Satsuma Conference Special Extra Edition: Let's Build a City, Not Just a Box, on the Former Dolphin Port Site, Part 2: The Grand Design of a 'Port City' - Go! Kagoshima, Akiko Kadota (Part 1)

The symposium titled "Let's Build a City, Not Just a Box, on the Former Dolphin Port Site" was held as a special extra edition of the Satsuma Conference. Part 2 is a dialogue between Akiko Kadota, representative of Go! Kagoshima, and Shuichiro Sakaguchi, auditor of SELF.

Click here for Part 1 with Takeo Tajima, owner of Tenku no Mori 👇

Sakaguchi: Even in the “Hon-minato District Urban Development Grand Design” document released by the prefecture, they have spent money researching various overseas examples such as San Francisco, Singapore, and Sydney. In this session, together with Kadota-san, who has the most overseas experience that I know of (having lived in the US for 21 years before returning to Kagoshima), I would like to verify whether that is truly being reflected.

The culture of "enjoying scenery with water" is taken for granted

Kadota: Today, I would like to talk under the theme of “A city with seas and waterfronts where you want to live”. I believe that not only the sea, but also rivers and ponds are regional assets. When you go abroad, there are hotels, shops, entertainment facilities, restaurants, and bars by the water, and the culture of "enjoying scenery with water" is taken for granted.

When I returned to Kagoshima, the thing that struck me the most was that there is no beach town. Kagoshima is full of waterfronts, isn't it? It is surrounded by the sea, and a large river called the Kotsuki River flows through it. For example, there could be luxury apartments lined up along the river, with restaurants and bars. “A river everyone can enjoy” or “a beach everyone can enjoy”. That is the kind of scenery I imagine, but it doesn't exist. My lasting impression is that it is just breakwaters and tetrapods, and the seaside is not very beautiful as an impression.

When I first returned, I asked government officials many questions, and they all replied in unison, "Well, typhoons come, you know." But, for example, Miami, a sister city of Kagoshima City, is a place where hurricanes are a matter of course every year. Hawaii is the same, isn't it? I think disasters are a part of life in prime areas where people enjoy the sea and rivers. Therefore, I think it is a bit off to say that only Kagoshima doesn't know how to enjoy the sea because typhoons come.

Paris Plages

Kadota: Now, I will introduce some overseas examples, starting with "Paris Plages." Paris has a large river called the Seine.

Various events are held along the river, and they actually bring in artificial sand for a one-month period to create a beach. It has become a famous event where people in swimsuits sunbathe in the middle of Paris, enjoying the seaside atmosphere.

During this period, they also float things like this on the river to create pools for citizens to enjoy. When you see examples like this, it's exciting, isn't it? Even a big city like Paris can do this.

Auckland

Kadota: Next, when I looked at the Dolphin Port area, I thought it was very similar to Auckland, New Zealand. When I went there for work, I was surprised when someone casually said, “Next time you come, I'll take the boat out, so let's enjoy the weekend together”. When I looked it up later, I found that it has the highest number of boat owners per capita in the world (as of 2014, one in 11 people owned one). So, it is a culture to take the boat out when you have time and enjoy leisure time floating on the sea. Auckland is also a bay, and there are really a lot of boats floating there, whereas when I return to Kagoshima, there are no boats floating in Kinko Bay at all. That seemed strange to me.

This is the downtown area, and doesn't the topography look somewhat similar to the Dolphin Port area? There are restaurants, bars, hotels, and museums lined up here, and when I went for work, I would enjoy the view of the sea at a wine bar around here at night. Old sailing ships are floating there, it is truly a "port city." Both citizens and tourists head here, and I think this is the kind of city that could be realized at Dolphin Port.

Sakaguchi: Sydney also has a similar cityscape, doesn't it? That Opera House is also very beautiful when lit up at night when viewed from the sea. I feel that it is built with an awareness of how it is presented, valuing the perspective from the sea.

San Francisco

Kadota: Next is "San Francisco," which also appeared in the prefecture's materials. I lived nearby, so I went there often, and this is the Ferry Building. Viewed from the city, it is right in front of the sea. The building itself is 124 years old, but it has been carefully renovated, and now this place is a marketplace. A wonderful market that seems to boast of the richness of food in the California region.

I think the farmers' market has been going on for nearly 20 years, and I used to go there when I lived there. San Francisco is a city that is a source of food, so there are some unique ingredients, mushroom specialty shops, and cheese specialty shops. A place that is like a showcase for the "food treasure trove of San Francisco" is right in front of the sea. You can eat oysters on the outdoor terrace, and there are ways to enjoy it that are unique to being right in front of the sea, which is something I would like to imitate in Kagoshima.

Miami

Kadota: We are finally getting to the core of the story, and next is "Miami," a sister city of Kagoshima City. I have been there several times as a member of the Kagoshima City goodwill delegation, and Miami is a wonderful model as a port city with the sea. Since we are sister cities with such a city, I hope we can make it an opportunity to think about urban development while interacting with each other.

Here, too, people who own boats keep them at the yacht harbor and enjoy a wonderful lifestyle, spending their free time on leisure. As you can see, the sea is right there. Just the other day, when a typhoon hit Kagoshima, a major hurricane hit Miami, and it seems they had a tough time.Just because a typhoon is coming doesn't mean it's a reason why it can't be done—that is what it means.

Also,Kagoshima claims to be the 'Gateway to Asia'and says that from the perspective of places like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Seoul, Kagoshima is closer than Tokyo. Miami truly functions as a bridge to Central and South America, being close to Europe (with many Central and South American companies having their headquarters in Miami). Additionally, historically, there have been many immigrants from Cuba, and nearly 60% of the population is foreign-born. Even now, the number of immigrants continues to grow, and it is truly colorful. People with various cultures and backgrounds live there, and with many immigrants from Spanish-speaking regions, 80 to 90 percent of the citizens speak Spanish.

And Miami is also very famous for cruise ships. About 16 to 20 ships can dock there like this. If there are 4,000 to 5,000 people per ship,the population increases by tens of thousands in a single daybut the infrastructure for those people to head out into the city of Miami is also well-established. I was able to observe it as a city that is world-class in terms of cruise ships as well. When considering how Kagoshima should approach cruise ships, although it is a very high-level example, I was shown that this kind of model exists.

Sakaguchi: This is something I heard, but the people from the cruise ship 'Asuka II' highly praised it, saying,'The sense of scale when looking out at Sakurajima upon entering Kinko Bay is a superb view that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.'I think the potential that Kagoshima possesses is truly amazing once again. We must become aware of that.

(To be continued)