Hokkaido University Museum will hold an event titled "Exploring the Ultimate Roots of the Establishment of the Japanese Heritage Site 'Coal and Iron Port'" on May 25th.

The Coal, Iron and Steel Port is one of six Japanese Heritage sites in Hokkaido recognized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The Coal, Iron and Steel Port is an industrial heritage site that represents the Northern Industrial Revolution, which unfolded around coal, steel, ports, and the railways that connected them, and has contributed greatly to the development of Hokkaido. The founding of the Coal, Iron and Steel Port can be said to have begun with the discovery of the Horonai Coal Mine through a geological survey conducted by BS Lyman, a foreign engineer hired by the Hokkaido Development Commission from the United States. However, going back even further, the Treaty of Peace and Amity concluded by the Edo Shogunate in 1854 created an obligation to supply high-quality coal to American ships, and the Shogunate invited mining engineers from the United Kingdom and the United States.
In this lecture, from the perspective of a geological survey of Hokkaido, considered one of the birthplaces of Japanese geology, I will explore the ultimate roots of the "coal, iron and steel port" by examining the achievements of Lyman and those who came before and after him, particularly Enomoto Takeaki.

Click here for more information. *You will be redirected to Hokkaido University Museum website.