Conservation, Restoration, Presentation and Public Utilization Plan for Hagi Reverberatory Furnaces (Abstract)

Component Part No. 1-1 of the “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution”
Conservation, Restoration, Presentation and Public Utilization Planfor the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace (Area 1 Hagi) (Abstract)
Hagi City drew up a Conservation, Restoration, Presentation and Public Utilization Plan for the Hagi
Reverberatory Furnace (hereinafter referred to as “Plan”) in FY 2016 and 2017, which became a source of“Conservation Work Programme” pursuant to Recommendation b) in Decision: 39 COM 8B. 14 as adopted
by the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session in 2015. The Plan comprises detailed measures for theconservation, restoration, presentation and public utilization of the component part of the “Sites of Japan’s
Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining” (hereinafter referred to as “Sites
of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution”). This document provides an abstract of the Plan.
(1) Area 1 Hagi: Location(2) Distribution of component parts of the “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution” in Area 1 Hagi

Ohitayama Tatara
Iron Works

Ebisugahana Shipyard
Hagi
Reverberatory
Furnace

Shokasonjuku
AcademyHagi Castle
Town

World Heritage Visitor Center(Hagi Meiringakusha Visitor
Center)Hagi Museum1(3) Scope of the Plan (Scope of Hagi Reverberatory Furnace component part and buffer zone)
LegendSymbolContent
Scope of World Heritage Component Part
Buffer Zone

1-2
Ebisugahana Shipyard
1-1
Hagi Reverberatory Furnace

1.

VisionRecognizing the site as embodying the early industrialization process of trial and error in the ironmaking field, to restore degraded materials and strengthen structures in order to maintain the furnace
in a stable condition and promote public utilization tailored to the particular features of the location.

The Hagi Reverberatory Furnace was an attempt by the Hagi (Choshu) Clan, which lacked Western
blueprints, to build a smelting plant using local materials and traditional technologies. While the plantnever became operational, it stands as a symbol of the early industrialization process of trial and error,
when Japan and the Hagi (Choshu) Clan were seeking to respond to the rapid pace of industrialization. No
major restorations have been made to date, with only enough work undertaken in the 1970s to stabilize theexisting state of the facility, but while the brickwork at the top of the structure has seriously deteriorated,the building retains almost all its original shape and materials, the stonework at the bottom included. The
furnace is one of the five component parts of Area 1 Hagi that illustrate the challenge phase of trial anderror in the iron and steel manufacturing and ship-building fields. The process of historical changes anddevelopments of the furnace centers around 1856 when surviving records indicate that the facility was
operational, but began back in 1840, when the outbreak of the Opium Wars prompted the Hagi (Choshu)
Clan to industrialize in order to strengthen its maritime defense, and extends through the subsequent
preservation of the furnace as a symbol of Hagi’s modern heritage up to the present.
To realize the theme outlined in the Vision, the necessary conservation, restoration, presentation andpublic utilization measures will be conducted with a focus on the following two points.
(1) Restoration as a “symbolic site”, with maintaining the original form and materials
The most critical aspect will be to maintain the original style and materials of the Hagi furnace to thegreatest possible extent, while also preserving them in situ into the future. In terms of immediate
restoration work, therefore, Hagi City will not undertake any large-scale dismantling and restoration workon the upper brick section but rather engage in the minimum necessary intervention, primarily mounting
replacement bricks in places that have deteriorated particularly badly and supplementing this with othermethods where necessary. For the lower stone portion, the city will take steps to reinforce the existing2

stone materials.
The city will engage in long-term monitoring of the furnace through ongoing displacement surveys andfixed-point observations, as well as studying building methods and materials about which little has been
known to date in order to accumulate new knowledge and skills for the next stage of restoration.
(2) Multiple types of public utilization to maintain and display the furnace’s unique form
Maintaining and displaying the unique form of the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace will be the mosteffective method of explaining the value of the remains. The city will therefore also maintain andarrange the surrounding landscape and scenery which serve as the context for the furnace.
In addressing public utilization, the city will establish viewing points along visitor paths within thesite that enable visitors to see the furnace in its entirety, as well as ensuring lines of movement thatenable them to approach the furnace and view its appearance from multiple directions. Vegetation willbe trimmed so that the furnace can also be seen from the surrounding area. The city will create a viewing
point so that visitors can look out over the Ebisugahana Shipyard, a neighboring component part, fromthe furnace site.
In addition, the placement of existing guidance and explanation boards and their content will be updated topromote understanding of the furnace for the visitors.

2.

PolicyThe policy consisting of following six items has been set to actualize the Vision:(1) Promoting research and study
Research to date has not elucidated the entirety of the iron-making system at the Hagi Reverberatory
Furnace, and certain details of the design and structure of the actual furnace also remain unclear. The
city will continue to conduct excavation surveys and studies of relevant historical ducuments. The
details of the furnace construction method in particular are not apparent, and as there are few prior or
similar examples, the city will conduct the various types of studies needed to undertake restoration
appropriately. A survey of visitors will be undertaken to confirm the extent of their impact on the site,
and the city will also institute monitoring to trace changes over time.
(2) Restoring the furnace and related remains (preserving, reinforcing, and stabilizing materials
and structure)
The city will restore the seriously degraded brickwork at the top of the furnace building by mounting
replacement bricks made with the same types of materials and methods, supplemented with othermethods as necessary. For the comparatively stable lower stonework, the city will preserve the current
materials and structure and monitor these on an ongoing basis. Where damage is detected, preservation
and reinforcement methods will be explored.
At the same time, because the furnace masonry employs a masonry construction 1 which is acombination of stone, brick, concrete blocks, and other materials, it has limited seismic strength. To avoid
the collapse of the entire structure, the city will take secondary reinforcement and stabilization measures,such as adding the minimum necessary reinforcing material to the interior and exterior of the chimneys.
(3) Illustrating and explaining the iron-making system in the component part and the Area
Given that viewing the furnace’s unique form from the outside is the best way of explaining its
contribution to the Outstanding Universal Value, the city will create viewing points so that the whole
furnace can be seen from key points along visitor paths.
In March 2017, in conjunction with the World Heritage Visitor Center (Hagi MeiringakushaVisitor
Center) which the city built in the buffer zone in Hagi Castle Town, aging guidance and explanation boards

1

Masonry construction; A building structure for walls assembling such materials as stone, brick, concrete blocks, and othermaterials.

3will be updated and new boards installed in appropriate spots to provide the necessary information to
enable visitors to understand the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace iron-making system, as well as thefurnace’s position and role in terms of Area 1 Hagi and the Sites of Meiji Japan’s Industrial Revolution
as a whole. In particular, explanations will be provided to help visitors to understand the close relationshipbetween Ebisugahana Shipyard, which can be seen to the west across Obataura Inlet, and the furnace interms of both location and significance in the context of the five component parts within the Area.
(4) Arranging and improving the landscape from a scenic perspective
The city will trim and otherwise maintain vegetation so that the whole furnace can be seen from paths
leading to it. Care will be taken to ensure that the furnace, which is built on a hill, can be seen from thesurrounding area, and particularly that visitors can see as far as the Ebisugahana Shipyard as an adjacentcomponent part.
(5) Utilizing the site of furnace as a cultural resource and source of information in the Area
The city will use the World Heritage Visitor Center (Hagi Meiringakusha Visitor Center) as the central
source of guidance and information in Area 1 Hagi, the Hagi Museum as a source of academic andspecialist guidance and information, and the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace site as a satellite facility for
guidance and information dissemination.
The city will conduct regular training sessions to boost the abilities of current guides and train new
guides, as well as to deepen the awareness of other stakeholders in relation to the conservation andmanagement of the component parts of the World Heritage property.
(6) Implementing projects
The city will be responsible for managing and operating the projects included in the Plan, determining
the appropriate projects and schedule with consideration to the state of the component part and the wishesof owners and managers. It will also work together with the Government of Japan and with Yamaguchi
Prefectural Government to secure financial resources and the necessary specialist knowledge andpersonnel for implementation of the projects.
In terms of the order of implementation of the projects, the city will prioritize restoration of the furnace.
The various surveys and experiments necessary to restore the upper brickwork will be implemented first,
with the results evaluated and restoration launched accordingly. The phased upgrading of existingguidance and explanation boards and restoration of trails will be undertaken at the same time,
coordinated with progress on the Plans of other component parts in the Area.

3. Methods(1) Research and study(a) Excavation surveys
From the perspective of site preservation, the city will not conduct an overall excavation survey ofthe furnace and surrounds. Instead, excavation surveys will be undertaken only where restoration work
is needed or when facilities need to be established. If it emerges from the historical documents that
related sites might exist, the city will conduct systematic surveys of those areas.
(b) Historical document surveys
The city will continue to collect, survey, analyze, and research related documents and other materials
to ascertain the role that the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace has played in the local community from a fullperspective of its process of historical changes and developments.
(c) Surveys needed for furnace restoration
As preparatory work to ensure that major restoration work is undertaken appropriately, the city willconduct exposure tests and other experiments using bricks created for that purpose, and will also createa mockup using more such bricks to undertake experimental restoration work. Deterioration surveys of4

various parts of the furnace will be undertaken, selecting multiple set points and engaging in ongoingobservations to determine the amount of movement. A survey will also be conducted to ascertain theseismic resistance of the furnace.
All these survey results will be collectively evaluated and reflected in actual restoration content andprocesses.
(d) Visitor surveys
The city will conduct a survey on visitor numbers, as well as regular surveys and observations of
the behavior of regular visitors and their degree of understanding.
(e) Monitoring
The city will create monitoring charts that comprehensively and systematically aggregate current
information, regularly assessing the state of the component part and the buffer zone.
The city will present monitoring results in annual reports for confirmation and agreement at the Hagi
Conservation Council, thereafter reporting to the National Committee of Conservation andManagement for Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.
(2) Restoration of the furnace and related remains(a) Furnace restoration
The city will assess the results of the various surveys undertaken prior to restoration with a focus onmaterials, specifications, and building methods and closely investigate restoration methods before
launching actual restoration work. Detailed studies of the furnace chimneys that are only possible
during restoration will be undertaken on an ad hoc basis, with the results recorded together with thecontent of restoration work as material for further restoration work. An ex post facto assessment will
be made of building methods, design, and execution after the restoration work is complete, recording
the necessary information as basic materials to be reflected in subsequent maintenance and repairs
and any major restorations undertaken in the future.
(b) Restoration of related remains
Where excavation surveys of certain areas are conducted during restoration, structures in those areasthat will be impacted by the survey work will be preserved and restored. Where the surface protective
layer has scoured away or the possibility of tree roots impacting a structure is detected, more soil will
be added to the protective layer and tree roots cut back or out.
(3) Presentation and Public Utilization of the Component Part in light of iron-making system(a) Zoning
The city has created the following zoning to promote presentation and public utilization as a meansof increasing understanding of the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace.
Zone name

Zone outline and features

Reverberatory furnacezone

Location of furnace and remains for which excavation surveys were conducted. This isalso the zone from which the whole furnace can be seen, and plays a key role in enhancing
understanding.

Landscapepreservation zone

The hillsides around the reverberatory furnace zone, where that hilly terrain will bepreserved. Part of the integrated visual landscape with the furnace, which stands on thehill, and includes two paths from the utilization zone to the furnace zone.

Utilization zone

Links the furnace and landscape preservation zones with Nationa Road 191, the main
access route from the outside. Parking, toilets, and other convenience facilities are locatedthere as the first point of contact for visitors, playing a role in promoting furnace
utilization.

5

(b) Path
To enable visitors to understandHagi Reverberatory Furnace’s ironmaking system and to experience thewhole facility, the following two
Guide station/Gazebo
routes will be established.
Carpark
Outward route (Path A): Goes up thestairs in the center of the car park andStairsproceeds to the flat area at the top of theOutside toilet
hill, goes past the guide station, andScope ofreaches the furnace from the front.
Component Part
Return route (Path B): Goes from
Reverberatory
furnacethe furnace down the walking path on
the eastern side of the hill and throughthe narrow lane to reach the carpark.
(c) Terrain correction
Figure 1: Path map
Pavement of appropriate thicknessof decomposed granite blended witha small amount of cement will continue to be used for the flat area at the top of the hill. In places where
the surface soil has subsided or been scoured as a result of rain or compaction from visitor traffic, etc., thecity will use the pavement mentioned above to conduct repairs, maintaining an appropriate groundheight.
(d) Arranging and improving landscape and planting vegetation
The trees around the furnace are significant in terms of shielding it from strong winds and also in
forming the appearance of the hill together with the furnace. The city will therefore engage in systematic
branch trimming and partial felling, as well as pruning trees into appropriate shapes, in order to deal
with the influence of overgrown tree branches and roots and to maintain the view from the furnace aswell as views of the furnace from the surrounding area. Trees growing on the sides of the hill will also
be pruned to maintain the sloping terrain and the view.
(e) Guidance and explanation boards
The city will provide explanations for all of Area 1 Hagi at the World Heritage Visitor Centre in
Hagi Meiringakusha Visitor Center, backed up by detailed explanations at the Hagi Museum.
Information and explanation boards at the furnace will be upgraded or established as follows.
The city will set up a base explanation board at the entrance to the component part that explains the
positioning of the furnace in terms of Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution and Area 1 Hagi as
the first information provided to visitors to the furnace site.
Guidance and explanation boards will also be set up in appropriate spots along the paths so that
visitors can read them while walking around the site. The detailed explanation of the actual furnace
provided on the tiled explanation board will be updated, referring also to the process of the historicalchanges and developments of the site.
When setting up new guidance and explanation facilities, the city will maintain and manage existing
facilities appropriately while reconsidering their content, design, and position.
(f) Conservation and management facilities
The city will build paths and improve the carpark to enable visitors to visit the site safely andappropriately, and to boost both the safety and convenience of going to the toilet which was establishedin 2016. The narrow part of the walking slope which was built to the east of the site will also be

6

widened and otherwise improved.
The current guide station, gazebo, benches, safety fences, stairs, and rails will be repaired on an
ongoing basis and used until the end of their life. When they are then upgraded, they will be mergedat their current locations with facilities with forms and designs in harmony with the site, with thought
also given to other functions that should be added (rest, guidance, information, etc.).
(4) Arranging and improving landscape in the buffer zone
Pursuant to the landscape planning stipulated in Hagi City Landscape Regulations and the standards
in the Hagi City Outdoor Advertising Regulations, the World Heritage Office within the Hagi City
Cultural Property Protection Division will work closely with the Hagi City Town Planning Division,
which is in charge of landscape administration, to arrange the landscape and preserve the scenery aroundthe Hagi Reverberatory Furnace, nearby roads included, and constrain unplanned development.
In the carpark, which is located in the foreground of the hill on which the furnace is built, new facilities
will be kept to the minimum necessary and appropriate appearance arranged in terms of both design andform, existing facilities included, to ensure a good view of the furnace while harmonizing with thesurrounding landscape.
(5) Utilizing the furnace as a cultural resource and source of information in the Area(a) Utilization measures as a source of information
At the World Heritage Visitor Center, the central facility guidance and information dissemination
site, the city will explain the Outstanding Universal Value of Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution
and the five component parts of Area 1 Hagi, as well as holding regular seminars and other events for
local residents, guides, and visitors. The Hagi Museum, which is an academic and specialist facility, willhold exhibitions of ancient documents and artifacts, as well as appointing a curator to explain
exhibitions and engage in research, studying related ancient documents, and ensuring appropriate
artifact management.
In addition, local residents will provide explanations at the furnace as guides, and the city will set
up explanation boards and distribute pamphlets. Related groups will send virtual reality images via
mobile phone that explain the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace.
In addition, guides at the furnace will provide explanations using explanation boards and distribute
pamphlets, working towards information dissemination from the site.
(b) Approaches to engagement with local community
The city will provide support for the group supplying guides for the site to take the necessary measures
to promote understanding of the site, such as securing the necessary guides, advertising for new guides,
and holding study group meetings.
The city will promote local engagement by holding lectures as well as drawing and photo competitions,and actively provide information to visitors and local residents using apps and websites.
The city will inform local residents about the furnace as well as the nearby Ebisugahana Shipyard
so that they develop an attachment to these sites as “precious heritage in the region”.
Through employing guides, the engagement of the wider Hagi area community in the site will bestrengthened, and engagement as a single entity with the local community surrounding Ebisugahana
Shipyard will be promoted.

4. Projects implementation(1) Order of priorities
The projects implementation schedule will be as in Table 1.
To ensure the preservation of the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace, the various studies and basic planningnecessary to restore the seriously deteriorated upper brickwork will be undertaken over the short term7

(three years; FY 2018-20). Based on the results, the restoration work will be conducted over the medium
term (three years; 2021-23), along with the upgrading and new placement of guidance and explanation
boards and carpark improvement. As of 2024 when restoration work has been completed (the long term),
monitoring will be continued along with the necessary maintenance and studies, with administration andconvenience facilities updated as necessary.
To move restoration work ahead and enhance visitor understanding of the significance of the furnace aspart of the iron-making system, priority will be given to the following tasks:
 Undertaking the necessary studies for furnace restoration (creation of a mockup of the upper
brickwork and exposure tests using this, etc.)
 Implementing monitoring (establishment of fixed points on the furnace and regular observation)
 Implementing furnace restoration (based on the results of the above studies) Establishing or upgrading guidance and explanation boards(2) Review of implementation schedule
After the scheduled medium-term period (up until 2023), the implementation schedule will be revisedin view of Plan progress. However, if any new measures become necessary, the city will review theschedule without waiting for 2023.
(3) Other
The city has carried out conservation and restoration work, etc. for the Hagi Reverberatory Furnace
by securing necessary funds* making use of various subsidy programs available in FY2016 and FY2017,
the first two years following inscription of the property on the World Heritage List. To ensure the smooth
implementation of the project, it plans to continue such efforts to secure necessary funds in partnershipwith relevant institutions.
* Approximately 9 million yen was spent in FY2016 and 8 million yen has been budgeted for FY2017,
both including costs incurred or earmarked for plan making and the presentation and public utilizationof the component part, but excluding the cost for day-to-day maintenance.
The city will also secure and appropriately allocate the human and financial resources needed for theconservation, restoration, presentation and public utilization of the other four component parts in Area 1 Hagi,
thereby working in conjunction with Shoin Shrine (religious corporation); the owner of the Shokasonjuku
Academy (Component Part 1-5), to ensure the smooth implementation of the projects in the Area as a whole.
Category

Project(a) Excavation surveys(where necessary)(b) Survey of historical documents(1) Research andstudy(c) Necessary surveys for furnace
restoration(d) Visitor surveys(e) Monitoring(2) Restoration of
furnace andrelatedremains(3) Presentationand public
utilization inlight of ironmaking
systems(a) Furnace restoration(b) Restoration of remains(as necessary)(c) Terrain correction(repair surface as needed)(d) Arranging and improving
landscape and planting vegetation(tree management, etc.)(e) Establish new guidance andexplanation boards and upgrade
existing boards

8

Short term

Medium termLong term(2018 to 2020)(2021 to 2023)(2024 onward)

(f) Update administration andconvenience facilities (carpark
improvement, etc.)(4) Arranging and improving landscape in the Buffer Zone
(5) Employing the furnace as a cultural resource and sourceof information in the Area
Table 1: Project implementation schedule

5.

Master Plan
The master/zoning plan and conceptional drawing after projects completion of the site are shown in
Figures 2 and 3 below.
3(3)(e) Guidance and explanation facilities (establishing
new boards and upgrading existing boards)
3(3)(f) Administration and convenience facilities(improving carpark)

Guide station
GazeboParking

Outside toilet
StairsExisting
explanation boards

Reverberatory
furnace3(3)(c) Terrain correction (surface repair)3(3)(d) Arranging and improving
landscape and planting vegetation(tree management, etc.)
LegendSymbolContent
Scope of World Heritage Component Part3(1)(c) Necessary surveys for furnace
restoration
3(2)(a) Furnace restoration

Reverberatory furnace zone
Terrain preservation zone
Buffer Zone

Figure 2: Master Plan

9

Figure 3: Conceptional drawing after projects completion of the site10