(Translated by Google) One day in April when the weather was nice, I drove towards Tagawa.
As I was driving along Akizuki Kaido, I saw two chimneys, so I stopped by the Coal and History Museum.
This is the site of the former Mii Tagawa Industrial Works, and was opened in 1983 as the Tagawa City Coal Museum.
There are many memorial museums with coal as a theme, but this museum is unusual in that it has well-maintained exhibits.
In addition, in the plaza in front of the museum, the history of coal mining is enriched with a monument to the birthplace of Coal Mining, a statue of a coal miner, and an Ida pit turret, making it an unexpectedly enjoyable experience.
The main part of the museum is that you pay 400 yen at the front reception desk and go to the first exhibition space on the left.At the back is an outdoor exhibition hall where you can see coal mining machinery and a restored coal mining house.
Tanizumi is surprisingly realistic, the doll... The drinking old man is funny, but the kitchen lady catches him off guard and surprises him.
Return to the main building and go to the second floor to see the Yamamoto Sakubei Collection, where you can understand the history of harsh labor and life during the prosperity of the coal industry, which has been responsible for the development of Japan's modern industry since the Meiji period.
As a side note, the original version of Sumikobushi was sung by female workers who were engaged in coal sorting (coal sorting work) at the Miidagawa Coal Mine, and ``Sama-chan'' in the lyrics was sung from a woman's point of view. He seems to be her boyfriend or a man she likes. It's a little sad.
(Original)
天気の良い4月のある日、田川方面へドライブ。
秋月街道を走っていると2本煙突が見えたので「石炭・歴史博物館館」へ寄ってきました。
ここは旧三井田川工業所の跡地で、1983年に「田川市石炭資料館」として開館したとのこと。
石炭をテーマとした記念館は沢山あるけれど、博物館は珍しく展示物もよく整備されています。
また博物館の前広場に炭坑節発祥碑や炭坑夫之像、伊田竪坑櫓など炭鉱の歴史がぎゅっと濃縮されて予想外に楽しめる。
肝心な博物館ですが、正面の受付で400円を払って左手の第1展示スペースへ、その奥が屋外展示場となっていて採炭機械や復元された炭坑住宅も見学できます。
炭住は意外とリアル、その人形...酒飲みのオジサンは笑えるが炊事場の奥さんには不意を突かれて驚かされる。
本館に戻り2階へ、山本作兵衛コレクションを見学しながら明治期以降わが国近代産業の発展を担ってきた石炭産業の隆盛の中で、過酷な労働の歴史や生活が理解できます。
蛇足ですが、炭坑節のオリジナルは三井田川炭鉱の選炭(石炭の選別作業)作業に従事していた女性労働者が歌っていたもので、歌詞に出てくる「サマちゃん」は女性から見た彼氏もしくは好意を寄せる男性らしいです。ちょっと切ないですね。