PEOPLE

■The First and Last “Systematized Iron Mill Inside a Mountain”

－－I am sorry for going back and forth, but as a professional researcher, how do you evaluate the historical significance and significance in general of the Hashino Iron Mine?

Onodera　I see it as important in two ways. The first, as everyone points out, is that it was the first commercial blast furnace built in Japan. Moreover, the entire process, from the production of raw materials such as iron ore and charcoal to the commercialization of products, was compactly integrated and systematized within a radius of 2 km. This is a major feature not found in other places. For example, the Shuseikan Hall in Kagoshima brought in raw materials from what is now known as Miyazaki Prefecture, located about 20 to 30 km away, to make iron. Therefore, it could not be a systematized commercial furnace, so it merely remained an experimental furnace.

The second point is that Hashino was the first and last iron mill to be built inside a mountain. All the iron mills built after Hashino were built along the coast. This is also true for all those that were constructed after Yawata. There are two reasons for this: one is that it was a good location for compact consolidation, as mentioned above, and the other is that there were systematic limitations in transportation capacity at the time. In other words, there were no railroads at the end of the Edo period, and people relied on the use of cattle and horses, so the amount of transportation had to be reduced as much as possible. It was unrealistic for a blast furnace built during the Edo period to transport various raw materials to the coast through a high-volume transportation system and make iron there, as is the case today. Therefore, iron manufacturing had to be done in the mountains where the raw materials were produced, and there was no choice other than to transport the finished iron that had its volume reduced. After the Meiji era (1868-1912), when railroads were built, this restriction was removed, and iron began to be built along the coast where it was easier to transport the product. In this sense, Hashino of Kamaishi is a valuable legacy of that time when the production technology of the Edo period was switched to that of the Meiji period.　　

－－I see. By the way, the specialty of Professor Onodera is hydraulic engineering, and I heard that he is also studying industrial archaeology. When one looks at these two areas of expertise they do not immediately see the connection between one another (laughs).

Onodera　When it comes to industrial heritage and industrial archaeology, I started as an amateur. I learned about　the Hashino Iron Mine and about Oshima Takato, a Morioka feudal lord who succeeded in making iron in this area, from scratch as a complete amateur. So, to be honest with you, I am a little embarrassed when people call me a scholar or researcher (laughs).

－－How did you get into the field of industrial heritage?

Onodera　About 25 years ago, I was transferred from the Faculty of Engineering at Iwate University to the Regional Center for the Interdisciplinary Research a support organization of collaboration among industry, academia, and government, for about four and a half years. Since I was not able to do research using the equipment I had been using there, I thought of doing something else instead, and came up with the idea of conducting research on the history of technology. Hence, I focused on the Kamaishi Railway, which is a very familiar topic for me. This railroad was opened in 1880 to transport iron ore to the government-owned Kamaishi Iron Mill, making it the third-oldest railroad in Japan. I applied for a research grant from the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation, which is an affiliated organization of the Japan Railway (JR), and was selected and given a grant for my research, so I began research on the iron manufacturing business in Kamaishi, using the Kamaishi Railway as a starting point. That was how it all started. In connection with this, I went to Miike and Kagoshima for field research, and also received requests from the local government to give lectures on the manufacturing of iron in the Edo period and on Oshima Takato, thereby broadening my research and further deepening any knowledge.

－－So I assume that is when you first met Koko Kato, the Executive Director of the National Congress of Industrial Heritage?

Onodera　I first met her when she came to Kamaishi with Mr. Smith, who was visiting the city for the first time. Ms. Kato and I had a pretty fierce argument over the framing of the “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution” (laughs). Initially, I was fiercely opposed to the idea due to the fact that I thought there was a problem with the way the story itself was constructed, focusing on the heritage sites in the areas around Kyushu and Yamaguchi. Isn’t there something missing from the overall perspective of Japan? For example, the modernization project planned out by the Shogunate in Yokosuka centered on the dry dock that began construction in 1865. Here, there were signs of advancements such as the introduction of steam hammers (also known as water hammer) with capabilities like those used until recently to repair U.S. nuclear submarines. In addition, there is also a fact that no clear indication was laid out in regards to the significance of the spread of education to the general population, which was one of the key aspects in the background to the industrial revolution of Japan.

　In response, Ms. Kato explained, “This World Heritage Site is not intended to inform the Japanese people, but to convey the process of the modernization of Japan to people in other countries.” After hearing this explanation, I thought to myself, “Well, if that is the reason,” and that was how I finally agreed to fully support the project.

－－That all took place long before the activities to inscribe the “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution” as a World Heritage Site began. When did you become directly involved in the inscription activities?

Onodera　Due to this, I was asked to join the project when the activities to promote sites to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site had begun in earnest. I think it was around 11 or 12 years ago when I was approached by Mr. Steuart Smith. It was when he first came to Kamaishi. He later told me that I was a great correspondent for the region of Northern Japan. I exchanged several e-mails with Mr. Smith and answered his questions. Nevertheless, there were some questions that I could not answer because I was not able to conduct enough research on that matter (laughs).

Initially, I was fiercely opposed to the idea due to the fact that I thought there was a problem with the way the story itself was constructed, focusing on the heritage sites in the areas around Kyushu and Yamaguchi. Isn’t there something missing from the overall perspective of Japan? For example, the modernization project planned out by the Shogunate in Yokosuka centered on the dry dock that began construction in 1865. Here, there were signs of advancements such as the introduction of steam hammers (also known as water hammer) with capabilities like those used until recently to repair U.S. nuclear submarines. In addition, there is also a fact that no clear indication was laid out in regards to the significance of the spread of education to the general population, which was one of the key aspects in the background to the industrial revolution of Japan.

　In response, Ms. Kato explained, “This World Heritage Site is not intended to inform the Japanese people, but to convey the process of the modernization of Japan to people in other countries.” After hearing this explanation, I thought to myself, “Well, if that is the reason,” and that was how I finally agreed to fully support the project.