<論文>コモンズとしての産業遺産 : 長崎市高島町における軍艦島活用を事例として

Abstract

Gunkanjima is a small island less than fifteen kilometers away from the western coast of Nagasaki Prefecture. The island was used as a coal-mining station between 1887 and 1974, contributing to the modernization of Japan. In 1890, Mitsubishi Company bought the island and set about gaining coal from the bottom of the sea. Subsequently, the company built up the island's infrastructure as well as living quarters (such as large concrete buildings, apartments) to accommodate its workers. However, in 1974, the mines were forced to close due to an abrupt shift in energy use, which made the whole population move out of the island. Since then, Gunkanjima has been totally uninhabited. However recently, the island started to arouse attention as a symbol of the industrial growth of Japan. There has even been a movement to make the island a world heritage site, while tours around Gunkanjima are also becoming more and more popular. By taking Gunaknjima as a case study, the present paper aims to consider the potentiality and difficulty of utilizing industrial heritages in rural communities. Firstly, it outlines the diversity of opinions on this movement, based on the author's interviews with several actors related with the island. Secondly, by looking into a tour-case around Gunkanjima, the significance of the industrial tourism in rural communities is examined. Thirdly, based on the concept of "social commons", the paper discusses how we could make use of the industrial heritage, considering the diverse opinions on Gunkanjima. Finally, this research result suggests the necessity of tourism guidance from local people in that area.