Chapter 4 The Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law Introduction
This chapter discusses postwar reconstruction process in Hiroshima. Initially, the reconstruction planning encountered many problems such as financial difficulties, lack of human resources and shortages in materials and public land. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law, which paved the way for special assistance from the national government and transfer of national government properties to Hiroshima, played a key role in overcoming these difficulties. This chapter explains how this special law based on Article 95 of the Constitution revived Hiroshima. Another important theme of this chapter is to examine how this law was enacted and how the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Plan was established based on the law. The reconstruction process must be recorded by clarifying how the concept for a Peace Memorial City was formulated; how the special project system to build “peace memorial facilities” was established; and how the Peace Memorial Park was designed and constructed. Furthermore, we must note the various issues related to the construction of the Peace Boulevard, which was one of the special features of the reconstruction plan. Discussing the reconstruction process of Hiroshima as the main theme, this chapter also tries to elucidate the common characteristics of reconstruction in Japan.
Notes and References
