Marco Polo wrote that Japan was a land of gold about 700 years ago.  The Sado gold mines were a big reason. In fact, Japan was one of the world’s largest est producers of gold at the beginning of the Edo period, and Japanese gold was very pure. It was used to make money, of course, but it was also used in paintings and on lacquerware. Now the Sado gold mines are in the news again. UNESCO registered them as a World Heritage site on July 27. The Japanese government wanted to register these mines for many years, but the South Korean government was against the plan because many Koreans had to work there during World War II. South Korea okayed the plan after Japan promised to include an exhibit showing how hard life was for these workers. (138 words)