ブックタイトル「近代の文化遺産の保存理念と修復理念」英語版

概要

「近代の文化遺産の保存理念と修復理念」英語版

56A View from Studies in History of Industrial TechnologyJun SuzukiProfessor, Faculty of Letters, The University of Tokyo1. What is Industrial Technology?Industrial technology is the technology onwhich industries rely and heritage properties,including factories and industrial facilities,retain the history of such technologies. I wouldlike to focus on what I have learned throughmy experiences at Tomioka Silk Mill, regardingpossibilities of preserving and restoring moderncultural heritage properties while maintainingand enhancing their significance.　Industries cannot survive without economicrationality. The goal of economic rationalityoften matches that of technical rationality, butthat is not all. Technology adopted by industriesof a certain era is underlined by economicrationality, and the process of following itstransformation over time is in fact the aim ofstudies in history of industrial technology.　In the 1880s, there were two ways ofasserting the merits of constructing brickbuildings for a factory. One can be seen inthe case of Osaka Spinning Mill, from theirbusiness report for the second half of the 1883fiscal year. It says that if factory structures wereto be made of wood-frame, “the temperaturewould be unstable and interior environmentswould fluctuate between dry and humid,making it inappropriate for manufacturing. Also,there would be dangers of conflagration” andtherefore it should be made of brick masonry,explained from the viewpoint of engineeringrationality. Another was that of KaneboSpinning Mill at the time of constructingtheir Tokyo factory as can be read in thedecisions made at an executive meeting of 1887,recorded in “The History of Kanebo TokyoHeadquarters” published later in the Showaera. It says to create “the most grandioseappearingfactory possible” “so as to intimidateothers by its dignity.” They, of course, relied onthe technical rationality of brick masonry asdescribed in at Osaka Spinning Mill, but theirmain focus was rather on constructing a groupof overwhelming buildings, so as to maintaintheir leading position among the competitivefirms. This is rational from the administrativepoint of view and the architectural techniquesemployed here certainly are a form of industrialtechnology.　The idea of constructing magnificentbuildings may have been motivated by the intentof gaining the trust of the stockholders, so thatfurther investments would be made or theywould represent the fine working conditions,attracting skilled workers to the factory. Inthe case of nationally operated factories, thiswould showcase the country’s prestige as wellas the country’s expectations on the industry.Because these intensions could have been thesame with private establishments, it would notbe necessary to distinguish those run by thecountry and private companies. As earthquakeresistance is a requirement for contemporaryfactory structures, so were protective facilitiesfor factories during wartime. They needed to