The Meiji-Taisho-Era Small Pit Coalface Entrance

It was at the irekuchi (coalface entrance) along the kanekata (level) that the atoyama (helper) of the hewer did not need to work hard. Because she could directly scoop up the coal mined by her sakiyama (hewer) and such work was called sukuikomi. In this case, the atomuki (atoyama) would be very cheerful humming songs while the sakiyama worked hard contrarily. The entrance was 2 meters high and the coalface was narrow. The coalface was of an aratoko (new coal bed) and the coal was so hard that even an expert hewer could not easily mine it. After the coalface was driven 3 meters deep it was widened to the width of about 4 meters. The coalfaces with thin coal seams were naturally driven quickly and the subsidiary kairos (normally kaidos: haulage ways) were lengthened day by day. And some coal pits paid additional kairo-chin (haulage fare) of 1 or 2 sen per mine car.
 
Text at the Top Center
  Even thin coal seams were mined in an upright position in kanekatas (levels).
 
Lyrics of “Gotton Bushi” Song
Noborya horinasanna me ni ishi ga iru.
Kudarya horinasanna mizu ga tsuku.
Gotton!
 
Don’t mine coal on an ascending coalface, or your eyes will catch coal dust.
Don’t mine coal on a descending coalface, or the coal will get soaked with water.
Gotton (Clang)! (Interjected chant)