🗺️ Sankaku West Port三角西港

Sankaku West Port was established in 1887 for the purpose of exporting coal from the Miike Coal Mine to foreign countries. It is the only port among the three major ports constructed during the Meiji era that still retains the appearance of a century ago. In 2015, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution." The port was designed by Dutch engineer Rouwenhorst Mulder, with local stonemasons from Amakusa responsible for its construction. The approximately 756-meter-long stone pier still maintains its exquisite beauty today, showcasing the remarkable craftsmanship of local artisans who, for the first time, tackled Western civil engineering with impressive skill. However, just 12 years after its opening, the railway to Sankaku East Port was completed in 1800, marking the end of the pier's functional use, although it has been preserved in its original form. The harbor facilities and streets near Sankaku West Port have been preserved and restored, and they are often used for filming period dramas, making it a tourist attraction filled with a retro atmosphere. The Western-style hotel "Urashimaya," where Lafcadio Hearn once stayed, has been restored and has become a symbolic presence of Sankaku West Port.

Kumamoto Prefecture is home to one of the three World Heritage Sites. It is the only completely preserved port built during the Meiji era. Nearby, there are retro buildings such as Urashimaya and Ryūjōkan.