PEOPLE

You were Director-General for Technology Policy Coordination in the Minister’s Secretariat of MLIT until March 2014, and in May of the same year you became the Vice-Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture. Shizuoka is the location of Nirayama Reverberatory Furnaces, one of the components of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution. The man who had the furnaces built, Egawa Tan’an, is famous for his major role in Japan’s modernization.

Egawa Tanan (1801–1855) was a great man with considerable foresight. He left his mark in many ways in the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate. He worked to introduce Western gunnery and disseminate its techniques through a school he founded in Nirayama; constructed the Odaiba battery emplacements at the entrance to Edo Bay; advocated the conscription of farmers into the army and the creation of a navy; and oversaw the building of reverberatory furnaces to make iron cannons.

As the Daikan local administrator in charge of the Nirayama region, Egawa became close friends with the likes of Watanabe Kazan and Takano Choei, scholars of Dutch learning and promoters of Western ideas. As he learned about the West, Egawa developed a keen interest in coastal defense. He was later directed by the Tokugawa shogunate to implement his ideas and was given responsibility for bolstering Japan’s coastal defenses.

When the Diana, a frigate of the Imperial Russian Navy arrived in Japan in 1854 for the signing of a friendship treaty between the two countries, it was sunk by a tsunami. A new ship was built under the direction of Russian engineers at Toda Harbor on the west coast of the Izu Peninsula. The Japanese took advantage of this opportunity to learn everything they could about Western shipbuilding. The Japanese shipwrights involved in the undertaking had no experience in building a Western ship, but they were quick learners and the result was the Heda, the first Western-style sailing ship to be built in Japan. The shipwrights who had worked on the project were later sent to a naval training center in Nagasaki where they learned more about building Western-style ships and where they stayed to build naval ships at the Tokugawa shogunate’s direction. As you can see, there was a connection between Egawa’s domain of responsibility and the Nagasaki shipyards.

Every one of the components in the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution has a story about the person or persons involved with that particular component. It is especially meaningful to learn about these people and their achievements and to pass on that knowledge to future generations.

World Heritage inscription isn’t the goal, rather it is the starting line. We need to build a visitors’ center at Nirayama Reverberatory Furnaces and train people to make sure the value of the site is properly conveyed.

As for Miike Port, now that we have set in place a system to conserve and manage the port under the provisions of the Port and Harbor Act, everyone involved with the port must do their best to implement the necessary measures. There are still doubters and those responsible for the port will need to dispel their fears.

The Miike Port people will need to be fully aware of their responsibility and mission and will hopefully carry out their duties with excellence. And, of course, MLIT and other government agencies will need to provide ample support.

Could you give us a final word?

Ms. Koko Kato was the first person in Japan to promote the idea of a serial World Heritage inscription of industrial heritage assets, including some that are still operational. I think the whole idea of combining heritage components throughout the country into one serial nomination with a set theme was a brilliant move.

She is driven by strong convictions and a passion for the project and has been a primary actor at every step of the way, from promoting World Heritage listing to the conservation and interpretation of the sites thereafter.

Ms. Kato has not been deterred by the deep valleys and high mountains along the way. At every point she has worked steadfastly to find the ways and systems to achieve World Heritage inscription, either through her own actions or by finding specialists who will think up ways to achieve these goals.

Her efforts extended not only to initiating technical discussions on conserving and maintaining the heritage sites, but also to showing how government agencies should be involved in the process leading to World Heritage inscription. I don’t think there is anyone else in Japan who could have done all of this. This World Heritage inscription was achieved through enthusiastic local community efforts and Ms. Koko Kato’s initiative, dedication, passion, and ability to move others to action. Ms. Kato was the engine propelling this nomination; I was just one of the engine parts, but I am proud that I was able to contribute. And I am sure there were many others who may not stand out, but who contributed in the same way to achieve this goal. Thank you for spotlighting me among all these people to give me the opportunity to speak of the part I played in this undertaking.