Planning perspectives of Dutch civil engineers that influenced the formation of urban infrastructure in modern Japan

Abstract

Dr. Kazumasa Iwamoto, National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Japan, is interested in the history of the modernization of Japan and how this was influenced by an influx of innovations and Western philosophies. His analyses of urban space formation involve a historical approach, as well as civil engineering and architecture techniques and an awareness of technology's contributions. Iwamoto's work is novel as research themes linking civil engineering and history are unusual. He is exploring the planning and design influences of other countries, including how the planning and urban theory of Dutch engineers influenced the formation of urban infrastructure in modern Japan. In one project, Iwamoto and the collaborator investigated the role of Dutch civil engineering in modern port planning in Japan over the period of the 1870s to the 1890s by studying original Dutch and Japanese documents including investigative reports, design drawings, and survey maps, and then exploring the transfer of civil engineering techniques for port planning through three case studies. Through this research, they found that Dutch civil engineers had a significant impact on Japanese port planning through technological innovation, an example of which is the construction of artificial basins. The researchers are also investigating transport, including electric tramways and hydroelectricity, in Wakayama prefecture, and how this played a role in the industrialization of Wakayama and its development as a tourist resort.