Tower construction began in 1941 and ended in 1945. The price to build the tower was over 2 million yen (20,408 USD). The winding tower of Tighten-Town stands at 156 feet tall at its highest point. The intake shaft that is dug perpendicular to the coal layers in the ground expands 1,411 feet. It is built of unpainted reinforced concrete. We prepared stunning photos of an abandoned Shime Coal Mine Tower.
It is a winding tower, thus had a 1,000-horse power winch to hoist up and down a carriage apparatus. The Shime Coal Mine Tower was registered as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in December 8th, 2009. There are only 3 Coal Mine Tower of this type left in the world today, with the other two being in China and Belgium. It’s certainly one of the more striking urbex exploration you’re likely to come across anywhere.
