Toho Zinc Factory Live Cam

Origins and Early Development

Situated on the outskirts of Annaka City in Gunma Prefecture, the Tōhō Zinc Factory owes its inception to Japan’s rapid industrialization at the turn of the 20th century. Drawing on local deposits of sphalerite and galena from the nearby Usui and Kanna mining districts, the factory began operations in 1907 under the aegis of a conglomerate formed to secure strategic metal resources. Investors touted the plant as a model of “Meiji era industry” and “industrial heritage site” potential, establishing basic roasting and leaching facilities to convert raw ore into crude zinc oxide and lead byproducts.