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Misumi West Port

  • Rounded profiles of the quayside and waterways were introduced here by the Dutch for the first time in Japan.
  • Quey of Misumi West Port.
  • In 1881, Dutch engineer, Mulder recommended the Misumi location for building a new port and a new town. A level residential area was used as fill in reclaiming a flat-lying industrial district from the sea, fronted by wharves. Misumi West Port is still in an exceptional survive in space, form and content.
  • Rouwenhorst Mulder (left) and Keimei Tomioka (right)
Rounded profiles of the quayside and waterways were introduced here by the Dutch for the first time in Japan. Quey of Misumi West Port. In 1881, Dutch engineer, Mulder recommended the Misumi location for building a new port and a new town. A level residential area was used as fill in reclaiming a flat-lying industrial district from the sea, fronted by wharves. Misumi West Port is still in an exceptional survive in space, form and content. Rouwenhorst Mulder (left) and Keimei Tomioka (right)

Misumi West Port is part of Japan's early shortlived - history of coal export infrastructure development, related to Miike Coal Mine. The Meiji government developed Misumi West Port, as one of its first three export-port projects, in 1887. Misumi West Port comprises a fusion of Japanese civil engineering with the design input of Dutch architect A. Rouwenhorst Mulder (1845-1901). Miike coal was exported from Misumi, but the port was located 44km from Miike and was economically inefficient. When Mitsui took over Miike mines from Meiji Government, Mitsui abandoned it in 1903.
Misumi West Port, which preceded Miike Port's development, has a long masonry quayside illustrating a blend of traditional Japanese and modern constructional techniques whilst it's reclaimed land area with channeled creeks and drainage system backing the wharfs is testimony to its Dutch engineering influence. The comparison between Misumi West Port and Miike Port shows the rapid evolution of port design and commercial industrial thinking in Japan in the Meiji period.

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Misumi West Port
Designation: National important cultural property
National important cultural Landscape
Address: Misumiura, Misumi, Uki city, Kumamoto
Tel: 0964-32-1428 (Uki City Board of Education)