Former Shime Mine Headframe

Overview

The Former Shime Mine Headframe, located in Shime-cho, Kasuya-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture, is an industrial heritage site of the former JNR Shime Mine (Shime Coal Mine; former Imperial Japanese Navy Coal Mine). Standing at 47.65 meters tall, with a longest side of 15 meters and a shortest side of 12.25 meters, its massive structure is a testament to the cutting-edge technology of its time. Built during the Pacific War to extract coal for fueling warships, this headframe was the largest in the Orient and played a vital role as a major energy source during that period. This headframe was built as a state-run enterprise (Navy Fuel Depot) due to the mine's output of high-quality smokeless coal suitable for fueling battleships. Construction of the above-ground portion began in 1941 and was completed in 1943. The underground shaft was excavated and completed between 1943 and 1945. After the war, following the dissolution of the Navy Ministry, the headframe was temporarily owned by the Ministry of Finance before being transferred to the Ministry of Transport (due to a shortage of coal for steam locomotives) by Igamata, the last mine manager under the Navy. Coal continued to be extracted from the shaft after its transfer to the Japanese National Railways, although the deepest levels were not mined. With the electrification and dieselization of railway lines, the mine closed in 1964. Built with high-quality Swedish steel manufactured in Britain and reinforced concrete using materials such as temple bells, the headframe cost 2 million yen at the time. Designed as a nine-story structure, the eighth floor housed a massive Koepe winding machine, with a small projection on the east side serving as the operator's cabin. The Former Shime Mine Headframe is a hammerhead-type winding tower, a style characterized by a large-sized machinery room and operator's cabin at the top, supported by only legs at the bottom. This type of structure was also seen at the Mitsui Miike Coal Mine's Yamasen First Shaft, but it has since been demolished. At the time of its demolition, many in the academic community were unaware of the Shime Mine's headframe, causing a significant stir as it was considered a rare and irreplaceable structure. Among the hammerhead-type headframes built before the end of World War II, only three remain: the JNR Shime (former Imperial Japanese Navy) Coal Mine, the Fushun Coal Mine's Longfeng Shaft (Fushun, China), and the Trummlur Coal Mine (Liege Province, Belgium). The Former Shime Mine Headframe is a precious industrial heritage site that showcases the technology and history of coal mining at the time. Its grandeur and intricacy are truly awe-inspiring. Imagine the coal mining activities of that era as you explore this historic site.