PEOPLE
Chairman of the Consortium for the World Heritage Inscription of Modern Industrial Heritage (Kyushu-Yamaguchi) and governor of Kagoshima Prefecture (as of 2015)
At the World Heritage Committee press conference, you said that the World Heritage inscription of Japan’s industrial heritage sites was a recognition of the valiant pioneers who built the foundations of Japan’s industrial development and would surely become a source of pride for the communities where the sites are located.
Ito: These heritage sites have global value as well. The local communities where they are located must collaborate to preserve them and at the same time ensure that the heritage sites will play a role in their regional development.
There are still many industrial heritage sites that were not included as World Heritage components but that are nevertheless of great value. We have endeavored to link the sites in Kyushu to portray a comprehensive portrait of Japan’s industrial past and future. Our hope is that based on this concept, new tourist routes will be developed leading to new interactions that will help to revitalize local communities. The inclusion of operating facilities as World Heritage sites is extremely unusual and a truly precedent-making case. In the future those who hope to have similar operating properties inscribed as World Heritage sites are certain to come to see the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.
What activities will the Consortium be undertaking hereafter?
Ito: We will be working on unifying conservation and management policies for all of the industrial heritage components and will continue to collaborate closely with the central government and local administrations.
Your foresight, collaborative stance with other regional leaders, and ability to advance major projects brings to mind the Satsuma hero, Shimadzu Nariakira.
Ito: There was no precedent to work from and the project took a good decade to bear fruit, but there was not a moment of waste in all that time. Working in conjunction with the central government, we were able to tackle each aspect of creating a system, identifying appropriate projects and finding solutions to the lack of financial resources and procedures of the various local public entities that were involved. It was no easy task to handle all of this, but one of the reason’s the project finally succeeded is that we had excellent people in all the right places. And much is owed to Ms. Koko Kato’s ability to drive these people.
Heavy industry, iron and steel making, shipbuilding, and the coal industry all played important roles in advancing Japan’s industrialization. I participated in this project because I felt it was important to acknowledge this and because we should take pride in Japan’s standing as an industrialized nation. The inscription of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution in the World Heritage List encourages us to look back at the origins of Japan’s industrialization. I am convinced this will be a major contribution to Japan’s future growth and development and the revival of Japan’s strong economy. The Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution have special significance as points of reference as Japan strives once again to revamp and reinforce its standing as an industrial nation.
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)