Mitsuishi (Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture), the area where our mines are located, is home to the largest Rouseki deposits in Japan. Rouseki is a mineral used as firebricks, ceramics, and an additive in various other products. It is characteristically semi-transparent and soft like wax candles.

Among the different types of Rouseki, we mainly mine pottery stone, which contains a mineral called “sericite” suitable for ceramics. Our deposits also produce a fire-resistant mineral called “pyrophyllite.”

At our underground mines, which are among the few remaining in Japan today, mining is carried out by digging tunnels in lower layers. The deepest tunnel is 156 m underground, reaching a depth of 30 m below the sea surface of the Seto Inland Sea.

Tsuchihashi Mining’s corporate policy is “Zero accidents every day,” “Energetic every day,” and “Cooperating with each other every day.”

“Zero accidents every day” is the goal of our “Safety First” culture, which is of primary importance. To create a safe workplace free from accidents, every employee must be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills required to ensure safety when working in the mines.

“Energetic every day” means building a healthy workforce. All employees undergo regular health checkups plus more detailed medical checks to monitor and maintain their health. Moreover, unnecessary overtime work is eliminated so that employees work reasonable hours and can maintain a good balance between work and family life.

“Cooperating with each other every day” emphasizes the importance of teamwork. It also means taking precautions against environmental problems such as noise and powder dust, and having the community understand Tsuchihashi Mining’s business activities. Since mining involves work that deals directly with nature, we must be humble about taking from natural resources.

The mineral resources that can be excavated from mines are limited. Effectively using these resources without waste, and continuously providing customers with products of stable quality is the number one mission of Tsuchihashi Mining. As our mine continues to run actively, we will strive to improve mining safety and skills so that we can remain in business 100 or 200 years in the future.