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Miike coal mine

Miike coal mine (三池炭鉱), also known as the Mitsui Miike Coal Mine (三井三池炭鉱), was the largest coal mine in Japan,[1] located in the area of the city of Ōmuta, Fukuoka and Arao, Kumamoto, Japan.

In 1960, it was the setting for the "Miike Struggle," which was the largest management-labor dispute in Japanese history.[2]

In 2015, it was registered as one of the assets of the UNESCO Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining World Heritage Site.

History

Prewar history

Coal was discovered in this area by a farmer in 1469; however, commercial scale exploitation did not begin until 1721, when the karō

Postwar history

In 1958 Nippon Steel Mining began development of the Ariake Coal Mine in neighboring Takada Town; however, development was suspended due to ingress of spring water. The mine was acquired by Mitsu in 1972, and coal production was resumed in 1976, with a shaft connecting the Ariake Mine with the Miike Mine completed in 1977.

Labor disputes

In 1960, the mine became the center of a protracted labor dispute that evolved into the largest management-labor dispute in Japan's history.[2] When the Mitsui corporation attempted to lay off nearly 1,500 workers at the mine, the powerful miners union responded with massive protests and work stoppages that led to Mitsui locking out the miners for 312 days.[8] The resultant clashes between miners, police, and right-wing gangsters escalated into violence.[9] Ultimately, the protesting miners were defeated, and returned to work without achieving their demands, dealing a significant blow to the Japanese labor movement as a whole.[10]

Incidents

On November 9, 1963, 458 people were killed by an explosion and the resulting buildup of carbon monoxide. 438 of the deaths were due to carbon monoxide poisoning, and 839 others suffered from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, which can cause brain damage.[4] In total, 1,197 of the 1,403 workers died or were injured as a result of the incident. Workers were told by the Mitsui Coal Mining company that a coal-dust explosion in the mine was impossible and were not educated on the potential for gas poisoning. The company had no provisions in place for isolating poisonous gas, in fact, at the time of the explosion, ventilation fans worked to actively spread the gas throughout the mine, leading to more deaths.[4] Only around 200 of the workers knew of the explosion, mostly by hearing it firsthand. Despite making it to the lift, they were told by their officers not to leave and died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The majority of the workers knew nothing of the explosion. Electricity and telephone communication were lost after the explosion, and initially, no attempts to rescue the workers were made by the company, which stated that it was too risky due to unclear conditions within the mine. As a result, workers remained trapped in the mine for three hours after the company was notified. The inexperienced, ill-advised rescue crews exacerbated the severity of the event by not following the protocols for rescuing victims of carbon monoxide poisoning. Over 200 of the workers who were already suffering from poisoning were sent back into the mines to attempt to rescue others.[4]

Incidents

In July 1967, 66 housewives from the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Patients Family Association staged a sit-in at the bottom of the Mikawa mine from the 14th to the 20th of the same month to protest failure of the company to provide compensation.

On January 18, 1984, an explosion at the mine claimed the lives of 83 workers.

Miike coal mine

History

Prewar history

POW camp

Postwar history

Labor disputes

Incidents

Labor disputes

Incidents

Legacy

World Heritage Site

See also

External links

References

pushpin map	Japan Fukuoka Prefecture#Japan
place	Ōmuta, Fukuoka
country	Japan
products	Coal