「そそるぜ これは！」　静岡に眠る“原油”　人気マンガ「Dr.STONE」に登場の“相良油田”　唯一の聖地がいま人気　最盛期には年間720キロリットル採掘　現在は廃坑も資料館がリニューアル

Crude oil supplies remain uncertain due to the worsening situation in the Middle East. This increased interest in crude oil has brought renewed attention to a "sacred site" of a popular manga. Last weekend, the biennial "crude oil pumping" event was held at the Sagara oil field in Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture. Many people from within and outside the prefecture visited. Visitor: "I didn't even know that crude oil could be extracted in Japan, so I thought it was amazing. (Q. Where are you from today?) I came from Chiba Prefecture." The Sagara oil field in Makinohara City, the only oil field on the Pacific coast, produced crude oil for approximately 80 years, from the Meiji to Showa periods. The reasons for people visiting this place aren't solely due to increased interest in crude oil. Yuji Oishi, Director of the Sagara Oil Field Museum: "Our 'Dr. STONE' anime corner is currently very popular, and the Sagara oil field actually appears in the anime." The museum is located in a park adjacent to the oil mines of the Sagara oil field. The museum features a Dr. STONE corner. Dr. STONE is a popular manga series that has also been adapted into an anime, telling the story of an adventure where the protagonist and his companions build civilization from scratch. The final season began airing in April. The Sagara Oil Field appears in this popular manga, and the museum significantly expanded its space with a life-size panel of the protagonist as part of its April 5th renovation. Of course, the manga's "legacy" isn't limited to the museum. Sagara Oil Field Museum Director, Yuji Oishi: This is the hand-dug hut depicted in the Dr. STONE manga. Even the fence, sign, and streetlights are faithfully reproduced in the manga. Furthermore… Sagara Oil Field Museum Director, Yuji Oishi: This is a "tatara," a tool used to supply fresh air to the workers inside the well. Visitors can actually experience using it, making it very popular. Some fans even stroll around the grounds with the manga in hand. The Sagara oil field, featured in that hugely popular manga, was discovered in 1872. At its peak, it produced 720 kiloliters of crude oil annually, but production declined thereafter, and the mine was completely closed in 1955. This is footage from about 50 years ago, in 1973. At the Sagara oil field, a man scoops up an amber-colored liquid—crude oil—in a large flask. Furthermore, when a lighter is lit on a pipe through which natural gas produced at the oil field flowed… A large flame erupts. In the 1980s, development progressed to create a tourist and educational spot where people could learn about the history of the Sagara oil field and the oil industry of that time, including the restoration of a hand-dug hut. And now, with the renewed interest in crude oil and the popularity of the manga, it's once again in the spotlight. The facility staff are also enthusiastic, seeing this as an opportunity to let many people know about it. Yuji Oishi, Director of the Sagara Oil Field Museum: This is the only place in the entire country that is a sacred site for Dr. STONE. There are so many stories to tell about the developers' struggles and other things, so I hope you'll come and hear them. #Shizuoka Prefecture #Makinohara City, Shizuoka Prefecture #Crude Oil #Manga #Anime #Sagara Oil Field #drstone