More enjoyable trip to Hachimantai and Appi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
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History of Hachimantai

A city that is one of the first to realize sustainable living

Hachimantai City is home to the Hachimantai area of Towada-Hachimantai National Park, where you can feel the bountiful nature close at hand.
Of its history, the Matsuo Mine is particularly famous for its sulfur, which was claimed to be the best sulfur mine in the East.
At its peak, about 15,000 people lived in a huge apartment complex built 1,000 meters above sea level, making it famous as a "paradise above the clouds. However, demand for sulfur ore declined over time, and the mine closed in 1966.
History of Hachimantai-Appi Snow Resort
In 1929, the Matsuo Mine Ski Club was established. At the 9th All-Japan Championships in 1931, the team became a powerhouse, winning three events, including the men's team jump. (Image courtesy of Matsuo Mine Museum)
History of Hachimantai

Around 1955, when the mining economy was beginning to show signs of slowing down, the company was planning to construct a new recreation center in anticipation of increased tourism demand in the future. As a start, they drilled a borehole in the Matsukawa hot spring area, but of the four boreholes they drilled, only one produced hot spring water. The remaining three boreholes emitted high-quality steam, not hot spring water.

Japan was in the midst of a period of rapid economic growth. Electric appliances were beginning to spread to ordinary households, and demand for a stable supply of electricity was rising. Led by Matsuo, the village mayor at the time, who thought that steam could be used for power generation, the company proceeded with research and excavation work in cooperation with academic institutions and other organizations.

Then, on January 14, 1964 (Showa 39), the first well for full-scale power generation blew up a column of steam with an explosive sound. The history of geothermal power generation in this area began when the first well for full-scale power generation blew up a column of steam with an explosive sound.

In 1966, the Matsukawa Geothermal Power Plant, Japan's first geothermal power plant, began operation. The Matsukawa Geothermal Power Plant, which utilizes the best of modern science of the time to generate power from geothermal steam, a natural clean energy of the earth, is still in operation more than 50 years later (as of 2021) and continues to produce geothermal energy.

History of Hachimantai
Well No. 1 erupts in a boring at the Matsukawa geothermal power plant. (1964)
History of Hachimantai
The Matsukawa geothermal power plant, the fourth of its kind in the world, was completed. (1966)
History of Hachimantai
A view of the Matsukawa geothermal power plant, which continues to operate today. (Photo taken June 2019)

In the 1970s, the company succeeded in drawing hot water from a 6-kilometer section of the Matsukawa geothermal power plant. Starting with the opening of Hachimantai Heights as a recreation center that took advantage of the good quality hot spring water, hotels and inns were built one after another, giving birth to Hachimantai Hot Spring Village and a great boost to the tourism business.

In 1981, the Appi Kogen Ski Resort opened. It has made a name for itself throughout Japan as a major resort area.

In January 2019, the Matsuo-Hachimantai Geothermal Power Plant, the second geothermal power plant in the city, will begin full-scale operation. In addition, a study conducted by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) confirmed the existence of promising geothermal resources underground in the Appi area, and construction of the city's third geothermal power plant, the Appi Geothermal Power Plant, is underway.

Abundant geothermal energy is a gift from the earth. Today, Hachimantai City is known as a town where geothermal energy is utilized not only for power generation but also for industry and agriculture to realize a sustainable lifestyle. The latest IoT technology and geothermal hot water are used to cultivate basil, geothermal steam is used to bleach colors, and geothermal steam dyeing is used in many other ways in the city.

History of Hachimantai
History of Hachimantai

In August 2022, the prestigious Harrow School in England will open its first school in Japan, Harrow International School Appi , Japan. The resort area with rich future potential and a sense of unity between nature and life is attracting worldwide attention.

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