 1951, Mine Saftey Bureau, Natural Resources Agency, Ministry of International Trade and Industry) |
| End May 1918 (Takashima) Working conditions | “After the Naya-gashira system was eliminated completely in 1897, and the so-called shop system was abolished, all miners (pit workers) employed at Takashima coal mine were placed under direct control of the mine; below are the number of pit workers registered as of end May 1918: Takashima 1,144 (of which 84 were Koreans) Futagoshima 774 (of which 12 were Koreans) Hashima 941 (of which 70 were Koreans) Total 2,859 (of which 166 were Koreans) Other workers in the three mines: Surface miners 477 (of which 168 were Koreans) The first shift worked from 4AM to 4PM and the second shift worked from 4PM to 4AM; miners were categorized by skill level from level 1 to level 50, based on coal output (number of boxes and types of coal - lump or fine) and the difficulty level of the mine face. Payment was based on their skill level. At present, the average coal output per person is 2+ boxes in Takashima; 4 boxes in Hashima; and 2+ boxes in Futagoshima; the average wage per person per day is a little over 1 yen 87 sens. In addition, three types of bonuses were established. 1. Lottery bonus - miners that do not miss work for 15 days get 5 lots, day workers that do not miss work for 15 days get 3 lots, and those who do not miss more than 3 days of work get 1 lot; winners receive 1 yen or 5 yen. Losers also receive 50 sens per lot. 2. Mine face bonus - each day, the pit foreman sets a goal, big or small, of how many boxes each miner should output; each miner that accomplishes the big goal receives 20 sens, each miner that accomplishes the small goal receives 10 sens. 3. Work bonus - 2.5% of the total semiannual wage was paid twice yearly, at mid-term and at the end of the year; the bonus was placed in the company’s savings account and given a 6% annual interest - the whole of which was paid to the miner at the time of discharge. For families of the miners, company housing was provided free of charge; drinking water and utility water were supplied, and electrical lamps were installed (electrical lamps 10 sens per month, 5 candlelights 5 sens). All unmarried miners were put up in the dormitory at the mine; miners received 1 sho (about 150 g) of white rice and 4 sens 5 rin (units of money) for side dishes daily; the dorm was paid a subsidy according to the number of days the miners worked at the mine. Since Hashima was short on space, 50,000 yen was invested in building a 7-story reinforced concrete apartment building (external wall 20m by 23.6m; total area 3309 m²; 210 units; 2 rooms each unit (8.2m² and 11m²); each unit has own sink); another 13-story building in similar style is currently under construction” (“Collection and Distribution of Coal in Nagasaki”, 1918, Nagasaki Board of Trade) |
| November 4th - 8th, 1919 (Hashima) | 170 miners went on strike, demanding wage increase from 1 yen 70 sens to 2 yen 50 sens daily; Company agreed to pay 2 yen 20 sens to match the amount paid at Takashima and Futagoshima, and settled (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| December 1919 (Hashima) | The long-wall mining system (steep dip mining system) with method of filling emptied space with debris was implemented (Mitsubishi Kogyoshashi, June 1st, 1976, Mitsubishi Kogyo Semento Co. Ltd) |
| December 21st, 1925 (Hashima) | Dynamite accident, 2 dead, 1 in critical condition, 2 minor injuries At 1PM, during tunnel excavation work at shaft #4 at Gate 12 - 3.63 meters high – of Iwakiri Tunnel, a miner pushed a steel rod into a hole to prevent a landslide, unaware that there was an undetonated dynamite; the dynamite exploded <Death> Miner that pushed the steel rod into the hole Tahei Takakura (35), died the next morning; Chief Construction Worker Imaji Oue (29), who happened to be at the site to supervise, died instantly <Critical Condition> Miner who was nearby Wataru Matsuoka (20), in critical condition <Minor Injury> Miner who was nearby Yoshitaro Tafuku (26) sustained minor injury Miner who was nearby Iwataro Kanematsu (31) sustained minor injury <Cause> At 11AM of the same day, construction supervisor Hingo Maruyama (32) of #18 Floor 6 Room 1 at Hashima mine, while supervising Tafuku and Kanematsu, forgot to remove the undetonated dynamite (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| May 24th, 1927 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 2 deaths Miner Manei Kan (34) of Gyeongsangbuk-do = lived at #30, Saburo Ando’s dorm Miner Seisuke Inoue (33) of Hyogo Prefecture = lived at #30, Saburo Ando’s dorm At 12:45AM, while mining in Shaft #5 (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| July 5th, 1927 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 death Miner Kishiro Minoguchi (29) = lived at Danji Niimi’s dorm At 1:20AM, at Shaft #4, left end of Gate 4, while repairing roof of mine gallery (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| November 15th, 1927 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 death, office worker at Shaft #2, Takizo Yamamoto (39) = lived in company housing #22 At 2:30PM, while supervising packing work at Shaft #2 (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| November 25th, 1927 (Hashima) | Suicide - Ryutaro Nakagawa (52), saddened by his cousin Takizo Yamamoto’s death by roof-fall accident, became deranged, committed suicide by hanging (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| November 27th, 1927 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> horsekeeper, <Victim> horsekeeper = sustained injury requiring two weeks until recovery; horsekeeper supervisor = sustained injury requiring one week until recovery Victim made fun of assaulter’s hat; assaulter used razor to attack (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| November 30th, 1927 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> Korean miner; in critical condition, sustained injury requiring one month until recovery Used ax to hit at hip; sentenced to 6 months imprisonment (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| January 26th, 1928 (Hashima) | Coal wagon accident, 1 dead, 1 injured Water sprinkler Kyuzo Maeda (40) of Tottori Prefecture = lived at Morioka’s dorm; dead Coal Wagon Conductor Sho Hirakawa (30) of Fukuoka Prefecture = injured Coal wagon ran away, Hirakawa thrown off wagon and injured, became unconsious; Wagon crashed into a frame, causing the mine roof to fall, killing Maeda (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| January 26th, 1928 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter>miner, <Victim> miner; the two miners fought over a woman, victim sustained injury requiring five days until recovery (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| January 26th, 1928 (Hashima) | Land trolley accident, 1 death Worker Torataro Tamura (46) = lived at Komori’s dorm While repairing the sea wall, a trolley came falling from above, killing him instantly (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| January 5th, 1929 (Hashima) | Flood in pit, 11 deaths (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| January 5th, 1929 (Hashima) | Flooding accident, 9 deaths; at 5AM, at Shaft #4, Gate 6, a flood suddenly inundated the pit; 11 miners went missing <Death> Umezo Harada = Inishi dormitory; Nagaichi Yamaguchi and nine others = Nakayama dormitory Two miners were resuscitated; an engineer and 10+ others from Nogata Chikuho Mining Station provided support (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| March 1929 (Hashima) | “As with the other mines owned by Mitsubishi, Hashima uses a combination of direct employment and the caretaker system; however, as Hashima is an isolated island with no neighboring towns or houses, the scene there is dreary, with only the coal mine on the island. Thus, special effort must be made in hiring miners and keeping them from transferring to other mines”. “The method of recruitment by use of a third party alone accounts for recruiting and hiring about 100 miners every month. (omitted) There are also several Korean recruiters placed in Korea.” (Investigation on the Employment Conditions of Miners, 1929, edited by the Fukuoka Local Office of Employment) |
| May 20th, 1929 (Hashima) | Miner habitually skips loan payment by escaping Former miner (24), of Minamikushiyamamura (=Komori’s Naya, or bunkhouse) In August 1928, the miner skipped payment of a loan by Komori Naya, swam to Nakanoshima, an island 1km North of Hashima, took a steamer to Nagasaki, and repeated his habit of skipping loans in various other places On May 20th, 1929, the miner was investigated for suspicious behavior while loitering in Nagasaki City (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| June 16th, 1929 (Hashima) | Murder <Murderer> miner, <Victim> engineer, instantaneous death, over job assignment, using a saw (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| June 28th, 1929 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 2 deaths Miner Boku Zeni (35) of Gyeonsangnam-do = Saburo Ando’s dormitory Miner Atsumori Kuriya (24) = Kagawa dormitory (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| July 28th, 1929 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> miner, over petty matters, using an ax (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| June 21st, 1930 (Hashima) | Coal wagon accident, 1 death, transporter Yusaku Anshita (21) of Kagoshima Prefecture At noon, at the platform of the ascending cage of Shaft #4, Anshita was thrown off of a wagon; died instantly (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| July 24th, 1930 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 death, miner Hiroji Shiroki (25) At 2PM, while working in gallery 1,445 meters down from gate entrance to Gate 1, Shaft #4 (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| August 10th, 1930 (Hashima) | The first direct-management dormitory completed (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| November 22nd, 1930 (Hashima) | Coal wagon accident, 1 dead, miner Akigo Motokatsu (33) At 6:40AM, Motokatsu was crushed between coal wagon and wall in pit #4 (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| January 19th, 1931 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 death; Isomatsu Nakanishi (28) of Osaka, while digging in pit #4, right down slope (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| March 8th, 1931 (Hashima) | Accidental fall in shaft, from a height of 120 meters <Deaths> Iwao Koga; (27) <Critical Condition> Hideo Matsumoto (27), Takehisa Kinoshita (24), Sakichi Yasutake (37) <Mild injuries> Isaburo Kashima (32), Iwakiri Kazuo (26) (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| March 24, 1931 (Hashima) | Murder attempt <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> same, inflicted injury requiring 5 weeks until recovery, over a fight, using an ax (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| January 1933 (Hashima) | <Restaurant> “Hondaya, a restaurant owned by Isematsu Honda, a member of the Prefectural Assembly, carresses the body and soul of the rough miners, who are covered in mine dust, with its sensitive service and variety of dishes; the restaurant represents the soft side of Hashima coal mine” (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-), article dated January 25th, 1933 |
| May 22nd, 1933 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 3 deaths, 1 in critical condition At 9:30AM, in pit #4, on mine gallery 180 meters wide <Deaths> miner Shinpei Kawazoe (25), Sankichi Fujiyoshi (26), miner Jo Shinkyu (28) <Critical Condition> miner Mitsuo Watanabe (35) (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| July 17th, 1933 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 death At midinight while mining in pit, Sakubei Fukamachi (35), instantaneous death (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| September 24th, 1933 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> two miners, (one with injury requiring 1 week until recovery; the other with injury requiring 10 days until recovery) The two got into an argument while drinking; used sake bottle to strike (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| November 26th, 1934 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 death, miner Kyuso Sakamoto (22), at Gate 3 South (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| January 15th, 1935 (Hashima) | National Defense Contribution, anonymously made by “Hashima Coal Mine Laborer”; a letter with 1 yen enclosed received by Nagasaki Military Police Contingent Force The letter said “I avoided military service, so I am prepared to continue my contribution of one yen each month for the next year to the National Defense” (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) |
| February 7th, 1935 (Hashima) | Saltworks factory business abolished (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| March 26th, 1935 (Hashima) | Gas explosion; gas caught fire due to increase in natural fire; 25 deaths, 10 serious / mild injuries (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) At 9:30PM, at Shaft #4, bottom right of the right down slope, upper layer of the 36.3-meter stratum, towards direction 5, a natural fire emerged. The area was closed off immediately, but gas filled the area due to compression, and the second explosion occurred. Fire was suprressed by injecting water. After the first explosion, mine head Ogawa rushed to scene; the second explosion occurred during emergency work. 3 deaths, 18 in critical condition, 6 mild injuries; 200 workers in pit evacuated safely <First Aid> Doctors and nurses from Takashima and Hashima medical offices were sent to Hashima Hospital Missing miners could not be found due to smoldering fire; they were presumed dead by gas poisoining <Hashima> The modern-looking Nayas built from reinforced concrete stand high on the island; from afar, it looks like a battleship. It is not possible to land on the island if there is any wind. The financial resources of Takahamamura is almost entirely shouldered by the coal mine Population of Hashima 3,136; mine workers 1,240; coal output 20,500t (1933) (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-), article dated March 28th, 1935 <Joint Funeral> April 2nd, Showa-kan, Hashima coal mine At 10AM, ships entering port hoisted flags at half mast; Futago and Hashima coal mines halted operation; Nayas hoisted flags at half mast More than 1,000 people, including families of victims, government officials, local organizations, and company staff attended the funeral; 7 bodies that were left in the pit are scheduled to be pulled out on the 4th (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-), article dated April 3rd, 1935 <Deaths> Mitsuru Iijima (45); Ninzaburo Okawa (24); Daijun Jo (36); Kanenori Tsuruta (34) of Kumamoto; Sukeichi Mukou (39) of Saga; Tadanori Inoue (28) of Kagoshima; Azuma Kukimoto (25) of Kagoshima; Koshutsu Kaku (37) of Gangwon; Taiyo Jyo (44) of Gyeonsangnam-do; Gishu Cho (23) of Jinjukun; Jo Oujun (43) of Gyeongsangbuk-do; Shunzo Ide (41) of Hirato; Fun Suiho (21) of Gyeonsangnam-do; Je Noi (43) of Gyeongsangbuk-do; Kim Kotoku (32) of Gyeonsangnam-do; Kaku Gofuku (23) of Gangwon; Enzo Ogawa (48), deputy mine head (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-) Articles dated March 28th, March 29th, and April 16th, 1935 |
| Early June 1935 (Takashima / Hashima) | About 350 Korean miners plan a social gathering The purpose of the gathering was to cultivate friendship among the Koreans and for them to learn Japanese (night school) (Nagasaki Shimbun, October 1922-August 1935, March 1945-December 1946, January 1959-), article dated June 8th, 1935 |
| September 9th, 1936 (Hashima) | After 6 years, the construction of the enormous shaft, 2,000-shaku (606-meter) below sea floor, completed (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, November 30th, 1973, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| October 29th, 1936 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 death, miner Manjiro Nishihara (47) of Saga Prefecture, while working at #12 Saku Gallery (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| May 2nd, 1937 (Hashima) | Accidental death, 1, Tsuneo Higashikawa (32), signalman, touched cage and died (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| July 1st, 1937 (Hashima) | Pay raise - uniform 10% raise for all miners; company staff who were paid less than 100 yen will also get 10% raise (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| November 10th, 1937 (Hashima) | Roof-fall accident, 1 death, Harumitsu Yamado (21) (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| June 10th, 1938 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> miner, using a geta (clog), over an argument (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| June 12th, 1938 (Hashima) | Accidental death, 1 - Miner Goro Nishibushi (31) was struck by a fragment while chopping timber for pit prop; died (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| June 19th, 1938 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> miner, injury requiring one weeek until full recovery, using a pickaxe (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| November 24th, 1938 (Hashima) | 12 Koreans arrested for gambling (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| December 1938 (Hashima) | As a measure to combat work rate decline, “the New Year Perfect Attendance Club” was established, to reward workers with perfect attendance during December and January with a trip to Hakozaki Shrine. 450 miners joined the club, 93 had perfect attendance (2,000 total miners in Hashima coal mine) (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated February 5th, 1939 |
| January 22nd, 29th 1939 (Hashima) | Day of Dedication and Patriotism January 22nd and January 29th (public holidays) were designated as Days of Dedication and Patriotism; all 2,000 workers at the mine attended work voluntarily and donated the net profit to the National Defense Contribution <Results> Income approximately 2,600 yen; after deducting expenses, 2,000 yen was donated to the Army and Navy (1,000 yen each); miners agreed to continue the practice as long as their fitness allows (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated February 5th, 1939 |
| March 2nd, 1939 (Hashima) | The Umegasaki Police Station honors barmaid in good health On the premise that, “in order to improve the health of citizens, first, sexually transmitted diseases must be eradicated”, barmaids and others who succeeded in preventing sexually transmitted diseases in Takashima and Hashima coal mines were given awards at a ceremony (bar maids who are disease-free for one year); 12 out of 27 were awarded in Hashima, and 19 out of 49 were awarded in Takashima; better than Nagasaki (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated March 4th, 1939 |
| March 10th, 1939 (Hashima) | Prayer for good fortune in war Classes and events, including ikebana (flower arrangement), sewing, and lectures on current events were regularly held to cultivate culture among company staff and their families, but on the occasion of war, an Army Anniversay Day lecture and prayers for good fortune for soliders leaving for the front were held On March 19th a variety show to comfort bereaved families, various exhibits, collection of unwanted materials, and cultural talks will be held (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated March 1st, 1939 |
| March 10th, 1939 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> miner, in critical condition, using a pickaxe, over an argument (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| June 13th, 1939 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> barmaid, critical condition, using an axe, for being rejected (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| Early December 1939 (Nagasaki Prefecture) | Hanto-jin (Koreans) hired To supplement shortage of labor and on the stance of promoting harmonization, it has been decided, on this occcasion, that Hanto-jins (Koreans) will be transferred; reliable young men were brought inland across the ocean, and as of today, the number has reached 1,500; agencies in Hokushotanden, Sakito, Takashima, and Hashima mediated the transfers (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated December 9th, 1939 (Employment of Koreans) was extremely well received in Sumitomo Yoshinoura and Nittetsu Koda On December 19th, the 97 miners hired by Nissan Yatake arrived in matching kokubo-fuku (standardized uniform during the war) and arm bands On December 20th, Nittsu Koda decided to take a second round of hires, of 57 workers; at month’s end, 100 workers are scheduled to arrive in Shinnakazato mine (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated December 21st, 1939 |
| February 14th, 1940 (Government) | Ministry of Commerce and Industry decided on plan to increase production <Goal> Increase production by 6 million tons, coal price to remain unchanged <Details> ➀ Incentive for Production Increase = 5 yen per ton increase, goal of increasing 70 million tons ②Excavation subidy = 50 yen per each meter of progress (1/2-1/3 of cost), 20 million yen ③Loss subsidy = 60 million yen for coal sale loss ④Priority in distribution of materials (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated February 15th, 1940 <Supplementary Budget> ➀ Incentive for Production Increase = 2 or 4 yen per each ton of increased prodution, 60 million tons planned increase ②Excavation subidy = 3-year plan from 1940-1942, 35 yen per each meter of progress (1/3 of cost) ③Cost for price guarantee = 1 yen 40 sens per ton of purchased coal (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated March 15th, 1940 |
| February 16th, 1940 (Government) | Yoshida Welfare Minister’s remark on re-examining coal “I belatedly learned about the importance of coal. (omitted) Belately, I recognized that coal mine workers are the fighters at the frontline on the home front (omitted). The job of the miners is literally life or death. Miners are actually risking their lives when they work. Therefore, the first thing I would like to do is to thank them for their work. (omitted) I want the miners to work with the same readiness as the soldiers in the battlefield. Of course, miners, technicians, labor managers, and the business owner must all come together and work as one” Sunday, February 18th, at 6:45 for 15 minutes; Welfare Ministry radio broadcast “A Request for Coal Mine Workers” (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated February 18th, 1940 |
| Februrary 1940 (Nagasaki Prefecture) | Prefectural Health Insurance Office takes aggressive measures to eliminate roundworms to maintain the health of mine workers The work absence rate became high due to an increase in roundworm disease; beginning in early February, 17,000 workers took fecal exams, were given medication, and re-tested; the Health Insurance Office is determined to eradicate the disease completely by early March (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated January 2nd, 1940 |
| June 1940 (Government) | President Hoshino of the Cabinet Planning Board submitted the “Results of the Materials Mobilization Plan, 1939” to the throne. Due to natural disasters and the outbreak of the Second World War, a major revision was made in the second half of the year; supply decreased by 20%; one cause was that the estimate was a hopeful estimate, responding to the demands from various avenues; this tendency may continue for some time in the future “Impact of Coal and Electricity Shortage: Last fiscal year, coal production in the main islands of Japan and in Sakhalin, and coal supply from Manchuria, did not progress as planned; in addition, decline in the quality of the coal, and the drastic increase in demand for thermal power generation caused by the abnormal drought, contributed to a general shortage of coal, and with that, a shortage of power. This highly affected domestic industries overall, and led to a divergence from production goals - the government has placed its efforts in strengthening production increase plans, which has recently been showing good results.” (Senshi Sosho, War History Series, Army Mobilization <2> Enforcement edition, 1970, edited by the Defense Agency, Defense Training Center, War History Office, Asagumo Shinbunsha) |
| September 1940 (Government) | Measures to heighten safety - Ministry of Commerce and Industry ordinance #68, Regulation on Mine Explosives and Machinery Ministry of Commerce and Industry ordinance #69, Certification Rules for Mine Explosives and Machinery established <Reason> With the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, based on the request to increase production for the execution of war, the mining industry was forced to produce more than capacity, which has lead to overmining; as safety of the mines was relatively neglected, the number of disasters at the mine steadily increased. The ordinance is to address this situation.” <Gist> “Certain explosives and machinery used in the pits of the coal mines designated by the Minister of Commerce and Industry must pass a test performed at the coal explosion preventon laboratory” (Annual Report oF Mine Safety in Japan (1949 version), August 13th, 1951, Mine Saftey Bureau, Natural Resources Agency, Ministry of International Trade and Industry) |
| December 8th, 1940 (Hashima) | Shindo Jissen (“realization of the way of a subject”) autonomous committee established <Objective> As a support organization for the coal mine, and as part of the Tonarigumi system (neighborhood association), the objective is to harmonize relationships among the workers and to promote understanding between the company and the workers <Structure> Consisted of the entire workforce; committee members were mid-level employees, head of the apartment associations, and head of dormitories, etc. <Operation> Committee met on the first Sunday of each month; each housing unit had its own committee; planned cultural events and entertainment, as well as occupational study groups 18th of every month = all committees on the island invited lecturers from Yokusankai (support organization), vocational guidance office, Army and Navy, and schools. (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated March 1st, 1941 |
| February 7th, 1941 (Hashima) | Off-season (for farming) production increase group from the Nagasaki National Vocational Guidance Office A conference to advise farmers to work away from home during the off-season was held in the 44 villages and towns of Nishisonogi-gun; our passionate plea to take action for the country bore fruit, and on Februray 7th, the first group consisting of 12 young men from Kikitsu village departed for Hashima; at the Aso Shrine in Kikitsu, they pledged “as representatives of the Kikitsu Young Men’s Association, we will not fight, argue, or squander, and sincerely cooperate with others and become one heart, to work hard to achieve the goal of increasing coal production”; the workers lived in dorms for three months; the second and third groups to follow (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated February 8th, 1941 |
| Late February 1941 (Hashima) | Hashima Report ➀Mine Labor Patriots Corps <Hyogo Head of Mine> “The lives of the workers themselves have changed; they have improved so much that nowadays you cannot see their wild side even if you wanted to. Of course this owes to the installation of entertainment facilities and improvements in their treatment, but I believe the biggest reason was the war. In December of last year, responding to the Imperial Rule Assistance movement, we created the Shindo Jissen committee as a subordinate organization, which voluntarily trains workers and builds their character; this has had an enormous effect, as recently the number of sabotage, leaving work early without permission, and job changes, have been infrequent. I believe their work records are the best in Japan” <Mogimura Labor Service Corps youth: Yamazaki> “I came here because although I am young at a time of war, I don’t have military duty - so I wanted to at least devote myself to my country as a Labor Service Corp member to make my contribution to increasing coal production” <Kikitsumura youth: Mukai> “The mayor of my village and the principal of my school encouraged me to go” “(the other miners’) speech is rough and they are dirty from the coal dust, and sinister-looking, so I was not able to talk to them at first, but once I got used to them they were all very kind. The dormitory is an impressive 9-story, reinforced concrete building, and the food served is also good. All the standard entertainment facilities are here - it is a cultural life that people in the farming villages cannot even dream of.” ② Comment of Hyogo Mine Chief, Shindo Jissen (realization of the way of a subject) Committee Established December 8th, 1940, Tonarigumi system (mandatory participation), meeting once a month, separate lecture once a month ③Past and present <Gihachi Irie> (from Shimabara, current Takahama village assemblyman, given the Excellent Worker award by government) “The fact that workers like us, who were regarded as people of the underworld until now, were awarded by the government, gives us great hope. We are all very happy” <Kinsaku Sakurai> (from Hiroshimashi) “I’ve worked as a miner for 31 years now; I began work at Takashima, where wages were low at the time, between 48 sens and 90 sens at most; there was no equipment to speak of - we carried coal using shoulder poles. My shoulders hurt, and one time, a coworker punched me saying I was bad at my job. I cried more than a couple of times. Those who could not bear this type of punishment would tie a sake barrel around their bodies, swim, and escape - the practice was called “Shimanuke” or leaving the island. After that, I moved to Hashima, and it has been 18 years since. Back then it was still like living in a jail, and bloody, gory things were happening every day. The Hashima of today began about 20 years ago, when the company started to put its efforts into building entertainment facilities for the workers. But the thing that brought back the spirits of the workers, whose hearts were distorted by the old practices, was the war. The workers, after all, are Japanese.” As head of one of the dormitories, Sakurai said, of the instruction policy, “the most important task is to promote harmonization, so I try to reconcile theif feelings as if they are my family. It seems the most effective way to carry this out is to use the neighborhood association (Tonarigumi) system. (omitted) Since many of the workers have turned their backs on the world, if you instruct them with a warm heart, because they are so hungry for love, they open their hearts faster than the average person. I also introduce brides to the workers to prevent them from wandering, but as there are very few women on the island, this does not work out as well as I intend” <Haruo Adachi> (born in Kyoto-shi) “56 years ago, I left my adorable wife and child and moved from one coal mine to another, finally settling here. As a human being, I think about my wife and child I left behind, from time to time. Recently my life has finally settled down, so I began to think that I would like to live a private life with my family, and am considering writing them a letter, but in Kyoto, my home town, people still think of coal mines as being like prisons, so they treat miners like worms, and not only that, they make fun of their families. That is why when I think about my child and my wife, I am not able to send the letter. My wish is that the general public will look at us with warmer hearts. Of course, it is our own fault for being punished by society in this way, and in order to fix this, first and foremost, we must work on improving our characters. For this, I thought we should pursue more refined hobbies, so in my dormitory, we offer zen-inspired classes, such as flower arrangement, tea ceremony, and Noh songs. I strongly believe that this will make our lives richer.” (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated February 28th to March 2nd, 1941 |
| April 8th, 1941 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> assistant engineer, using a knife, after an argument (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha) |
| June 18th, 1941 (Hashima) | Merchant Associations in Nagasaki inaugurate Hokokutai (Patriots Corps; ceremony held at Suwa Shrine on June 18th Due to the shortage of goods, the tofu store only opens once every three days; the confectioner one hour per day; thus, 100 applicants from the confectioner, rice shop, sake store, tofu store, and grocery store joined the corps; they headed to Hashima on June 20th (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated June 12th, 1941 |
| June 1941 (Hashima) | Houkokutai - 68 aplicants from medium and small traders and manufacturers established the Coal Production Increase Labor Patriot Corps; applicants who were sent to Hashima were split into 4 groups; each group worked 10 days at a time; by September, after the first 90 days, they became full-fledged workers; they attracted attention for organized job changes; daily wage was 2 yen 50 sens; bringing surplus labor from the commerce and industry sectors to the production sector had its issues, such as the lack of experience in physical labor on the part of the workers, and their unfamiliarity with working in shifts. (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated September 2nd, 1941 |
| Late July 1941 (Hashima) | Preventing Korean workers from leaving - to keep the collectively-recruited Korean workers with annual contracts from leaving, instructions to encourage extending their contracts were issued to police stations and mine companies via the Prefectural Kyowakai; benefits were added to increase prodution (Nagasaki Minyu Shimbun, February 1940 - January 13th, 1959, Nagasaki Minyu Shimbunsha) |
| September 19th, 1941 (Hashima) | Assault <Assaulter> miner, <Victim> miner, minor injury sustained, using an axe, for being made fun of (Nagasaki Minyu Shimbun, February 1940 - January 13th, 1959, Nagasaki Minyu Shimbunsha) |
| December 8th, 1941 (Takashima / Hashima) | Daily wage of 10,000+ yen donated entirely to Army and Navy; monthly wage per worker average 150 yen / day April through September 1941 - area places 1st in coal output race in division under supervison of Fukuoka bureau, attendance rate 92% (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated January 17th, 1942 |
| Early February 1942 (Government) | Ministry of Commerce and Industy and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, “Measure to Supply Materials to Coal Mines” To facilitate the distribution of daily essentials for the mine workers and to prevent oversight in achieving production increase, ➀The mine store will distribute work supply items such as commercial towels, jika-tabi (rubber-soled socks), and shovels. ②Daily essentials such as miso and soy sauce will be distriburted by the Kobaikai for company housing residents, and from local retail stores for others ③The measure was enforced under the supervision of the Bureau of Supervision and local government (price, and state of distribution) (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated February 7th, 1942 |
| May 1942 (Hashima) | Welfare Minister Award (11 recipients nationwide) driller Yoshiko Dozaki from Shimabara, started working at Hashima 7 years ago “I don’t even think of it as hard work any more. If you think that this is the job that you are given, then it’s nothing. I try to put myself in the shoes of the soldiers fighting in the battlefield when I work. When I think that the drill I drive into the rock is the first point from which the production increase is generated, I feel pride in my work and that makes me happy.” (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated August 22, 1942 |
| June 29th, 1942 (Hashima) | Accidental fall, 1 death, miner Seita Saito (20) At 10AM, while working on expanding the air duct, the rope of the hanging ladder broke; Saito fell 35 meters down to pit base (Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun, April 1911 - December 1958, Nagasaki Nichi Nichi Shimbunsha), article dated July 1st, 1942 |
| August 7th, 1942 (Nagasaki Prefecture) | Measure for Requisitioned Workers; a mountain house installed at Daioji Temple in Isahaya-shi Invited persons in charge of small and medium businesses and dormitory supervisors for training, for 2 nights and 3 days; participants were divided into factory group and mine group. Training focused on how to instruct requisitioned workers, including ➀ learning about the conditions of each work place ② learning about the changes made after the enforcement of the National Requisition Ordinance and future measures and ③ on how to instruct employees and manage sanitation “As all requisitioned workers are workers who have switched jobs or quit their previous jobs, and are therefore inexperienced, they are rumored to be treated coldly by the senior workers as well as by the business owners. In response, the Admnistration Division of the Prefecture laid out a policy stating that “as requisitioned workers are not employed by the business owners but are instead in a unique position of being temporarily borrowed from the state to fulfill the need to increase production, if it is discovered that they have been treated badly, the perpetrator shall be severly punished” (Nagasaki Nippo, May 1942 - August 1944, Nagasaki Nipposha),, article dated August 7th, 1942 |
| October 31st, 1942 (Hashima) | Perfect Attendance Campaign - perfect attendance for three months between August and October; 7 pit workers and 24 surface workers (Nagasaki Nippo, May 1942 - August 1944, Nagasaki Nipposha), article dated November 8th, 1942 |
| Mid November 1942 | Educating Hanto-jin (People from the Korean Peninsula) The Ainoura Police Station planned a sumo tournament and a competition for the Championship flag, sponsored by the Sampo / Kyowa Organizations. By sponsorship of Kyowakai, a comfort squad will tour the coal mines between November 28th and 29th to perform magic shows and stunts shows for the enlightenment and cultivatation of sentiment and interest. (Nagasaki Nippo, May 1942 - August 1944, Nagasaki Nipposha), article dated October 10th, 1942 |
| August 1943 (Government) | Koshi System - Ministry of Commerce and Industry decided to apply the system that was enforced under the Fukuoka Supervision Bureau in August nationwide ➀ The terminology for miners changed: miners who were all categorically called “Ko-fu” (mine-man) were now called “Ko-in” (mine workers), and those who were diligent, showed exemplary behavior, and highly skilled, were given the title of “Ko-shi” (mine technician) by the bureau supervisor ② Ko-shi’s were ranked 1st class (10+ years of pit work or 15+ years of surface work in the same coal mine) 2nd class (5+ years of pit work or 8+ years of surface work in the same coal mine) 3rd class (2+ years of pit work or 3+ years of surface work in the same coal mine) Ko-shi’s wore yellow insignias in the shape of a mountain on their left arms; 3 lines for 1st class, 2 lines for 2nd class, and 1 line for 3rd class; Ko-shi’s were required to salute their seniors military-style; selections were held in April and October ③Leaving the mine or absence without notice for 14 or more days was punishable by a fine or more; Bad work performance, other inconvenient behavior, or defamation resulted in title deprivation ④Ko-shi Bonus: 10 yen for 1st class, 7 yen for 2nd class, 5 yen for 3rd class They are given priority to housing and welfare facilities (Nagasaki Nippo, May 1942 - August 1944, Nagasaki Nipposha), article dated August 19th, 1943 |
| October 10th, 1943 | Akiba Prefectural Police Director inspects 10 mines in Kitamatsu, October 10th - 13th “I saw clearly that Japanese workers as well as Korean workers were trying very hard to dig as many lumps of coal as they can in order to win. Notably, all of the Korean workers were hard-working in a way that was worthy of commendation (there were 2-3 exceptions). The best performing groups were groups where the supervisor managed the workers with human compassion. Those who try to supress the workers with their power may temporarily enhance efficiency, but eventually, they decline. Judging from ths situation, it can be said that labor management must be addressed with humanity. (omitted) I would also like to ask of the general public in the prefecture: pit workers need more food than what is being distributed to them. Food is the top priority issue in honoring the workers’ overwork. Therefore, I would like to urge the Yokusan activities and Sampo activities to take note of this situation from now on, and would like to ask that the general public also cut down on consumption, and be willing to give food to the mine workers, in order for us to win together.” (Nagasaki Nippo, May 1942 - August 1944, Nagasaki Nipposha), article dated November 14thth, 1943 |
| November 1943 (Government) | Minstry of Munitions established Ministry of Commerce and Industry abolished, safety and administration of coal mines fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Munitions, Bureau of Non-Metallic Materials Bureau and the Fuels Bureau (Annual Report oF Mine Safety in Japan (1949 version), August 13th 1951, Mine Saftey Bureau, Natural Resources Agency, Ministry of International Trade and Industry) |
| July 12th, 1944 (Hashima) | Gas outburst accident, 5 deaths; at 2:00AM, Hashima mine, #6 Crossing at the bottom left of Shaft #5 (Annual Report oF Mine Safety in Japan (1949 version), August 13th 1951, Mine Saftey Bureau, Natural Resources Agency, Ministry of International Trade and Industry) Gas breakout, 5 deaths (Chikuho Coal Mining Historical Chronology, compiled by the Chikuho Coal Mining Committee, November 30th, 1973, Nishinihon Cultural Association) |
| July 31st, 1945 (Takashima, Hashima) | The central power station bombed by atomic bomb; all mine operation suspended; restored mid-December (Cultural History of Takashima, 1949, edited by Kenji Matsuo, Takshimacho) |