Urban Japan (by Thuy Anh Nguyen)

Japan is one of the most development countries in the world nowadays.  Many Japanese cities had been rapidly developed and reconstructed in the short time after suffering a lot of destruction by natural calamities such as earthquake, typhoon and especially, atomic bomb disaster in 1945 during the Second World War. This week’s readings are about Hiroshima as an example of how postwar Japanese cities reconstructing and postwar housing issues. The following is some main key ideas of the readings.

 

Consequences of the atomic bomb – Footprint of the Second World War

The atomic bomb disaster was overwhelming to affect Hiroshima and other Japanese cities in both short and long- term. The number of people were killed is 60,000 instantly and 140,000 by the end of December (Norioki, 2003). In addition, the repercussion of atomic bomb on urban was meticulously described by Norioki (2003, pp. 89) as a mess with completely destroyed buildings within two kilometres of hypocentre even these buildings had ‘ strongly fire- resistant structure’ or made from ‘reinforced concrete’ and within three kilometres, ‘half of buildings were destroyed’. For the long- term consequences, there were numerous deaths and seriously affected to geology, ecology and natural resources. For example, there were no plants or trees grow for the next 75 years (Norioki, 2003, pp. 90). Thus, it became pessimism and enormous struggle for city reconstruction.

 

Some different plans for reconstruction

There were many different plans for postwar city reconstruction. The idea of forming new city as ‘peace memorial’ places was expressed through keeping using reconstructed buildings to remind people of event in Hiroshima in 1945 (Norioki, 2003, p 105). Almost of these plans were based on European such as Switzerland and Germany. Because of the land readjustment, which only concentrated on urban infrastructure and ignored the construction of public housing or indeed houses, the plan in Japanese reconstruction differed from European cities (Norioki, 2003, p 95). For example, the planning for Hiroshima reconstruction in 1946 was mentioned to concentrate on organizing street, park and land use then filling new house to every remaining spaces (p. 100). The plan for new postwar city made a lot of city’s changes and influenced to the organization of the city. The moving of Hiroshima station to the city central or the concentration of activating waterways by creating landscaped river parks are all examples for this.  In other hand, increasing population was also important attention for the reconstruction city (Norioki, 2003, p 94).

 

The development of green space and public areas

There were many plans for reconstruction of the new Hiroshima city after the war and the development of green space following European example is one of the most common factors that all of plans mentioned about. Before the war, this was the lack of use riverbanks and around riverbanks and there were places for location of houses, restaurants and warehouses (Norioki, 2003, p 99).  In 1945, they started to have plans for developing green areas and parks (Norioki, 2003, p 94). The idea of utilizing public space by expanding green space along the river was promoted the green area into 10% of urban area. In addition, walkways were also provided for the best activation of public green area.

 

Road/ street system

Street system is one of the most importance factors of reconstruction planning for Japanese cities. The project for the reconstruction formed the different grid network of the city.  In 1951, “One hundred meter street” or its other name “Peace Boulevard” was a project that provided 100 – meter-wide road following Paris and Vienna’s examples. This project also combined the use of green areas for more attractively and maximal area of green area. In addition, the trunk road that was placed in the central of each narrow island increased the strong connection of urban grid network.

 

The consideration of materials for building construction

The consideration of choosing materials for architecture is one of the most important determinations after the war. Before the war, wooden buildings were the norm in Japan. However, after the war, 80% of buildings in the city, which were wooden buildings, were completely destroyed or burnt (Norioki, 2003, p 103). In the same time, some non- wooden buildings, which had different form and function, still survived after the bomb. Thus, besides rebuilding of damage buildings, the discussion of structures and materials for the new city’s buildings, which can suffer from the destroyed of earthquake, fire or typhoon, was also very important.

Problems of reconstruction planning

However, reconstruction plans faced with numerous troubles. Firstly, financial condition was very difficult because Hiroshima’s postwar economic reconstruction was based on strong international investments. Thus, the huge sums of investment money in the short time were very difficult for numerous projects and rebuilding (Norioki, 2003, p 92). Secondly, the problems were from the arguments of property rights with the prefecture and municipal authorities from the land readjustment because of an unequal situation for landowners. In addition, after the war, many people came back then rebuilt the house without legal authorization rise more difficult for the land readjustment. Another major problem was from the preservation and use of bombed buildings in the city (Norioki, 2003, p 102). In other hand, the idea of development green area also had difficult from keeping the land free away from the large number of people were looking for new house’s space (Norioki, 2003, p 94).

 

Postwar housing issues

Sharing house became common in postwar Japanese cities and it can lead to the advantage of economic, especially for people who have difficulties to buy or build own house. However, sharing a house led to some disadvantage of social life. People who shared the house would have a lack of privacy and non profit- making motives for personal relationship (Dore, 1958, p44). In addition, people had a lack of own space because of the maximum using of rooms in the house such as living room was used for sleeping. Many people found that very inconvenience because ‘ nowhere for children to play’, ‘not having any privacy’ or ‘not enough sunlight’. (Dore, 1958, p 50)

 

 

References:

Ishimaru Norioki, ‘Reconstructing Hiroshima and Preserving the Reconstructed City’ in Carola Hein and Jeffry M. (eds), Rebuilding Urban Japan After 1945 London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003 p. 87 – 107.

R.P.Dore, ‘Houses and Apartment Blocks’ in City Life in Japan: A study of a Tokyo Ward London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1958 pp. 40 -52