Niihama, Ehime / 道の駅 マイントピア別子
Michi-no-Eki Minetopia Besshi
A roadside station on Prefectural Road 47 with a mine theme park on the site of the last mining headquarters of the Besshi Copper Mine: a mine railway recreating Japan's first mountain mining railway and a sightseeing tunnel, a gold-panning park, a hot-spring facility with open-air baths and bedrock baths, and an indoor children's play facility. It is also the starting point of the scheduled tour bus to Tonaru, "the Machu Picchu of the East".
Last official check
26 Sept 2026
Traveler reports
0
Reports open in Phase 2
Next scheduled check
25 Dec 2026
Decide before you go
A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.
- Getting there
- Train / Car
- Admission
- Paid (see the price below)
- Closing days
- Has closing days (see below)
Before you go
Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.
- Opening hours
Mine tour 9:00-17:00 (last admission 15:50; varies by season); Besshi Onsen "Tenku no Yu" 10:00-22:00.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Closed
Closed for about a week from the Monday of the third week of February for inspection.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Admission
Mine railway and tunnel: adults 1,500 yen, junior high and high school 1,100 yen, 3 and over 900 yen. Tonaru tour bus: 2,200 yen (elementary and older).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Getting there
About 10 minutes by car from Niihama IC; 15 minutes from JR Niihama Station.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Parking
About 380 spaces (free).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Payment
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Accessibility
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know
Address: Niihama, Ehime (Japanese address: 愛媛県新居浜市立川町707-3)
Official site: https://www.iyokannet.jp/spot/1710
Location
Smaller pins are other spots nearby.
Nearby spots
- No photo yetTonaru (Besshi Copper Mine Ruins)Ehime3 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetEhime Prefectural Science MuseumEhime6 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetUFO LineKochi15 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetmont-bell Outdoor Oasis IshizuchiEhime19 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetGujo ObservatoryEhime21 km away (straight line)
Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.
Crowds
- Crowd level
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Best time to visit
Tonaru tour bus March-November (13:00 daily; 11:00 on weekends and holidays, and on weekdays in May, August and November); about 2 hours.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Peak time
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest days
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest season
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Latest traveler report
- None yet
Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).
You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps
Verification log
- 26 Sept 2026First check · Local government · https://www.iyokannet.jp/spot/1710Hours, closing days, fees, access, parking, description, address and coordinates read from the local government's site.