Will the modernization of an isolated mountain village, generally regarded as a less advanced region, be brought on by mineral exploitation? The intention of this article is to find out a clue of such a ploblem. There will be two questions, first: How influenced the Besshi copper-mine, on which the Sumitomo plutocracy has his foundation, to the economy of Besshiyama-mura since 1691, the opening year of the mine? and second: How the economy of the mountain village adapted to the influences of the mine?
1. Before the industrial revolution in Meiji era the relation between copper-mine and mountain village was that the former needed surrounding forests belonging to the latter in order to get charcoal as the refining fuel. “Ohayashi”-the forests managed directly by feudal government-occupied most of forests in this village, were all transfered in 1702 to Izumiya, the mining manager who was the Sumitomo's ancestor. Since then about 90 percent of the forests of the village have been under his exclusive use up to now.
2. The exclusive use drived away the villagers to such engagements as making or carrying charcoal for the copper-mine till later years in Meiji. After the industrial revolution they lost the jobs of the charcoal for the mine. Their livelihood has come to depend gradually on the mine as miners.
Thus their subsistence econmy in a montain village has been weakened. There is in no initiative to the modernization in this village. The initiative of the moderization of mountain village ought to be based on the mountain village itself. In this village the initiative of the modernization is paralysed by the dependance to the mine. Mineral exploitation is not a permanent productive adtivity for mountain villagers. Therefore it is necessary to spread the area being able to utilize forests for them and to intend the modern management, in consideration of the regional character of this mountain village.

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