Decision 42 COM 7B.10

Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining (Japan) (C 1484)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B.Add2,
2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 8B.14[1], adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
3. Takes note of the illustrated reports provided on conservation work carried out at various component sites, along with future priorities;
4. Commending the State Party on the details provided so far concerning Hashima Island, notes the substantial progress achieved in the development of a detailed 30-year conservation work programme for the island and the commitment of resources for the length of the plan and also notes that the programme will stabilise the island’s retaining walls, conserve decaying remains and preserve the battleship form of its silhouette, and that priority will be given in the first phase to the retaining walls and researching conservation techniques;
5. Requests the State Party to submit the following information to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, as it becomes available:
   1. One or more study(ies) on those buildings made of wood, steel, and reinforced concrete which have collapsed or irreversibly decayed since 1974, and whether they can be conserved,
   2. Further archaeological studies,
   3. More research on historical documents, structural materials and visitor movements,
   4. An Action Plan, developed by Nagasaki City, covering project deadlines, implementation techniques for phased work, and setting annual goals;
6. Further notes that monitoring of the number of visitors is being undertaken systematically for all component sites, and that a visitor management strategy, including carrying capacities, will be formulated in 2018 on the basis of these results; and also requests the State Party to submit this strategy to the World Heritage Centre, once it is completed, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
7. Notes furthermore that interpretation is available for all component sites, and that digital communications have been developed, but that further improvements are planned, including Information Centre to be opened;
8. Further requests the State Party to provide an update on overall interpretation upon completion of Information Centre;
9. Strongly encourages the State Party to take into account best international practices for interpretation strategies when continuing its work on the interpretation of the full history of the property, both during and outside of the period covered by its OUV, and in the digital interpretation materials;
10. Encourages continuing dialogue between the concerned parties;
11. Requests furthermore the State Party to fully implement Decision 39 COM 8B.14[1] and to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2019, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 44th session in 2020.

[1] The World Heritage Committee takes note of the statement made by Japan, as regards the interpretive strategy that allows an understanding of the full history of each site as referred to in paragraph 4.g) of the Decision 39 COM 8B.14, which is contained in the Summary Record of the session (document WHC-15/39.COM/INF.19).