Parkscapes: Green Spaces in Modern Japan

289 Pages·2010·8.897 MB·English

by  Thomas R. H. Havens

PARKSCAPES
GREEN SPACES IN MODERN JAPAN
THOMAS R. H. HAVENS
Parkscapes

Parkscapes
Green Spaces
in Modern Japan
Thomas R. H. Havens
University of Hawai‘i Press
Honolulu

Publication of this book has been assisted by a grant from the Kajiyama
Publications Fund for Japanese History, Culture, and Literature at the University of
Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
© 2011 University of Hawai‘i Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
16 15 14 13 12 11 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Havens, Thomas R. H.
Parkscapes : green spaces in modern Japan / Thomas R.H. Havens.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8248-3477–7 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Parks—Japan—History. 2. Parks—Government policy—
Japan. 3. National characteristics, Japanese. I. Title.
SB484.J3H385 2011
333.78'30952—dc22
2010032654
University of Hawai‘i Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the
guidelines for permanence and durability of the Council on Library Resources.
Designed by Publishers’ Design and Production Services, Inc.
Printed by Edwards Brothers, Inc.

ToKaren,
forlove,learning,andlaughter
beyondmeasureordescription

Contents
Preface xi
Introduction: Parklands and Japan 1
UrbanGreenSpaces•Nations’Parks•ANewPublic,NewPublicSpaces
1. From Private Lands to Public Spaces:
Early City Parks 19
EnjoyingCityPlacesintheEdoPeriod•TheGrandCouncilParks•
ImperialUeno•ImagesoftheImperialCapital•ABroaderDiscourse
ontheQualityofUrbanLife•WhoseHibiya?•IncrementalParkland
Growth
2. National Parks for Wealth, Health, and Empire 53
ImaginingNationalSpaces•PetitionsforNationalParks•Forests
andMonuments•CreatingDesiresforNationalParks•Pickingthe
Parks•NationalParksinImperialSpaces
3. Visions of a Green Tokyo 85
TheKantoDisasterandCityParks•PrivateGiftstothePublic•The
HomeMinistryandCityParksinthe1930s•AGreenBeltforthe
Capital•IntheNation’sService•ParksandSocietyfromWarto
Peace•Rebuilding
vii
Contents
4. Parks and Prosperity, 1950s–1980s 122
NewParksforaDemocraticNation•TheCityParksLawof1956and
PlanningtheCapitalRegion•ParksandNationalDevelopment•Limited
EnvironmentalProtections•UrbanGreenSpacesintheAffluent1970sand
1980s
5. Parks and New Eco-Regimes 154
NaturalParksandWildlifeProtection•NationalParksandInternational
Recognition•ANewForestCulture•Eco-Regimes:VolunteersandRural
Restoration•EcologyandCommerce•LawsfromAbove,Plansfrom
Below•UrbanParksandTheirResidents•Eco-Regimes:Community
Partners
Afterword: Parks, the Public, and the Environment
in Japan 187
Notes 195
Sources Cited 241
Index 265
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