During 124 years, Manda Mine contributed to a modernization of Japan, so this mine has a historic value. According to Mr. Horiuchi, who used to work in Manda Mine, this mine was accepting of all people. In other words, everyone who had a strong body could work for this mine no matter what your background was. Mr. Horiuchi was full of passion while talking about the Manda mine. I was impressed with his speech and thought about its potential registration as a World Heritage Site. When we discussed a registration to the World Heritage Site, someone pointed out a negative viewpoint about the Manda Mine, such as its lack of popularity in Arao city. It is important for us to think about both the positive and negative viewpoints of the mine. I got a wonderful opportunity to think about some history of Japan, which is my own country.
(Risa Taniwaki, Japan)
