Japan Gold Barrick Alliance Commences Second 2025 Drill Program
Japan Gold Barrick Alliance Commences
Second 2025 Drill Program
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 10, 2025) -
Japan Gold Corp. (TSXV: JG)
(OTCQB: JGLDF)
("
Japan Gold
" or the "
Company
") is pleased to announce the launch of its second
2025 drill program under the Barrick Alliance, with drilling underway at the Ebino Project, located in the
southern Japanese island of Kyushu. The Ebino drill program consists of three drill holes totalling
approximately 1,300 metres to test the Otsuka and Kuwanoki-Zuri ("KZ") targets located within the
Hokusatsu district, which has produced more than 13 million ounces of gold
1
from several mines and
remains one of the most prospective regions in Japan.
The Ebino drill program is fully funded by Barrick Mining Corporation through its alliance with Japan
Gold. A joint Japan Gold/Barrick technical committee oversees the work programs.
Chairman and CEO, John Proust, commented,
"As drilling was underway at the Barrick Alliance
Hakuryu Project in the northern island of Hokkaido, our team simultaneously prepared for the second
Barrick Alliance drill program at the Ebino Project in southern Japan, proving our capabilities to
successfully manage multiple projects. Drilling at Ebino aims to test the potential for concealed
epithermal veins systems under cover of volcanic material to the north of the Hishikari Mine and to
further unlock the district-scale potential of the Hokusatsu region. This area has been under explored
since the discovery of the high-grade Hishikari deposit in 1981, and we have worked closely with the
Barrick technical team to identify robust targets for drill testing with the potential to host concealed
orebodies."
The Ebino Project
The Ebino Project is located within the Hokusatsu district of the Southern Kyushu Epithermal Gold
Province.
The district contains Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.'s, Hishikari Mine and three major
historic gold mines, Kushikino, Yamagano and Ohkuchi. The Hishikari Mine, with approximately 9Moz of
past production and 5Moz current reserves
2
, is a concealed orebody discovered in 1981. Hishikari is
one of the world's highest-grade gold mines and currently Japan's only active large-scale producing gold
mine.
Ebino is located approximately 10km north of the Hishikari Mine and approximately 8km east of the
historic Ohkuchi Mine.
Historic exploration completed mainly by the Metal Mining Agency of Japan
confirmed the presence of three distinct alteration areas - Otsuka, KZ and Masaki (refer to Figure 1).
Limited historic drilling has been undertaken within the alteration zones.
The Barrick Alliance recently completed a program of target generation over the three alteration areas
including stream sediment, soil and rock chip sampling, mapping, ground magnetics and an IP survey.
Mapping at Otsuka and KZ confirmed an extensive alteration system, which is capped by volcanic
material. The alteration system sits within a favourable NE and E-W structural corridor, spatially
associated with rhyolite/dacitic domes and discrete gravity highs (refer to Figure 2). The alteration
system is comprised of smectite-illite clays.
Ground magnetic survey suggests the alteration area associated with Otsuka and KZ is greater than
mapped, with a zone, 3 km x 3.6 km of magnetic destructive alteration centred over the two targets.
In
places, low level pathfinder soil geochemistry is present, including an extensive low level Hg soil anomaly
(>0.5ppm Hg) covering the Otsuka and KZ alteration zones. Most of the Otsuka and KZ alteration zones
have not been drill tested.
The Otsuka and KZ alteration and associated pathfinder anomalies may represent the upper levels of a
low sulphidation epithermal system, with potential for veins developed at depth.
Three holes, two at Otsuka and one at KZ, are proposed to be drilled to assess the potential for
development of epithermal quartz veins at depth.
This first phase of drilling will not test the Masaki alteration zone as based on the work conducted to
date, the Masaki alteration is interpreted to be high sulfidation related and requires further investigation.
Work to define drill targets within the Masaki area is ongoing.
Qualified Person
The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Japan Gold's Senior
Technical Advisor, Fraser MacCorquodale, BAppSc, MAIG, MSEG, who is a Qualified Person as
defined by National Instrument 43-101.
Figure 1: Ebino Project Historic & Current Mines/Production, Simplified Geology and Planned
Drill Hole Locations
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5665/254996_63010d21f4630aa3_001full.jpg
Figure 2: Otsuka and KZ Proposed Drill Holes
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5665/254996_63010d21f4630aa3_003full.jpg
About Japan Gold Corp.
Japan Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral company focused on the exploration and discovery of high-
grade epithermal gold deposits across the main islands of Japan. The Company holds a significant
portfolio of tenements covering areas with known gold occurrences, history of mining and prospective for
high-grade epithermal gold mineralization in one of the most stable and under explored countries in the
world. The Japan Gold leadership and operational team of geologists, drillers and technical advisors
have extensive experience exploring and operating in Japan and have a track record of discoveries
world-wide. Japan Gold has an alliance with Barrick Gold Corporation to jointly explore, develop and
mine certain gold mineral properties and mining projects with the potential to host Tier 1 or Tier 2 gold
ore bodies in Japan. Significant shareholders include Equinox Partners Investment Management LLC
and Newmont Corporation.
On behalf of the Board of Japan Gold Corp
.
John Proust
Chairman & CEO
For further information, please contact:
Alexia Helgason
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Phone: +1(604) 417-1265
Email:
Cautionary Note
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in
the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to expected or anticipated
future events and anticipated results related to future partnerships and the Company's 2025 gold
exploration program. These statements are forward-looking in nature and, as a result, are subject to
certain risks and uncertainties that include, but are not limited to, the timing and granting of
prospecting rights; the Company's ability to convert prospecting rights into digging rights within the
timeframe prescribed by the Mining Act; general economic, market and business conditions;
competition for qualified staff; the regulatory process and actions; technical issues; new legislation;
potential delays or changes in plans; working in a new political jurisdiction; results of exploration; the
Company's ability to execute and implement future plans, arrange or conclude a joint venture or
partnership; and the occurrence of unexpected events. Actual results achieved may differ from the
information provided herein and, consequently, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein speaks only as of the
date of this News Release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise
forward-looking information or to explain any material difference between such and subsequent actual
events, except as required by applicable laws.
1
Garwin, S. L., Hall, R., & Watanabe, Y. (2005). Tectonic setting, geology, and gold and copper mineralization in Cenozoic magmatic arcs of
Southeast Asia and the West Pacific.
The Mining and Materials Processing Institute of Japan (1989, March). Journal of Japanese gold mines, Vol. 1: Kyushu, Japan
Izawa, E., & Zeng, N. (2001).
Kushikino gold mineralization in a Pliocene volcanic region, Kyushu, Japan
. In Society of Economic Geologists (Ed.),
Guidebook Series (Vol. 34, pp. 53-60). Society of Economic Geologists.
Murakami, H., and Freebey, C., (2001)
Geology and Geophysical Expression of the Yamagano low sulfidation epithermal Au-Ag deposit, southwest
Kyushu
In Society of Economic Geologists (Ed.), Guidebook Series
2
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. Integrated Report, August 2024
To view the source version of this press release, please visit
https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/254996