Hyogo: Mannequin ‘idols’ lead visitors through ancient silver mining characters who speak in 6 languages

ASAGO, Hyogo – A group of CGI characters called Ginzan Boyz guide visitors through an old silver mine in Asago, Hyogo Prefecture.

Visitors can now walk through more than 1 kilometer of the now defunct Ikuno silver mine. The ‘idols’ are based on sixty mannequins placed throughout the tunnel and are very popular with tourists.

Previously it was impossible to use mobile phones or the internet in the mine because radio waves cannot penetrate the rocks surrounding the tunnel. However, fiber optic cables and Wi-Fi routers have recently been installed on a 700-meter section, allowing visitors to access the Internet.

The Ginzan Boyz, whose name comes from the Japanese word for silver mine, are mannequins placed in the tunnel to show visitors how men used to work in the mine, but are admired by visitors as ‘super underground idols’. Their virtual avatars appear on smartphone screens when visitors scan QR codes at five locations, such as an elevator and a winch, and can speak in six languages, including Japanese and English.