Spot

　　　　　　The Ikuno Mine Office Carriage Road (Ikuno Kozanryo Bashamichi) – now the Silver Carriage Road (Gin no Bashamichi) – connects Ikuno Mine in Asago to Shikama Port in Himeji. Designed by French engineer Léon Sisley (1847–1878), it opened in 1876. The first of its kind in Japan, combines French road design method developed by French engineer Pierre-Marie-Jérôme Trésaguet (1716–1796) and the macadam construction method developed by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam (1756–1836). The opening of this road predicted the modernization to come, characteristic of late 19th century Japan.

　　　　　　The road curves around a pond lined with cherry trees, and its surroundings haven’t changed much since its construction. Thanks to that, the excavations conducted on part of the road in 2016 could reveal the use of the macadam construction technique.