Fluorescent stones surround visitors at an underground museum in Hita, Oita Prefecture.
11:46 JST, October 19, 2024
HITA, Oita – Fluorescent stones scattered throughout the aging mine shaft emit colorful light, forming the so-called underground museum of the Taio Kinzan gold mine, once the largest producer of the precious metal in the East.
The tourist facility in Hita, Oita Prefecture, features about 30,000 such stones spread over a 40-meter section of the area accessible through the tunnel. The stones glow when illuminated by black light.
The temperature in the tunnel, where few areas are exposed to the outside air, remains around 14 C all year round. The tunnel attracted more visitors this year than in a normal year due to the brutal summer heat.
“There are so many colors that are sparkling – it looks like Christmas,” said an 8-year-old from the city.
