President’s Greetings

Our corporate mission is the safe and stable

supply of limited mineral resources.

Masaharu Takebe

President

Tsuchihashi Mining 

Co.,Ltd.

Mitsuishi (Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture), the area where our mines are located, is home to the largest Rouseki deposits in Japan. Rouseki is a mineral used as firebricks, ceramics, and an additive in various other products. It is characteristically semi-transparent and soft like wax candles.

Among the different types of Rouseki, we mainly mine pottery stone, which contains a mineral called “sericite” suitable for ceramics. Our deposits also produce a fire-resistant mineral called “pyrophyllite.”

At our underground mines, which are among the few remaining in Japan today, mining is carried out by digging tunnels in lower layers. The deepest tunnel is 156 m underground, reaching a depth of 30 m below the sea surface of the Seto Inland Sea.

Tsuchihashi Mining’s corporate policy is “Zero accidents every day,” “Energetic every day,” and “Cooperating with each other every day.”

“Zero accidents every day” is the goal of our “Safety First” culture, which is of primary importance. To create a safe workplace free from accidents, every employee must be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills required to ensure safety when working in the mines.

“Energetic every day” means building a healthy workforce. All employees undergo regular health checkups plus more detailed medical checks to monitor and maintain their health. Moreover, unnecessary overtime work is eliminated so that employees work reasonable hours and can maintain a good balance between work and family life.

“Cooperating with each other every day” emphasizes the importance of teamwork. It also means taking precautions against environmental problems such as noise and powder dust, and having the community understand Tsuchihashi Mining’s business activities. Since mining involves work that deals directly with nature, we must be humble about taking from natural resources.

The mineral resources that can be excavated from mines are limited. Effectively using these resources without waste, and continuously providing customers with products of stable quality is the number one mission of Tsuchihashi Mining. As our mine continues to run actively, we will strive to improve mining safety and skills so that we can remain in business 100 or 200 years in the future.

President

Tsuchihashi Mining Co., Ltd.

History

End of Meiji Era
Development of the Tsuchihashi Mining mine is estimated to have started around this time.
1915
Kikushige Hattori acquires Tsuchihashi Mining. Mining is estimated to have started in this year.
1930 onwards
Seijiro Nishikado and Minoru Otsuka acquire Tsuchihashi Mining and start mining.
1945 onwards
Manpei Nakai and Yasuji Mimura start open-pit mining of Anisaka Kozan (mine next to Tsuchihashi Mining).
1950
Koyo Tsusho Co.,Ltd.(our predecessor) is established in Okayama City.
1952
Changes trade name to “Kawaro Shoji Co., Ltd.” and becomes a distributor of firebricks.
1957
Kawaro Shoji buys out AnisakaKozan.
1964
Kawaro Shoji buys out Tsuchihashi Mining, merges the mining areas with Anizaka Kozan, and names it Tsuchihashi Mining. Starts full-scale development.
1987
Completes inclined shaft for heavy machinery for trackless mining.
1994年
Relocates head office to Mitsuishi, Bizen City. Changes trade name to “Tsuchihashi Mining Co., Ltd.”

Tsuchihashi Mining in the 80s 

 Photograph provided by Osamu Ibe

Company Information

Company name
Tsuchihashi Mining Co., Ltd.
Location of head office
2602 Mitsuishi, Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture 705-0132 JAPAN
TEL
81-869-62-0018
(Business hours: 08:00 to 16:00 Weekdays and 1st and 3rd Saturdays)
FAX
81-869-62-0320
Year established
February 24, 1950
Capital
10,560,000 yen
Mining rights registration
Okayama Prefecture Mining Rights Registration No. 722, No. 617, No. 1125, No. 1127
President
Masaharu Takebe
Officers
4
Employees
11
Products
Mining and sales of pottery stone, Rouseki, silica, fireclay, sericite
Main banks

Chugoku Bank, Mitsuishi branch

Hinase Shinkin Bank, Mitsuishi branch

Mitsui Sumitomo Bank, Okayama branch

Contact Us

Tsuchihashi Mining Co., Ltd.

Phone

81-869-62-0018

(Business hours: 08:00 to 16:00 Weekdays and 1st and 3rd Saturdays)

Facsimile

81-869-62-0320

Location of head office

2602 Mitsuishi, Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture

705-0132  JAPAN

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