URBAN FORMATION AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF THE PORT TOWN OF KURE (PART 1) : TIMBER TRANSPORT PROCESSES AND RELATED FACILITIES IN THE MODERN PERIOD

This study examines the interaction between port-centered human activities and the natural environment, shaping the landscape, with Kure, Kochi Prefecture, as a case study. Historically, Kure’s urban area developed through the overlapping expansion of two regional industries—timber and fishing—anchored by its Pacific-facing port. Focusing on the timber industry, which rapidly grew and declined in the modern era, leaving behind related facilities, this paper interprets the dynamics between the port, human activities, and coastal development, considering the resulting landscape as a product of port-centered development.