Pechan-river Gold Prospecting Place/Japan

This place is near “Usotan-nai Gold Panning Park”, and can dig placer gold in the actual river. There are instructors and you can borrow gold pan, shovels and boots.
The "Gold Festival" is held in August, there is the competition to compete how much gold can be collected within 1 hour in the river

Also, you can experience gold panning in the pool at the nearby roadside station "Pinneshli".

Address: Peichan Nakatonbetu-tyo Esashi-gun Hokkaido Japan

[Gold digging in Pechan River]
http://www.nihon-kankou.or.jp/hokkaido/015130/detail/01513aa6712086531

[Gold panning in water tank at roadside station ”Pinneshiri”
http://pinneshiri-autocamp.com/sakinbori.html

Usotan-nai Gold Panning Park/Japan

In this area at the northern end of Hokkaido, the gold rush occurred around 1900.  “Usotan-nai” is a gold prospecting place where you can dig placer gold in an actual river using Japanese traditional tools "Uriita" and "Katcha".  
There are instructors, gold digging tools and boots are rented for a fee. You can’t use gold pan or sluice in the park.
In 2002, World Gold Panning Championship was held at the shore of “Lake Kutcharo” in Hamatonbetsu Town.  Many photos of the world gold panning championship are decorated in the guest houses at the gold panning park.

Address: Hamatonbetsu-tyo Esashi-gun Hokkaido Japan

[Usotannai Gold Dust Mining Park]
http://www.town.hamatonbetsu.hokkaido.jp/sightSeeingEvent/index_usotan.phtml

[Photos and results at 2002 World Gold Panning Championship- Hamatonbetsu]
http://www.town.hamatonbetsu.hokkaido.jp/sightSeeingEvent/usotan-world2002.phtml

The place where gold panning is done in Japan

Japan was introduced as the golden country "Zipangu" in the past.　There were many mines that produced gold, but now they are almost scrapped and there are few places for tourists.
Although there are people who dig gold  in a natural river as a hobby, the amount that can be taken is small.

I summarized the information in a table that contains gold panning competitions ,experience places for gold panning, and mine tourist facilities.
The details of these facilities are described from the next articles.

Facilities relate to gold in Japan

A: competition

       B: gold panning in pool, C: gold panning in river
       D: mine tourism

No.	Name of Facility	A	B	C	D
1	Usotan-nai Gold Panning Park	✔	✔	✔
2	Pechan-river Gold Prospecting Place	✔		✔
3	Rekifune-river: Gold Minig Experience			✔
4	Osarizawa Mine	✔	✔		✔
5	Tenpyou Romankan		✔
6	Gold Park Narumi		✔		✔
7	Sado Gold Mine				✔
8	Sado Nishimikawa Gold Park		✔	✔
9	Oppara Dream Union	✔	✔	✔
10	Yu-no-oku Museum of Gold Mining History	✔	✔
11	Toi Gold Mine	✔	✔		✔
12	Ikuno Silver Mine		✔		✔
13	Maintopia Besshi		✔		✔
14	Mikawa Mu-valley		✔		✔
15	Taio Gold Mine	✔	✔		✔
16	Hosokura Mine Park		✔		✔
17	Tachiyazawa-river: Gold Prospecting			✔
18	Esashi-Fujiwara Heritage Park		✔
19	Satsuma-Kinzangura				✔
20	Hakuseki-Kan		✔

Map of facilities related to gold in Japan