PEOPLE
Chairman of the Consortium for the World Heritage Inscription of Modern Industrial Heritage (Kyushu-Yamaguchi) and governor of Kagoshima Prefecture (as of 2015)
There appear to have been a number of names for the project before you finally settled on “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.”
Ito: That was because we kept reviewing and changing the heritage site components. An application for tentative listing of the “Modern Industrial Heritage Sites in Kyushu and Yamaguchi” was submitted to the Agency for Cultural Affairs in November 2006. After additional repeated studies made with experts from overseas, our consortium was joined by the cities of Kamaishi in Iwate Prefecture and Izunokuni in Shizuoka Prefecture. Because of this, when we submitted our proposal to the Cabinet Secretariat in April 2013, we changed the title to “Japan’s Modern Industrial Heritage Sites: Kyushu-Yamaguchi and Related Areas.” As it happened, by the time the Japanese government submitted a proposal to UNESCO, the name had changed again to “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Kyushu-Yamaguchi and Related Areas.” (NOTE: On May 4, 2015, upon the recommendation of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the proposed subtitle was changed to “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining.”
As you can see by these changes in the proposal name, our most difficult task was deciding on the heritage components. This burden was primarily carried by our overseas expert advisors, including Sir Neil Cossons, Dr. Stuart Smith, and World Heritage consultants, Mr. Michael Pearson and Mr. Barry Gamble. These people formed a team and carefully researched each and every one of Japan’s proposed industrial heritage sites, finally selecting 23 sites. Their work was phenomenal, particularly in the beginning when they visited every site on a grueling schedule.
Their expert and appropriate advice at an early stage in the project was a major factor in securing World Heritage designation for the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution. Thanks to their contribution we were able to draft a clearly defined concept and decide on the components and present our proposal for World Heritage inscription with confidence that it would be accepted.
The Cabinet Secretariat eventually formed its own special group to promote the registration.
Ito: Yes, we started out as a local project, but it was later elevated to a national project.
The Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution include such currently operating facilities as the Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, Yahata Steel Works, and the Port of Miike. Applying the provisions of the Act on Protection of Cultural Properties in these cases would have hindered their activities, but, thanks to the hard work of Ms. Koko Kato, a framework was created similar to those being implemented overseas to preserve industrial heritage sites through laws specific to ports, landscapes, rivers and the like. And this in turn led to the creation within the Cabinet Secretariat of a group to promote World Heritage inscription.
How did you and Ms. Koko Kato work together to develop this project?
Ito: Ms. Koko Kato says that she first became aware of industrial heritage sites when she was a graduate student at Harvard. She first approached me in 2005 with her idea for preserving Japan’s industrial heritage sites as World Heritage. She works remarkably fast and when problems arise always knows exactly when and who to talk to for effective solutions. She would contact me when necessary and I always endeavored to oblige.
What were your thoughts when Japan’s proposal was approved at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Bonn, Germany?
Ito: This was a project led by numerous local governments in Kyushu and Yamaguchi Prefecture over a period of nearly 10 years. I was overjoyed to see our collaboration bear fruit in this way. My first reaction was to share this joy with the people of the relevant ministries and government offices, the experts in Japan and overseas who assisted us, the corporate owners of the heritage sites, and the many other people who had worked so hard for so long.
Senior Researcher, Industrial Heritage Information Centre
Honorary Advisor, Nippon Mining Co., Ltd.
The Ambassador of Supporting Kamaishi Hometown
Former Director of Nagasaki City World Heritage Office
Former General Manager, Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Chairman, Fujisankei Group
Executive Managing Advisor, Fuji Television Network, Inc.
Executive Managing Advisor, Fuji Media Holdings, Inc.
Advisor, Federation of Japan Port and Airport Construction Association
(Ex. Chairman of Specialists Center of Port and Airport Engineering)
Mayor of Nagasaki City
Former Director of the Sano Tsunetami Memorial Museum (currently known as Sano Tsunetami and the Mietsu Naval Dock History Museum)
Director of NPO Association for Thinking about Satoyama
Director of National Congress of the Industrial Heritage
Honorary Chief Priest Toshinari Ueda
Former Mayor of Omuta City
Archaeologist and Heritage Conservation Specialist
A fellow of the Japan Federation of Engineering Societies
Team Member of the Industrial Project Team Office for the Promotion of World Heritage Listing under Cabinet Secretariat
Governor of Kagoshima Prefecture
Mayor of Hagi City
Mayor of Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture
The Former Employee of Nippon Steel Corporation
An Associate Professor of the Faculty of Science and Engineering in Iwate University
Chairman of the Tourist Guide Association of Misumi West Port
President of Kuraya Narusawa Co., Ltd.
Chairman of Izunokuni City Tourism Association
Director and General Manager of Gunkanjima Concierge
Producer of the Gunkanjima Digital Museum
Owner at Tōge Chaya
Chairman: Mr. Hidenori Date
President: Mr. Masahiro Date
Proprietor, Houraikan Inn
Representative Director of Egawa Bunko non-profit incorporated foundation
The 42nd head of the Egawa Family
Democratic Party for the People (DPP) Representative for Nagasaki Prefecture
President of the NPO, Way to World Heritage Gunkanjima
Representative Director
MI Consulting Group
President of Watanabe Production Group and Honorary Chair of Watanabe Productions Co., Ltd.
Member of the House of Councillors
Governor
Kagoshima Prefecture
World Heritage Consultant
Director and Dean, The Kyushu-Asia Institute of Leadership
Representative Director, SUMIDA, Inc.
Journalist, founder of the Shimomura Mitsuko Ikikata Juku School
Representative, Rally Nippon
Chairman, Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution World Heritage Route Promotion Council Director, National Congress of Industrial Heritage
Representative Director, General Incorporated Foundation National Congress of Industrial Heritage (Advisor, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Capital Markets Research Institute）
Mayor of Nagasaki City
Policy Director at Heritage Montreal
World Heritage Consultant
Executive Director of Kogakuin University
Heritage Architect and International Consultant
Head of Data Acquisition at The Glasgow School of Art’s School of Simulation and Visualisation
Head of Industrial Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh
Scottish Ten Project Manager, Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh
Mayor of Izunokuni City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Pro-Provost and Chairman of Council of the Royal College of Art. Heritage advisor of Canal & River Trust for England and Wales.
Dean of Tokyo Rissho Junior College
Professor emeritus of Keio University
Mayor of Kitakyushu City
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.
Director and Managing Executive Officer, Hanshin Expressway Company Limited
Member, Board of Directors, National Congress of Industrial Heritage
Vice-Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture
Mayor of Hagi City
Chairman, Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd.
Mayor of Omuta City
Deputy Director-General, Lifelong Learning Policy Bureau, MEXT
Former Counsellor, Cabinet Secretariat
Mayor of Kamaishi City
Member, Board of Directors, National Congress of Industrial Heritage Counselor, Shimadzu Limited
Chairman of the Consortium for the World Heritage Inscription of Modern Industrial Heritage (Kyushu-Yamaguchi) and governor of Kagoshima Prefecture (as of 2015)