PEOPLE
Representative, Rally Nippon
■ The Biggest Challenge: Facilities that Will Attract People and Places to Stay
What are your opinions concerning the viability of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution as tourist attractions?
Mr. Kobayashi: The industrial heritage sites are different from the cultural and natural heritage sites that we are most familiar with. But when I actually went and saw the heritage site components—the structures, port facilities, and the like—for myself, I could see how wonderful they are. There is something nostalgic about industrial heritage sites, even though we aren’t of the Meiji era when they were built and used. In Japan’s case, much of our modern industrial heritage was destroyed in the war. There is very little left. In contrast, in a place like Taiwan, for example, there are still a lot of structures built there during the year under Japan’s colonial rule and they are still being used. I think this only serves to emphasize the rare value of the sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.
The problem is: How are we going to maintain these sites and how are we going to inform people about them? That takes money. How can we secure the funds needed to conserve and maintain this heritage? There is no avoiding this topic. A framework is needed to ensure that the needed funds will go to the regions where the heritage components are located, but that is where we fall short. The fact is, most of the sites do not have hotels or attractive restaurants or cafes nearby. I realized right away that this was going to be a major issue, though there are a number of places like Misumi West Port that have the potential to be developed as tourist attractions.
Do you have some ideas of what could be done?
Mr. Kobayashi: Well, for example, in the West you can find “glamping” facilities and “mobile hotels.” Sometimes they’re called “outdoor” hotels. To put it very simply, these are high-class tent hotels. But they are very high-grade and in many cases are well worth the 100,000 yen per night charge. These facilities are not for backpackers. They cater to an affluent clientele. Unlike a normal hotel, these kinds of places don’t require a lot of money to build and can even be set up in places with a lot of strict regulations, like national parks. I think this would be a good way to attract people.
How do you plan to promote the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution for the 2019 Rally Nippon in Kyushu?
Mr. Kobayashi: First of all, we always try to plan routes for Rally Nippon that will provide participants with a unique experience they could never have on a conventional trip. For example, last year’s route from Kyoto through Shirakawago, Takayama, and Karuizawa and finally to Izu with its majestic view of Mount Fuji could never be completed in a single trip if it had been attempted in the usual way. The pleasure was in traveling this route by car. We plan to do the same thing next year and provide a route that will allow participants to see the scattered heritage sites in a minimal amount of time. We plan to have broad coverage of the event by our sponsors and other stakeholders and hope for it to be widely covered by the media as well. The Rally makes it possible to weave a narrative linking all of the sites into one long story and seems the perfect match for the serial nomination quality of the sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.
It looks like it will be a wonderful publicity event with twice the impact of other conventional approaches to PR. It is certain to attract a lot of excitement.
Mr. Kobayashi: People overseas who are well acquainted with the World Heritage concept are certain to be intrigued. The idea of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution is a novel one and very interesting. And classic cars represent a technology heritage that adds to the attraction. I am sure both of these aspects will appeal to many people, especially to those who own a classic car and hopefully, they will help to further disseminate the news of these new attractions.
Yes, it is really something to look forward to. I am sure the Rally will be a great success. Thank you for your time today.
(Interview and Summary: Takeo Takashima)
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)