Exit the Space World train station and you will see the towers of the Higadashi Blast Furnace right behind the Sports Depot

Exit the Space World train station and you will see the towers of the Higadashi Blast Furnace right behind the Sports Depot (Photo: Jaclynn Seah)

Higashida Blast Furnace

A relic of the start of Japan's industrial revolution

Jaclynn Seah Apr 27, 2016 - 1 min read

Exit the Space World train station and you will see the towers of the Higadashi Blast Furnace right behind the Sports Depot

The Blast Furnace was built in 1901 and worked for 70 years before shutting in 1972. It's now a monument of sorts that you can explore on your own

The blast furnace has 3 tall white furnaces where the main heating of steel happened

Map of the place and a recommended route

Machine parts are left scattered around the grounds that you can take a closer look at

Nature has merged with some of the machine parts

Look out for signboards that explain how the machinery works. It's mostly in Japanese but there are diagrams to give you an idea

Look out for the old train that transported coal to the blast furnace

Head up to the second level to get a closer look at the machinery

That's what the workers used to wear

Don't be freaked out by some of the realistic looking mannequins in the place

Peer into the blast furnace for yourself - you can see some remnants of debris left behind

Surprisingly pretty interior of the blast furnace

Kitakyushu was once the center of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution, and the Higashida Blast Furnace was the center of it. Built in 1901 by Yawata Steel Works, this furnace kept firing till it finally closed in 1972, more than 70 years of producing steel and helping to transform Japan from its feudal age to the modern industrial leader that it is today. Located right next to the Space World station, take a quick stroll around the area to pick up a bit of history before you head over to play at the Space World Theme Park!

Jaclynn Seah

Jaclynn Seah @jaclynn.seah979

Jaclynn Seah is The Occasional Traveller, inspiring other working people to remember to take that time off and travel a little more.