Tragedy of Besshi Copper Mine and Ashio Copper Mine (Meiji 10s)

Tragedy of Besshi Copper Mine and Ashio Copper Mine (Meiji 10s)

In the Meiji Era, Japan was rapidly promoting modernization under the banner of "wealthy nation, strong military, and industrial development. As the nation's industrialization progressed under the leadership of the state, including the building of railroads, the construction of silk mills, and the promotion of heavy industry, it came at the cost of deep damage to nature and people's lives in various regions. The Besshi Copper Mine in Ehime and the Ashio Copper Mine in Tochigi were especially symbolic of this.

The Besshi Copper Mine was run by the Sumitomo family, which had operated a smelter there since 1874. However, sulfurous acid gas contained in the flue gas dried up the forests, acid rain caused the soil to become thin, and the surrounding farmland was damaged one after another. Rivers died, fish ran out, and people's living areas soon collapsed. Although Sumitomo provided compensation to the smoke-affected areas as a temporary measure, it did not lead to an essential structural change.

On the other hand, the Ashio Copper Mine was state-owned by the Meiji government in 1877, and later the Furukawa Zaibatsu acquired management rights and rapidly expanded the scale of operations. The ore toxins generated during the smelting process to extract copper from the ore flowed down the Watarase River, causing agricultural damage as far as Gunma and Saitama in the lower reaches of the river. In the 1890s, farmers rioted and demanded the suspension of mining, leading to a petition to the National Diet.

A symbolic figure in the Ashio Mine Poisoning Incident was Shozo Tanaka, who also served as a member of the House of Representatives. He appealed to the Diet that "true civilization should not destroy mountains, rivers, villages, or kill people," and in 1901 he resigned in an attempt to appeal directly to the Emperor. However, the authorities proceeded with forced internment, and Yanaka Village (now Watarase Yusui, Tochigi Prefecture) was forced to close down.

These incidents symbolize the fact that the Meiji government prioritized national modernization and economic growth so much that consideration for the environment and the lives of the local residents took a backseat. At a time when the term "pollution" did not even exist, and compensation for damage and legislation were inadequate, the problem was left unaddressed without individual complaints or social movements. This is a typical example of the chronic disease of Japan's environmental administration, which only takes action after the damage has become apparent.

The Ashio and Besshi pollution will be remembered as the starting point of modern pollution history, which later led to the Minamata and Itai-itai diseases of the Showa period. This period of light and shadow in the Meiji era was a turning point in Japan's modernization, but it was also a turning point that decisively changed Japan's relationship with nature.