PEOPLE
A fellow of the Japan Federation of Engineering Societies

The Industrial Revolution of Meiji Japan Showed That It Was Possible to Make a Breakthrough Even if You Are Not Blessed with Resources
Kato You have spent your life as an iron specialist, but have you been interested in industrial history since you were young?
Inazumi I used to feel that history was of no use to me. However, when I started working for an iron company, I could no longer be indifferent to what would happen to iron in the future. One of the things I learned was that I needed to learn from the past, especially since I did not see want to be in a situation where I had to worry about what would happen to the company. Then, when I went abroad and realized that Japanese iron technology was amazing, I naturally became interested in industrial history. It was while I was thinking about this that I was drawn into the Research Group of Iron History by Mr. Tachi—who has since passed away—and by the time I retired I had become a complete fanatic of industrial history.
Kato Is that so?
Inazumi Japan is a resource-poor country, especially in terms of iron resources. I wondered how we could work so hard in such a situation. I was born prior to the war, and I have seen and heard that Japan lost the war and rose from a place where the Occupation Forces told them that they no longer needed to produce iron. It was like a miracle that Japan rose from a burnt-out wilderness to an industrial superpower in the blink of an eye. People overseas also want to know what happened and how Japan achieved its breakthrough, do they not? I think that revealing this mystery is the most important reason why the Industrial Revolution of Meiji Japan was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Kato It can be said that Japan has demonstrated its national strength. Currently, Japan's industrial strength ranks third after China and India, but whether this can be maintained is a major theme. I deem the role of the Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution to boost the morale of the Japanese people by registering them as a World Heritage Site.
Inazumi The Meiji people initially failed in the simple transfer of the government-run Western-style blast furnace under the guidance of foreign engineers. Nonetheless, the privately-run Tanaka Steel Works, which was disposed of, finally succeeded in operating the blast furnace on the 49th attempt without faltering despite forty-eight repeated failures, because they devised their own method of using Japanese magnetite ore, which was different from the ore of the West. Ms. Kato introduced history in this way to the world. It is amazing that the technology became locally adapted and was successfully introduced due to self-help and voluntary efforts that did not rely on the West. This highlights the intelligence, diligence, and indomitable spirit of the Japanese people. And I believe that this spirit of steelmaking led to the miraculous development of post-war Japan's technology. I also believe that it is the mission of the Heritage of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution to pass on to the next generation the fact that the Japanese people have the underlying strength to overcome any challenge. I know that there are a lot of difficult issues such as conservation, but what are your thoughts on this?
Kato Cultural heritage is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, but currently 'science' is missing. It is important to understand how the industry has evolved technologically and to consider what kind of conservation activities can be carried out in accordance with the level of technology of the time. More and more science will be needed to be implemented. We would like to continue to ask for your wisdom and we look forward to your continued support. Thank you very much for your time today.
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)