Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace
韮山反射炉35°02′ N 138°58′ EMuseumBuilt 1853–1857, in service until 1864UNESCO
The Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace in Izunokuni is the only furnace of its kind in Japan that both worked and survives, and it now belongs to the Meiji Industrial Revolution World Heritage listing; it suits history readers with an hour to spare between Mishima and Shuzenji, though the visit amounts to the furnace and a short film.
Photo Indiana jo · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Visiting with care · Partly open
Pets may come in a cart or carrier, but not into the guidance centre's exhibition room or film hall.
- Visitors see the furnace from the grounds around it after passing through the guidance centre.
- Groups of ten or more are asked to book ahead, and a guide comes free with a booking.
- The furnace is a National Historic Site and a World Heritage property, and its brickwork was repaired in 2020–2021, so keep to the paths and off the structure.
After Perry's ships arrived in 1853, the shogunate ordered the Nirayama magistrate Egawa Hidetatsu, also known as Tan'an, to build a furnace that could melt iron for cannon. Work began near Shimoda that December. In the spring of 1854 sailors from Perry's fleet walked onto the building site, and the project moved inland to Naka, close to the magistrate's office at Nirayama.
Egawa had only a Dutch book to go on, Huguenin's manual on casting at the Royal Iron Cannon Foundry. He died early in 1855, and his son Hidetoshi finished the job in November 1857 with engineers sent by the Saga domain. The design sets two twin-hearth furnaces at right angles so that four hearths could fire at once, and the brick chimneys rise about 15.7 metres. Until 1864 the furnace cast iron 18-pounder cannon and bronze field guns.
UNESCO inscribed it in July 2015 as part of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution. Allow 45 minutes to an hour: about half an hour for the film and exhibits in the guidance centre and 20 minutes with a guide at the furnace.
Worth knowing
- Buy the joint ticket and add the Egawa residence, home of the magistrate who designed the furnace.
- Check the closure dates before a Wednesday visit, since the site shuts on the third Wednesday of each month.
Quick answers about Nirayama Reverberatory Furnaceよくある質問
How much does it cost to visit the Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace?
Entry costs ¥500 for adults and ¥50 for primary and junior high pupils. A joint ticket with the Egawa residence costs ¥900 for adults.
Is the Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace a World Heritage Site?
Yes. It was inscribed in July 2015 as part of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution.
How long does a visit to the Nirayama furnace take?
Izunokuni city suggests 45 minutes to an hour, with about 30 minutes in the guidance centre and 20 minutes at the furnace with a guide.
Can you visit Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace?
Partly open. Visitors see the furnace from the grounds around it after passing through the guidance centre. Groups of ten or more are asked to book ahead, and a guide comes free with a booking.
What are the opening hours of Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace?
Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace keeps these hours: Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00.
How should you behave at Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace?
At Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace: The furnace is a National Historic Site and a World Heritage property, and its brickwork was repaired in 2020–2021, so keep to the paths and off the structure.
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