Japan's amber deposits are the third largest in the world, after the Baltic and the Dominican Republic. Organized amber mining has been undertaken in Kuji since the Edo Period (1600-1867). Although amber can be extracted from the ground through mines and quarries, it is sometimes possible to find it simply lying on the surface. Amber has been used in many ways throughout the ages, notably as jewelry or in medicine. Learn more about amber in the informative Kuji Amber Museum.