Tatara Iron Works – たたら製鉄

This area is famous for its long history of tatara iron making. The word “tatara” refers to the foot-operated bellows used in the forging of iron.

The area includes preserved tatara furnaces, like the Sugaya Tatara Sannai (Japanese) and the Okuizumo Tatara Swords Museum (Japanese) (accessible by JR Izumoyokota Station), which does a Japanese sword forging display on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month.