The reason for Marine Port
The first phase of the Marine Port project (Construction zones 1 and 2) a plan to develop a large tourist boat quay in Kagoshima city was launched. There was another port where cruise ships could drop anchor before the construction of Marine Port, however it was far from the main city and had a smell problem because the areas was also used for shipping feed and other industrial products. The first phase of the project included not only a plan for cruise ships, but also a plan to create a space for residents and tourists to relax and enjoy the waterfront scenery.
The argument against construction
On one hand, the government was concerned whether construction of the port would turn a profit. There were also citizen concerns that construction of the island would cause ecological damage. Furthermore, these issues were picked up by the local newspaper. Opposition to the plan was considerable.
A problem that suggested a solution
Sakurajima in Kagoshima is one of Japan’s most active volcanoes. Small eruptions occur on Sakurajima on almost a daily basis. Debris flow sediment from the volcano was a big problem around the time of the original proposal. In order to solve this problem, the government gave permission to construct Marine Port using volcanic sediment. From 2005 construction became easier, by bringing the sediment to the current Marine Port area by boat.
Timeline
In May 2007, the landfill of Construction zone 1 was completed. On September 28th, 2007, Construction zone 1 started service. It was a place where the citizens and tourists can relax, as well as a place where they could view Sakurajima and Kinko Bay. In May 2009, Marin Port achieve one million visitors. In March 2012, the landfill of Construction zone 2 was completed. In addition to a large green space, a heliport was created. Then, on April 16th 2015, the heliport in Construction zone 2 started service. On July 18th, 2016 , the entire area of Construction zone 2 started service.
| date | event |
| February, 2005 | Landfill using Sakurajima debris flow sediment starts |
| March, 2007 | Landfill of Construction zone 1 complete |
| September 28th, 2007 | Construction zone 1 starts service |
| May, 2009 | One million visitors |
| March, 2012 | Landfill of Construction zone 2 complete |
| April 16th, 2015 | Heliport in Construction zone 2 starts service |
| July 18th, 2016 | The entire area of Construction zone 2 starts service |
Practical uses
Nowadays, because of COVID 19 the cruise ships are no longer arriving, but it is thought that it will be used as a place that people can flee to for refuge in case of disaster, or as a place to temporarily store the disaster waste. In Kagoshima prefecture, which has many remote islands, the heliport is indispensable for transporting emergency cases from remote islands by helicopter, and this is fully utilized 24 hours a day.
●References
鹿児島県「「マリンポートかごしま」の経緯」（Referred date: 2021-09-29）