PEOPLE
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.
Address by Mr. Hiroto Izumi, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister
Allow me just a few words. My first meeting with Ms. Koko Kato was five years ago. I don’t know if this was for better or worse. Since arriving here in Bonn, I have been getting 30 emails and 15 phone calls from her every day. It is generally much the same even back in Japan.
Prime Minister Abe is a very sincere person. I am told he also gets lots of emails from Ms. Koko Kato, as does her brother-in-law, Mr. Katsunobu Kato (Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary at the time of this report).
Well, I am not sure what my point was, but suffice it to say none of this would have been possible without Ms. Koko Kato. Congratulations!
(“Koko” calls reverberate throughout the room.)
Address by Ms. Koko Kato, Managing Director of the National Congress of Industrial Heritage
Special Advisor Izumi is right. I have indeed sent him 30 emails in one day and have generally made a nuisance of myself as I pushed everyone to promote this project. For me, this effort has been going on for 16 years. I am at a loss for words to describe my deep joy in being able to celebrate this moment with all of you who supported my efforts. My only regret is that the media has tended to focus on the political implications that have overshadowed the dynamics of this project. This was Japan’s first large-scale serial nomination, and in the process, we achieved many breakthroughs.
For example, with the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution, we are the first in the world to apply the joint principles of the ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and TICCIH (The international Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage) to implement a conservation philosophy. And we are the first in Japan to introduce a comprehensive management system for industrial heritage sites, each of which also has its own conservation and management. This framework has made it possible for private corporations to take the lead in conserving heritage sites, a revolutionary move even on a global scale. We also got the Japanese government to create a new tax system that allows lower property taxes for private entities that own and operate heritage industrial facilities. This tax system also provides a new source of funding for World Heritage sites and is an innovative move that has attracted attention worldwide. Thanks to backing from the special advisor to the prime minister, we were able to have an Industrial Heritage Office set up inside the Cabinet Secretariat. We will need to make sure that this office continues so as to apply the innovative system that has been put in place. I believe the events today have helped you to understand how important this is for conserving World Heritage properties. If oversight reverts to the Agency for Cultural Properties, the Sites of Japan’s Meiji industrial Revolution will have to be included on the endangered World Heritage list.
Hereafter there will be evaluations to check that the framework we have put in place is functioning as it should. It is a major achievement to have been able to place the framework within the Cabinet Secretariat and we will need to ensure that it stays there.
We will continue to face new challenges, but no matter the difficulty, we will need to keep this day in mind as we work together to overcome every obstacle.
Conserving Hashima Coal Mine, for example, is a major challenge. But then every component of this kind of large-scale serial listing will require the combined support and collaboration of government, private industry, and everyone involved with the heritage properties. Full participation is our philosophy. Let us work together with all we have to achieve more breakthroughs.
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)