王子製紙株式会社苫小牧工場における近代化産業遺産群の紹介

抄録

Tomakomai Mill, Oji Paper Co., Ltd. started operation in 1910. It was known back then as the largest paper mill in the East. It has greatly contributed to domestic paper supply for more than a hundred years. The mill has several facilities certified as a part of Modern Industrial Heritage Sites by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. These certified facilities are as follows. The hydraulic power plants by the Lake Shikotsu began operating in the same year as the mill's establishment and underwent many repairs and improvements over the years. The water channels from the lumberyard to the mill have been used for the transportation of logs, and the log-debarking equipment, called "Drum Barker," has been in operation since 1929. Both these facilities have long been essential for pulp production. Old buildings and structures standing on the mill site remind us of the founding days; some of them are still in use. These facilities indicate the development of paper industry in Hokkaido and some of them are still in operation. The paper machines have not been designated as industrial heritages; however, they have a long history of manufacturing and continuous construction or upgrading based on the request for optimal production configurations.