FAQ

When is the Centre open and closed?
The Centre is open from 10:00 to 17:00. The last admission is available by 16:30 and is closed on Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays and a period from December 29th to January 3rd.
Is Admission free of charge?
Yes, it is free of charge.
How to get to the Centre?
It takes about 5 minutes by foot from "Kawada-guchi Exit" of "Wakamatsu-Kawada Station" on Toei Oedo Line. The signboard "Industrial Heritage Information Centre" is set next to the black iron gate that leads to the premise of Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Please refer to ACCESS.
Do you have parking space? Is it possible to visit the Centre by car?
No parking space is available for vehicles, including bicycles and automobiles. Please access the Centre by foot.
Is an advanced booking is necessary?
Yes. Please book via www.ihic.jp
How can I make a booking in advance?
Please book via booking.ihic.jp
Are Guides available? Charged or free of charge? Available only in Japanese?
Yes, it is free of charge. Currently, guidance is only available in Japanese.
How about individuals who do not understand Japanese? Are any materials in foreign languages available?
The Centre offers audio guidance in English and Korean. If you want it, please let us know when booking. The Centre also plans to offer some materials in foreign languages.
How long do I need to secure time to see all the exhibits?
As of now, the Centre offers 3 slots of "2-hour-guided tour" per day.
What does the Centre aim at?
The Centre was established as a comprehensive information centre for the World Cultural Heritage Site, "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining (inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2015 by the 39th UNESCO World Heritage Committee) " , as well as a "think-tank" on other industrial heritage sites to educate and raise awareness of the public.
What is exhibited?
The Centre is zoned from 1 to 3. Zone 1 plays an introductory role as "Invitation to 'Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution'"; Zone 2 details Japan's rapid industrialization as "Path toward an Industrial State"; and, Zone 3 is Reference Room.

[ZONE 1] It presents (1) an overview of the "Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution" and (2) the process leading to the inscription of the sites as a World Heritage site by panels. In addition, (3) a panoramic multi-display platform introduces the full history of each of the 23 component parts located across 11 cities in 8 prefectures, and (4) at the Theater, it offers a video showing the long and challenging nomination process of becoming a World Heritage site.

[ZONE 2] It consists of five sections: (1) Early attempts under the Isolation Strategy, (2) Shipbuilding, (3) Iron and Steel, (4) Coal Mining, and (5) Industrialization. The phases in which Japan developed into an industrial state in just half a century, from the late Edo period to the Meiji period, are described. In addition, explanation is offered through video of interviews with foreign experts. At the information search table centrally located in the Zone, 6 tablets detail information on the "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution".

[ZONE 3] Reference Room has digital equipment that offers various information via display monitors and multi-display platform. A wide variety of primary source materials on industrial labor and others are accessible.
What is "Liquid Galaxy ™"?
Liquid Galaxy (LG) is a panoramic multi-display platform that offers 3D images applying both old/new photos/maps of each of the 23 component parts contributing to the World Heritage values. New programs are to be uploaded on a regular basis.
Does the Centre offer Wi-Fi?
The Centre will inform of it when it is ready.
Can I take photos?
Sorry, it is not permitted due to copyright.
Can I come in to the Centre with my pets?
Sorry, ordinary pets are not allowed.
Can wheelchairs access the Centre?
Yes, there is a ramp leading to the entrance.
Is a nursing space available?
Yes. Please ask at the Reception.
Can I drink and eat inside the Centre?
Sorry, this is not allowed, although you may drink water in the reception area.
Does the Centre have a museum shop?
Sorry, there is no plan for this.
What does the symbol mark (triangle) represent?
The black stands for "furnaces", and, the red stands for "burning flames in furnaces". The symbol as a whole stands for "passion for the industrialization of Japan from the end of the Edo era to the Meiji era (1850s-1910).