Japan: Happy Healthy Hirado

Strengthening Hirado through heritage
The town of Hirado harboured the first trading post of the Dutch East India Company in Japan. Last year in November, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands organised a redevelopment and redesign workshop in Hirado. Twelve architecture students and their tutors analysed development opportunities and risks for this small historic town in the Nagasaki Prefecture. This month, a summary of the results was presented to the municipality of Hirado, which serves as an advisory report for the planning authority. It defines the development potential of Hirado’s historical features, and gives insight into how these can contribute to the city’s current needs. Vice-versa, it looks at how the new developments can provide a base for the continued existence of historical features whose future is at stake. In the following month, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands and the municipality of Hirado will discuss possible further cooperation on strengthening the city through its heritage.

Opportunities and threats
The main development opportunities for Hirado lie in its natural assets and historical features. On the other hand, the main drawbacks for development are its remote location and a cityscape that could be easily disrupted by uncontrolled development and expanding parking lots. The shopping street, the waterfront and Castle Hill all have strong development potential. The workshop proposed specific redesign strategies for each of these areas. When exploited in a sustainable way, they will help to keep Hirado an attractive place for living, working and spending leisure time.