PEOPLE

2015.10.16

Vol.1

The Genesis of Japan's Rise as an Industrial Nation: Preserving the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution for Future Generations

Chairman of the Consortium for the World Heritage Inscription of Modern Industrial Heritage (Kyushu-Yamaguchi) and governor of Kagoshima Prefecture (as of 2015)

Mr.Yuichiro Ito

PROFILE

Date of birth

November 17, 1947

Birthplace

Izumi City, Kagoshima

Academic background

June 1971 Graduates University of Tokyo Faculty of Law

Career summary


May 1972 to	Work locations: Fukuoka, Ishikawa, and Saitama prefectures; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc.
March 1993
April 1993	Salary Division Director, Public Service Personnel Division, Administrative Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs
May 1995	Promotion Division Director, Administrative Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs
September 1996	Municipal Bond Division Director, Finance Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs
July 1997	Administrative Division Director, Administrative Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs
August 1999	Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Home Affairs
May 2000	Deputy Secretary Director, Secretariat for the Committee to Promote Decentralization, Prime Minister’s Office
January 2001	Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
July 2001	Director, Secretariat for the Committee to Promote Decentralization, Cabinet Office
January 2003	President, Local Autonomy College, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
January 2004	Senior Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
February 2004	Retires from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
July 2004	Assumes post of Kagoshima Prefecture Governor

Tell us how the efforts started to apply for the World Heritage inscription of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.

Ito: It all began when Ms. Koko Kato and I met with Dr. Stuart Brian Smith, an authority on industrial heritage and the former secretary-general of the International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH). He noted that Japan was the only country in Asia that had transformed itself into an industrial power in just 50 years by integrating the technology and culture of other nations with its own traditional technologies, and went on to say this made Japan unique in the world and gave high added value to its industrial heritage.

　Much of Japan’s industrial heritage is concentrated in Kyushu, a testimony to the considerable efforts and foresight of Nariakira Shimadzu and other leaders of the former Satsuma domain. I was intrigued by the idea of applying for World Heritage inscription and also felt this would be a meaningful project for the region.

　We decided to start with the sites in Kyushu and held a symposium in July 2005 under the sponsorship of Kagoshima Prefecture. The outcome of the symposium was the Kagoshima Declaration launching the official drive for World Heritage inscription. We defined our concept, formed our consortium, and in June 2006, the Kyushu Prefectural Governors Conference adopted as a shared policy objective “the conservation and use of modern industrial heritage sites in Kyushu.” With this we applied ourselves in earnest to promoting the project for World Heritage inscription.

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Backnumber＞ALL

Vol.59

～The Appeal of Cultural Heritage as the Chief Researcher of the Industrial Heritage Information Centre～

Senior Researcher, Industrial Heritage Information Centre

Honorary Advisor, Nippon Mining Co., Ltd.

The Ambassador of Supporting Kamaishi Hometown

Mr. Satoshi Onozaki

Vol.58

What is the value of World Heritage? - The viewpoint necessary to protect World Heritage sites is not to overlook what is essential.

Former Director of Nagasaki City World Heritage Office

Mr. Yoichi Tanaka

Vol.57

Living now for the future of Japan: The mission of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution is to raise awareness and courage that "Japan can be saved if we make use of the spirit of our predecessors."

Former General Manager, Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Dr. Kunifumi Hashimoto

Vol.56

Japan's Meiji Industrial Heritage is the Pride of Japan - Knowing the Steps of Our Predecessors is the Key to Reconsidering Japanese Education

Chairman, Fujisankei Group

Executive Managing Advisor, Fuji Television Network, Inc.

Executive Managing Advisor, Fuji Media Holdings, Inc.

Mr, Hisashi Hieda

Vol.55

The Road to World Heritage Registration was Full of its Ups and Downs ～Blessed, Saved and Paved by the Luck of Human Fate～

Advisor, Federation of Japan Port and Airport Construction Association

(Ex. Chairman of Specialists Center of Port and Airport Engineering)

Mr. Hiroshi Hayashida

Vol.54

The historical flow of change from "Samurai to the Company" is the pride of Japan - Nagasaki, the center of Japan's Meiji Industrial Heritage Sites, will lead the way to connect to the next generation.

Mayor of Nagasaki City

Mr. Shiro Suzuki

Vol.53

The Saga Clan Built Japan's First Reverberatory Furnace, and the "Mietsu Naval Station" was the Base of the Western-style Navy: Passing on the Passion That Went Into Registering the Site as a World Heritage Site to the Next Generation

Former Director of the Sano Tsunetami Memorial Museum (currently known as Sano Tsunetami and the Mietsu Naval Dock History Museum)

Mr. Yoshimi Eguchi

Vol.52

The Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution is a "World Cultural Heritage" and a "World Evolutionary Heritage

Director of NPO Association for Thinking about Satoyama

Director of National Congress of the Industrial Heritage

Mr. Kenji Amioka

Vol.51

Shoin Shrine has a mission to convey the history leading up to the Meiji Restoration properly

Honorary Chief Priest Toshinari Ueda

Mr. Toshinari Ueda

Vol.50

What is the secret plan to make the Port of Miike, an operational asset of a World Heritage site?

Former Mayor of Omuta City

Mr. Michio Koga

Vol. 49

Why Conservation Management of Japan's Meiji Industrial Sites is needed?

Archaeologist and Heritage Conservation Specialist

Dr. Michael Pearson AO

Vol.48

The Truth of Industrial History Unraveled from the Perspective of Metallurgy: the Mission of the Heritage of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution is to Pass on the Intelligence, Diligence, and Fortitude of the Japanese People to Future Generations

A fellow of the Japan Federation of Engineering Societies

Professor Tadahiro Inazumi

Vol.47

The Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution is a Great Teaching Aid, and Various World Revealed by Looking Into It

Team Member of the Industrial Project Team Office for the Promotion of World Heritage Listing under Cabinet Secretariat

Mr. Kazuhiko Suga

Vol.46

The History of Iron that Began in Kagoshima has Dramatically Advanced Japan's Modernization～I Want to Pass on the Vitality of the People of Satsuma to the Younger Generations Whom Will Live in the Future～

Governor of Kagoshima Prefecture

Koichi Shiota

Vol.45

Yoshida Shoin preached the Theory of Engineering Education and produced the Choshu Five who risked their lives to go to England--to pass on the proud Hagi spirit to future generations

Mayor of Hagi City

Mr. Fumio Tanaka

Vol.44

I wish to pass on to my children's generation the wisdom, technology, and energy of our ancestors who built Misumi West Port - I will do my very best to do what I can at this moment by looking ahead to the future that will surely come after COVID-19.

Mayor of Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture

Mr. Kenshi Morita

Vol. 43

An Imperial Company named the Yawata Steel Works became a World Heritage Site from a Single Old Photo!

The Former Employee of Nippon Steel Corporation

Mr. Masayoshi Minakuchi

Vol.42

We would like to Establish a "New Local Studies" that will be transmitted to the Outside World.

An Associate Professor of the Faculty of Science and Engineering in Iwate University

Mr. Hideki Onodera

Vol.41

18 Years History of a Tourist Guide Business and an Outpouring of "Love for Misumi West Port." ～"Registration for World Heritage is Not Simply a Goal, but a New Starting Point."～

Chairman of the Tourist Guide Association of Misumi West Port

Mr. Manpo Saito

Vol.40

To Mark the Passage of "Time" Together with Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace ～To increase the attractiveness of "reverberatory furnace tourism" through the use of commercial museum and restaurant business～

President of Kuraya Narusawa Co., Ltd.

Chairman of Izunokuni City Tourism Association

Mr. Hironori Inamura

Vol.39

The Establishment of the Gunkanjima Digital Museum Were Led by Fate: I want to start, continue, and finish what I can do to convey the value of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution to a wide audience

Director and General Manager of Gunkanjima Concierge

Producer of the Gunkanjima Digital Museum

Ms. Yuko Kuon

Vol.38

In Industrial Heritage, It's the "People" Who Play the Central Role: How World Heritage Inscription Casts a Fresh Light on Hometown Splendors

Owner at Tōge Chaya

Ms. Shizuko Ogasawara

Vol.37

Everything is for the Economic Development of Nagasaki--Expanding Beyond the Shipping Business to Pass on Nagasaki's Culture and Industrial Heritage

Chairman: Mr. Hidenori Date
President: Mr. Masahiro Date

Yamasa Kaiun Co., Ltd.

No.36

Kamaishi's "Miracles" and Overcoming Disaster: The Huge Opportunity Provided by World Heritage Site Inscription

Proprietor, Houraikan Inn

Ms. Akiko Iwasaki

Vol.35

"850 years of historical records" along with Nirayama reverberatory furnace that ought to be passed down to future generations. ~The long-awaited new storage warehouse is completed and it has encouraged preservation, restoration, and utilization~

Representative Director of Egawa Bunko non-profit incorporated foundation

The 42nd head of the Egawa Family

Mr. Hiroshi Egawa

Vol.34

The History of an Era Opened by an Indomitable Pioneering Spirit and the Power of Our Forefathers

Democratic Party for the People (DPP) Representative for Nagasaki Prefecture

Mr. Yoshiaki Takaki

Vol.33

Gunkanjima Is a Warning Message for the Future of Earth and Humanity ～The Thoughts and Pleas of a Guide and Former Resident～

President of the NPO, Way to World Heritage Gunkanjima

Mr. Dotoku Sakamoto

Vol.32

Synchronicity Yields the Miracle of World Heritage Site Inscription: Strong Aspirations Inspire Support among Like-Minded Individuals

Representative Director

MI Consulting Group

Mr. Fumio Ohue

Vol.31

Power to the People of Japan The Mission of Meiji Japan's Industrial Revolutionary Heritage

President of Watanabe Production Group and Honorary Chair of Watanabe Productions Co., Ltd.

Ms. Misa Watanabe

Vol.30

Turning Our Industrial Heritage into Hope for Those 100 Years From Now

Member of the House of Councillors

Mr.Tatsuo Hirano

Vol.29

Calling on 21st Century Satsuma Students to Build the Future! Shuseikan Serves as a Source of Information about Sightseeing in Kagoshima

Governor
Kagoshima Prefecture

Mr. Satoshi Mitazono

Vol.28

Awareness of "Stories with Connections" is steadily spreading throughout each region～There are also challenges for conservation management and interpretation～

World Heritage Consultant

Ms. Sarah Jane Brazil

Vol.27

Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way: Connecting with People Takes Courage and Initiative

Director and Dean, The Kyushu-Asia Institute of Leadership
Representative Director, SUMIDA, Inc.

Mr. Koichi Hashida

Vol.26

Taking Pride in Japan's Latest World Heritage Sites~A Journalist's Perspective~

Journalist, founder of the Shimomura Mitsuko Ikikata Juku School

Ms. Mitsuko Shimomura

Vol.25

Classic Cars and the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution~Rally Nippon 2019 in Kyushu~

Representative, Rally Nippon

Mr.Yusuke Kobayashi

Vol.24

Preparations Proceed for the Development of Exciting Touring Routes to See the World Heritage Sites - The Promotion Council Conveys their Attractions to the World through Various Promotions!

Chairman, Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution World Heritage Route Promotion Council Director, National Congress of Industrial Heritage

Mr. Susumu Ishihara

Vol.23

Giving Greater Force to the Preparation of Routes toward Promoting "Heritage Tourism" - Recollections of the Unforgettable Bombing of Hometown Kure City and the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb

Representative Director, General Incorporated Foundation National Congress of Industrial Heritage (Advisor, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Capital Markets Research Institute）

Mr. Hiroshi Yasuda

Vol.22

The City Connected to the World: Making the "Treasure of Nagasaki" the "Treasure of the World"

Mayor of Nagasaki City

Mr.Tomihisa Taue

Vol.21

"The World's Experimental Facility" that Questions of the True Value of the "ICOMOS-TICCIH Cooperative Principles" New Conservation Challenges Promoted by the Japanese Government

Policy Director at Heritage Montreal

Mr. Dinu Bumbaru

Vol.20

Days of Heated Argument with the Unforgettable Stuart Smith～A Cross-Cultural Encounter with Familiar 19th-Century Industrial Heritage～

World Heritage Consultant

Mr. Barry Gamble

Vol.19

The next generation of technological innovation is born from carrying forward history and culture. - Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution open the way to "conserving while using"

Executive Director of Kogakuin University

Dr.Osamu Goto

Vol.18

Blazing a New Trail for Serial Inscription-Format Conservation and Management with the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Training Personnel to Pass on Memory and Understanding as a Major Challenge in the Future

Heritage Architect and International Consultant

Mr. Duncan Marshall

Vol.17

3D Digital Documentation of the Giant Cantilever Crane and Kosuge Dock

Head of Data Acquisition at The Glasgow School of Art’s School of Simulation and Visualisation

Mr. Alastair Rawlinson

Vol.16

Japan's Uplifting Industrial Heritage

Head of Industrial Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh

Dr. Miles Oglethorpe

Vol.15

The Scottish Ten Project

Scottish Ten Project Manager, Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh

Dr. Lyn Wilson

Vol.14

The Tea Plantation Hill Where You Can See Two World Heritage Sites at Once, Mt. Fuji and the Nirayama Reverberatory Furnaces--The Next Dream Is a "Mini Reverberatory Furnace for Children" to Provide Experiential Learning

Mayor of Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Ms.Toshiko Ono

Vol.13

Path to becoming a World Heritage Site

Pro-Provost and Chairman of Council of the Royal College of Art. Heritage advisor of Canal & River Trust for England and Wales.

Sir Neil Cossons

Vol.12

In the midst of accurate information dissemination, it created a chance to truly look at history

Dean of Tokyo Rissho Junior College

Professor emeritus of Keio University

Dr. Kudo Norikazu

No.11

World Heritage Inscription Spurs Renewed Civic Pride in Kitakyushu's Industrial Heritage

Mayor of Kitakyushu City

Mr. Kenji Kitahashi

Vol.10

World Heritage Inscription: Report on the 2015 Celebratory Party Held in Bonn, Germany

At the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee convened in Bonn, Germany, from June 28 to July 8, 2015, the decision was approved to inscribe the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution on the World Heritage list.

At a celebratory party held to mark the occasion, some of the primary promoters of the project spoke of their joy in achieving their goal and of the trials and tribulations to getting there.

Background of World Heritage Inscription

Vol.9

Conserve and Use: Pioneering New Approaches for Operational Heritage Assets

Director and Managing Executive Officer, Hanshin Expressway Company Limited

Member, Board of Directors, National Congress of Industrial Heritage

Mr. Hiroshi Okamoto

Vol.8

Applying Port and Harbor Act Provisions to Conserve Operating World Heritage Sites

Vice-Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture

Mr. Takashi Namba

Vol.7

The Choshu Five: Pioneers of Modernization and Hagi's Heritage of Trial and Error

Mayor of Hagi City

Mr. Koji Nomura

Vol.6

The Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: The Roots of Japanese Craftsmanship and Industry

Chairman, Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd.

Mr.Masafumi Yasutomi

Vol.5

The Miike Area: How Coal Contributed to Japan's Modern Industrialization

Mayor of Omuta City

Mr.Michio Koga

Vol.4

The Meiji Industrial Revolution: A Story of Broad Vision and a Strong Sense of Mission to Undertake New Challenges for the Good of the Nation and its People

Deputy Director-General, Lifelong Learning Policy Bureau, MEXT

Former Counsellor, Cabinet Secretariat

Mr. Kengo Iwamoto

Vol.3

From Kamaishi to Yawata: The Proud Heritage of Japan's Modern Iron Industry

Mayor of Kamaishi City

Mr.Takenori Noda

Vol.2

Lord Nariakira Shimadzu's Shuseikan and the Efforts to Build a Strong and Affluent Nation

Member, Board of Directors, National Congress of Industrial Heritage Counselor, Shimadzu Limited

Mr.Kimiyasu Shimadzu

Vol.1

The Genesis of Japan's Rise as an Industrial Nation: Preserving the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution for Future Generations

Chairman of the Consortium for the World Heritage Inscription of Modern Industrial Heritage (Kyushu-Yamaguchi) and governor of Kagoshima Prefecture (as of 2015)

Mr.Yuichiro Ito