Hagi Castle - Industrial Sites

Hagi and the Chōshū Domain played a crucial role in Japan’s industrialization through both technological advancement and thought leadership. Especially as Western forces started to threaten Japan's sovereignty, the Choshu samurai were onf of the first to take matters into their own hands and try to

Hagi Castle - Industrial Sites

Hagi and the Chōshū Domain played a crucial role in Japan’s industrialization through both technological advancement and thought leadership. Especially as Western forces started to threaten Japan's sovereignty, the Choshu samurai were onf of the first to take matters into their own hands and try to modernize, to defend, their domain from foreign powers.

The Hagi Reverberatory Furnace was built in 1856, but the project was abandoned before it could produce usable iron. It was too expensive and Hagi lacked some of the knowledge to create an efficient furnace.

The Ebisugahana Shipyard was also founded in the Spring of 1856 and the first western style warship, the Heishin Maru, was launched in December 1856. The second warship, the Koshin Maru, was completed in 1860. These were the only two warships built in Hagi, but the breakwater you see here remains unchanged since that time period. Along the shore excavations have also uncovered the workshops and residences of engineers and craftsmen working on the ship.

The cannon foundry was founded in 1857 to produce cannon and cannonballs for the defense of the domain. It produced weapons until it was closed in 1868 and country wide arms productions were centralized.

Gallery

Reverberatory Furnace

Ebisugahana Shipyard

Gunji Cannon Foundry

Ebisugahana Shipyard

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Hagi Castle - Industrial Sites

Hagi Castle - Industrial Sites

Gallery

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