Chapter 1 Modernization of Hiroshima: Introduction
The history of Hiroshima city begins with the construction of a castle located on the delta of the Ota River in 1589 by Terumoto Mori. Since that time, Hiroshima has served as the political center of its region and also as a military base city until the atomic bombing.
With the Meiji Restoration, Hiroshima drastically transformed from a castle town into a modern city. Hiroshima had a huge number of former samurai, who became poor after the dismantling of the samurai class at the time of the Meiji Restoration. Then a new administrative and military structure was created and drastically changed the economy and society of Hiroshima.
Many factors led the Hiroshima’s transformation into a modern city. Some of these include the construction of Ujina Port, which was a mega project in the early Meiji period, railway projects including the Sanyo Railroad and the streetcar system, the construction of new bridges and development of road networks, which traversed the delta, changes in the layout of the downtown area, the establishment of modern large-scale factories, and moreover, Hiroshima’s part as a center of administration, a military capital, and a center of learning.
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