Economic reconstruction of Hiroshima city: an analysis of economic statistics, 1945-1965

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13762
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 07070:Economic history-related
• Research Institution: Rikkyo University (2021-2023); Ritsumeikan University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Nishizaki Sumiyo 立教大学, 経済学部, 特任教授 (30802110)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 戦後復興 / 移行経済 / 労働市場 / 広島 / 沖縄

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The economic recovery of post-WWII Hiroshima city is often understood that heavy industries, such as Mitsubishi Shipbuilding or Mazda, were the driving forces. However, this study revealed leading actors in the early-postwar Hiroshima economy were light industries, such as food processing and miscellaneous product manufacturing, until heavy industries re-established themselves by the mid-1950s. A comparative study with the once-war-devastated Okinawa examined Hiroshima's economic structure, capital investment, technology transfer, human capital, and policies. In this process, the study highlighted local industries, such as Hiroshima's traditional craft manufacturing of sewing needles, invested in cutting-edge foreign technology, and boldly entered Asian markets to compete with British products. The research results were published in a journal article and a conference. The comparative study with Okinawa will be presented at the 2025 American Historical Association annual meeting.

Free Research Field

経済史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

広島市は長崎市とともに、初めて原爆が投下された都市であり、「科学技術の使用はどこまで許されるのか」という議論を提起してきた。一方、経済的視点からの復興研究の蓄積は少なかった。本研究では行政史・経済統計、社史、個人史等の分析により、復興過程の検証を行った。広島市経済は、戦後約十年間は食料品、雑貨、縫い針製造などの軽工業が牽引し、その後、1950年代に重工業へ重心が徐々に移行したことを明らかにした。本研究はこれまで政治学・社会学的に捉えられることが多かった広島市の復興研究に、マクロ・ミクロレベルの経済的視点を取り入れることで、復興プロセスの解明に厚みを与え、進展させた。