Hashino Iron Mining and Smelting Site

In 1858 this pioneer commercial Japanese ironworks succeeded, through trial and error experimentation and application of Japanese iron making knowledge, in producing pig iron from locally available iron ore (magnetite), thus marking the birthplace of the modern Japanese iron and steel industry.
Around 1,000 workers were employed at this major industrial concern that marked a stepchange in both technology and scale from traditional 'Tatara' iron making enterprises. Hashino represents the successful gathering of empirical operational and commercial experience gained from pioneer experimental and small-scale Western-style, charcoal-fuelled and waterwheel blown, blast furnaces.
The remains of these three blast furnaces, beginning with the initial test furnace of 1858, reflect the proto-industrial copying of Dutch textbook plans, followed by the fusing of Western blast furnace technology with pre-exisitng Japanese iron making knowledge, to successfully smelt iron ore. They are part of the only blast furnace complex that operated in Japan during the early years of the Meiji era and are the oldest surviving remains of Western style blast furnaces in Japan. Their authenticity is unquestionable and their functional integrity of the whole process from resource exploitation to smelting is exceptional.
Experience gained during the operation of Hashino and Kamaishi and wisdoms of craftsmanship and skills of indigenous iron masters contributed to the successful importation of industrialization in the process of adoption and adaptation of technology and expertise to operate it in Imperial Steel Works, Japan at Yawata in 1901.