A historical study on the urban space transformation in Kobe under occupation

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K21163
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Architectural history/Design; Area studies
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: MURAKAMI Shihori 神戸大学, 人間発達環境学研究科, 部局研究員 (50746104)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 占領 / 災害 / 戦災 / 復興 / 闇市 / 接収 / GHQ / 生活再建

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research clarifies the occupied urban space with many unidentified points. In this research, it was examined that the formation dynamics of commercial clusters in Kobe under occupation from viewpoint of organization, location, function, and troubles occurred frequently between GHQ and local government and inhabitants. And it had been analyzed that the GHQ military disposition which changed rapidly and nationwide location of Dependent Housing (army family house) and the numerical transformation process in the occupied Japan by the U.S. document.
It has been revealed three points from the investigation into official document. 1) Occupied Kobe was placed in a part of the "Kobe Base". 2) There were the wide area movement and work trip and the use of requisitioned facilities. 3) The movement of derequisition and the billeting function by the change of the organization system of the occupation army and the negotiations of the local government was seen around 1950.

Free Research Field

工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

戦災復興過程の各地の地域史においては、史料的制約から新聞記事が主な史料として扱われてきたが、占領期の記述は一様に限定的かつ史料批判が不十分であり、占領期日本の地方都市の状況について具体的検討は殆どなされてこなかった。こうした現状に対し、本研究は米公文書と日本外交記録、国内文献史料（地方行政公文書、新聞、手記等）、図像史料、聞き取りに及ぶ多角的な調査から、従来の占領期の史実に関する「史料的制約」に立ち向かう手法的可能性を示し、地方史の戦後の空白期を埋める作業として先駆的かつ意義深い。