Sado Province: Gold Mines

In the middle of the picture, a tree-covered rocky mountain rises, and at its foot several shaft mouths framed with boards open their mouths. In the clearing in front of the shafts, people carrying loads on shoulder poles come and go, and a narrow channel flows by. At the bottom edge in front is a straw-roofed hut, and a range of pale pink mountains appears at the back. The people seem to be carrying ore and tools, conveying the daily work of the mine.

A green slope overhanging from upper left contrasts with the bright yellow rock face, and a deep indigo sky tightens the top edge. The industrial site of a mine is depicted gently within the scenery of a lush green mountain.

Full-scale mining of Sado's gold began at Aikawa in the early Edo period, and as a territory directly controlled by the shogunate it produced large amounts of gold and silver. It is also known to have been supported by harsh labor, such as the work of pumping out water that seeped into the tunnels.

The "gold mountain" of the title is thought to refer to the Aikawa gold mine, and the shape of the rocky mountain that looks split in two recalls Doyu no Warito, the remains of an open-pit mine. The National Diet Library also holds an impression with the same composition.