Open-pit Coal Mine in Utashinai City !

by Kazu
It is called open-pit mining, open-cut mining or opencast mining.
I've never seen the real open-pit coal mine before but there is one in Utashinai City, Sorachi sub-prefectural area where had been the center of energy-producing in Japan. Yes, Sorachi meant the world before.
It can be seen from the top and the hillside of Mt. Kamoi(dake) where many professional skier   visit in winter.

Now that nuclear power generating system has been halted in Hokkaido, the thermal power station are at work around the clock and trucks carry the coal from this coalmine to the power stations so frequently. The coalmine industry nosedived many years ago but this open-pit coal mine is in full flourish albeit the owner company can not invest to the machines and human resources because it is not foreseeable how long the flourish will continue.