Successful International Symposium on the Cultural Value of the Sado Island Gold Mines held at IUJ

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On June 17, 2022, an international symposium on the cultural value of the Sado Island gold mines was held on the IUJ campus, hosted by the Cabinet Office and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan. Japan has proposed that the Sado Island gold mines be granted UNESCO World Heritage property status. This symposium welcomed three expert panelists who are familiar with the history and culture of Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture and the world heritage system, and they discussed the outstanding universal value of the Sado Island Gold Mines as a potential Wold Heritage property, carrying importance for all humankind. The purpose of this symposium was to have more people understand its cultural value through this discussion. The panel discussion also included a Q & A session with IUJ international students who had recently taken a field trip to Sado Island.

 

Programme

Date/Time
Friday, June 17, 2022 15:30-17:30

Venue
Online (via Zoom, broadcasted from the International University of Japan, Niigata Pref.)

Language
English (with Japanese simultaneous interpretation)

Host
Cabinet Office, Agency for Cultural Affairs

With support from
International University of Japan (IUJ)

  • Opening Remarks

Dr. ITAMI Hiroyuki, President of International University of Japan
Mr. SHIKATA Noriyuki, Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs, Japan Prime Minister’s Office

  • Guest remarks (video messages)　　

Mr. HANAZUMI Hideyo, Governor of Niigata Prefecture
Mr. WATANABE Ryugo, Mayor of Sado City

  • Panel discussion

[Moderators]　　　

Dr. SHINODA Tomohito, Professor, International University of Japan
Dr. NAKAMURA Ayako, Assistant Professor, International University of Japan

[Panelist] 　　　　　　　　 

Prof. MIYATA Ryohei, Former President and Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University of the Arts, Former Commissioner for Cultural Affairs
Prof. OKADA Yasuyoshi, Professor Emeritus of Kokushikan University, President of Japan ICOMOS National Committee
Mr. Barry Gamble, World Heritage Advisor

  • Q&A session with students of the International University of Japan
  • Closing remarks

Ms. SHIOMI Mizue, Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan

 

Opening Remarks

Panelist

Panel Discussion

Moderators

Closing remarks

Opening Remarks by President Itami
It is my great to pleasure to open this International Symposium on the Cultural Value of the Sado Island gold mines today here on our campus. It is great honor to welcome many distinguished guests to participate in this symposium, including Governor Hanazumi online and Mr. Shikata from the Cabinet Office. Our university, International University of Japan, is particularly fortunate and an appropriate venue for this UNESCO-related symposium to discuss the cultural value of the Sado Island gold mines with the international community. We are an English-only graduate school university where the large majority of the students are foreign, coming from more than 50 countries. We are where the world gathers. Of course, we are located in Niigata in a rural area where the beauty of the Japanese countryside fills the surroundings of our campus. As such a unique university, one of our concepts is to be an integral part of Niigata. In that sense, I am particularly happy that we can hold this symposium today on our campus, which I hope will help Sado City and Niigata prefecture increase their international presence.