I think we have enough material and issues to make it worth starting a new topic for "Japan".
Is there a way Els in which you can transfer posts from other threads or is it better either to create links to them or to quote/copy them? I guess that the "search" facility can be used as well.
I any case I make a start by copying below today's comments on Nagasaki's 2 ongoing nominations - the Christian sites and the Meiji industrial ones - also Durian's interesting link regarding criticism of the way in which political/regional pressures play "large" in Japanese site selection!
Solivagant:
Durian:
Even Nagasaki already reduced its 26 serial components to only 13 sites.
If anyone is interested in which 13 Christian sites have been removed from the Nagasaki etc nomination they can be worked out from these 2 links
a. List of original 26 -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churches_and_Christian_Sites_in_Nagasakib. List of remaining 13 -
http://www.pref.nagasaki.jp/s_isan/isan/list1.htmlNagsaki City itself seems to have lost most of its original sites and the nomination now concentrates on locations in the surrounding countryside. Luckily for those of us who have visited Nagaskai, Oura Cathedral Church remains on the list!!! Among those which have disappeared
a. Catholic Seminary - next to Oura Church but doesn't appear to have been included within it
b. Site of the Martyrdom - always a dodgy part as it consists solely of a modern memorial
c. Urakami Cathedral - a completely new structure (1959) on the site of the original
destroyred by the Atomic Bomb. Only a small part of the original has been rebuilt at the Epicentre memorial
Leaving aside the weaknesses of some of Nagasaki's Christian sites, I guess it intends getting some more anyway via the Meiji Industrial sites!! By the way - does anyone have more information of whether Japan is continuing to pursue "Battleship Island" for that nomination in the face of Korean (and other) opposition because of its "Slave Labour" history??
Durian:
Solivagant:
does anyone have more information of whether Japan is continuing to pursue "Battleship Island" for that nomination in the face of Korean (and other) opposition because of its "Slave Labour" history??
There are some public concern but not about Chineses and Korean slave labour but how to preserve it. Interestingly Japanese government want to inscribe maybe only the sea wall and production facilities to save cost and possibly to avoid controversial sites on the island like worker dorms. I'm not sure about underground mine, there are many sad stories about it, but the current shape of the mine was after WWII especially during Korean War, by Japanese Mitsubishi workers.
This news give some information about Nagasaki WHS quest
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20131208p2a00m0na001000c.html