PEOPLE

■How to make use of the “Dublin Principle” at Hashima
To hold an international conference!

---I have heard that the “Heritage of Industrial Revolution of Meiji Japan” is the first World Heritage Site to adopt the new “ICOMOS-TICCIH Cooperative Principles.”
In recommending this heritage site to UNESCO, the Japanese government considered the idea of this Cooperative Principles to be the most advanced and comprehensive framework for preservation, education, exhibition, and management. Then proposed conservation measures in accordance with the Cooperative Principles. I believe it was the right choice, and as a result, it was very effective and beneficial for achieving to be registered as a World Heritage registration.
When we began to consider the Cooperative Principles in 2003, traditional thinking still dominated the preservation of historic sites in ICOMOS and TICCIH, but in the case of an industrial heritage site like this one, including working assets, a more progressive approach is needed. I believe that the Japanese government and those involved in the website are well aware of this and have fully adopted the new thinking set out in the “Dublin Principles.”

---Two years after it was registered as a World Heritage Site, what does Mr. Bumbaru think of the current status of each constituent asset?
This is not only about the "Heritage of Industrial Revolution of Meiji Japan," but also about the Tomioka Silk Mill, which tells the story of Japan's success during the Meiji period, and how the efforts to address the eight recommendations made by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for registration are progressing. I think this is the point that gets the most attention.
For example, how the attached roads are constructed, or how to balance the preservation of World Heritage values with the maintenance of the function of the operational heritage as a production facility in order to display and introduce them. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Japan has become the "world’s laboratory" for the preservation of World Heritage, as the first case of resolving these issues in accordance with the Dublin Principles. I am very happy to say that the “world's testing ground” has been established in Asia, and not in the West.

---How do you assess the current state of Japan's efforts in relation to these eight recommendations?
I haven't looked at all the constituent assets yet, but from what I have read from the reports compiled by the parties involved, I feel that the preservation plan and the interpretation strategy are progressing smoothly. We have the best experts in the Japanese government and in the municipalities involved, thus, I think we can place full confidence in them.
Of course, there are also some constituent assets that have many challenges, such as Hashima (Battleship Island). Unlike temples and Greek historical heritage, Hashima Island contains the legacy of the workers who lived there, including production facilities, machinery, and even residential areas, schools and community spaces. These have become a very sensitive matter to the UNESCO World Committee for they have taken great interest in how it ought to be preserved in the future. The preservation of Hashima Island is a major challenge, and in that sense, we can say that this will be a case where the true value of the “Dublin Principles” will be tested.

---So the “Heritage of the Industrial Revolution in Meiji Japan" is indeed a test case for the “Dublin Principles.”
Certainly for ICOMOS, and for TICCIH, it could be said that this heritage is a test case for the “Dublin Principles.” More importantly, however, is that the conservation and interpretation of this heritage site are proceeding at the initiative of Japan. The heritage project was put together by the panel of experts led by Professor Yukio Nishimura and Sir Neil Cossons of the ICOMOS Japan. Its main subject is Japan.
As an expert, I have one suggestion, as an expert, for future development: how about holding an international conference on Hashima Island, for example, to discuss conservation measures? How can we further develop a partnership that led to the successful registration of the “Heritage of Industrial Revolution of Meiji Japan” as a World Heritage Site? Or, how the “Dublin Principles” ought to be applied to future preservation. Experts from around the world gather on Hashima Island to openly exchange opinions while facing many challenges. If such a panel were to be actualized, I think it would be a very meaningful event.

---Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule today.

(Interview and Writing: Takeo Takashima, Interpreter: Minae Toya, Photography: NCIH)