Creating Modern Cityscapes and Modern Civilians: The Urban Planning Law and the 1927 Hikoso Fire Reconstruction in Kanazawa

摘要

A fire swept through a large section of Kanazawa in 1927. In its wake it left not only destruction, but also an opportunity for the city to intro- duce a new Urban Planning Law and educate its citizens to the benefits of this new law and the modern urban spaces it facilitated. The need to rebuild carried with it a chance to foster the emergence of "ideal citizens" (risō shimin). This essay examines how newly created spaces were used to elicit civilian compliance, and how the vision of a "new Kanazawa" was promoted to a people who yearned for their city to return to its former prominence. I focus on the role of the city government, contrasting local agency and initiative with national government direction in the realm of urban planning. After discussing the introduction of the Urban Planning Law and the image of the city that prevailed in Kanazawa before the fire, I analyze how civilian cooperation was gained, with particular regard to issues of rebuilding after the fire and the impact of restrictions contained in the new law. Finally, I offer a brief consideration of how local groups put pressure on the city government to extend one main thoroughfare to the poorer Ward Seven across the river, an action that demonstrates how a law regarded as authoritarian was in fact amenable to compromise and local considerations.