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vol.111 No.6 July 2026
Civil Engineering's power in shaping culture
─ Celebrating Lake Biwa Canal as national treasures ─
In August 2025, twenty-four facilities of the Lake Biwa Canal were designated as Important Cultural Properties, with five named as National Treasures
—the first such recognition for modern civil engineering.
Completed in 1890, the canal was a foundational infrastructure that supported the recovery and development of Kyoto following the Meiji Restoration.
As a multipurpose system, it supplied water, enabled hydropower, and supported irrigation, contributing significantly to regional industrialization and urban modernization. The canal’s excellence, recognized by the Telford Medal from the ICE, marks a seminal achievement in Japanese engineering.
Beyond its functional value, the canal has shaped Kyoto’s landscape, imparting
enduring cultural significance.
This special issue examines the cultural value of operational infrastructure, emphasizing its historical context and contribution to urban innovation.
By analyzing the engineers' professional ethos, the issue highlights the educational significance of civil engineering heritage.
Through multidisciplinary perspectives, including international examples
like Taiwan, this collection aims to advance discourse on integrating cultural value
within environmental and urban networks.
