Abstract
Modern industry has not only formed magnificent industrial landscapes (technoscapes) in surrounding areas but has also fostered distinctive regional cultures. The value of these “cultural landscapes,” formed by the natural and human geographical conditions of the region, is expected to be further discussed in the future. The production of paper, known as the “barometer of culture,” evolved into modern Western paper production with the introduction of machinery after the Meiji era. The paper and pulp industry brought infrastructure development, employment, and wealth to surrounding areas, and further formed a distinctive industrial culture. This study focuses on Takasago City in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, which developed as a port city in the early modern period. It manifests the industrial landscape created by the modern paper and pulp industry, specifically Mitsubishi Paper Mills Ltd., as well as the infrastructure developed by the company (water supply, recreational facilities, housing, and religious facilities) and the relationship between the distinctive artistic culture led by local figures such as Kuraku Chosaburo and Nagata Koui and the industry.
