PEOPLE
President of Watanabe Production Group and Honorary Chair of Watanabe Productions Co., Ltd.
ーーSpeaking of foresight, it was thanks in part to you that the British rock band Queen found success in Japan before achieving worldwide fame. Last year the film Bohemian Rhapsody, which depicted the life of Queen’s vocalist Freddy Mercury, was a big hit.
That led to a lot of interviews for me last year. I was surprised that people remembered anything from such a long time ago (laughs).
A lot of different things come up when you’ve been doing one job for a long time, but its only the real things that come back into the spotlight as the ages pass. Something real will always remain. The same is true of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.
Finally, I wanted to ask about what future activities are in store for the National Congress of Industrial Heritage
With the launch of the era name Reiwa, Japan has entered a new age. Next year will be an Olympic year, to be followed by the Osaka Expo. It’s a bit like déjā vu. I have found memories of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1970 Osaka Expo.
I served as a popular music producer at EXPO 70. In an era when it was still unheard of for women to take part in conferences on historical events on which the nation’s prestige was riding, I was among men who were not at all used to having a woman take part in such meetings. I remember feeling disoriented at having taken on such a heavy responsibility, but worked even harder because of that, so that I was truly pleased when Expo Chairman Taizō Ishizaka said that “I’m glad I asked Misa.”
Whether it’s the Olympics or Expos, historical events become imprinted in people’s memory. I treasure in my heart of hearts and the memories of the time I spent with my family in those days, back when I was young and in my prime. That is something truly wonderful.
The inscription of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution as World Cultural Heritage, too, are imprinted on Japan’s history, just like the Olympics and Expo. I feel that the mission of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution is to help the people of Japan regain some of that power. It will be necessary to take this seriously and to continue to stimulate activities for spreading word of this far and wide. I would also like to continue doing my absolute utmost through various proposals, using my inspiration as a weapon.
(Interview and summary: Akane MARUYAMA)
Chief Senior Specialist for Cultural Properties
Buried Cultural Properties Section, Cultural Resources Policy and Monuments and Sites Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs
Director, National Council of Industrial Heritage
President, Duke Estate Co.Ltd.
Representative Director, National Congress of Industrial Heritage
(Honorary Advisor, Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu)
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)