Kitazawa Flotation Plant

In the Kitazawa district of Aikawa, a group of facilities that contributed to the modernization of mining — including a power plant and thickeners — are concentrated. The flotation method, originally used in the copper refining process, was successfully adapted here for the extraction of gold and silver, marking Japan’s first practical application of this technology. During the wartime production expansion, large-scale investments were made, and the facilities could process over 50,000 tons of ore per month, earning the site the reputation of being “the largest in the East.”