A Role of Public Parks of the Early Meiji Era in the Movement of the Residents on Urban Openspace

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to study the birth of public parks in the transition era, Edo to Tokyo when whole urban openspace had changed. In Edo era, urban openspaces like Oukan (which correspond to present road), Hirokouji (widened Oukan), Kashi (water side space) and Keidai (holy openspace of shrines or temples) were also the residential spaces for the discriminated people. In Meiji era, the residents were eliminated from Oukan, Hirokouji and Kashi by the Land-tax-reform project which was most significant program done by the Meiji government. But in the public parks established on Keidai, they were allowed to live as Dekaseginin (it means workers in public parks).As conclusion of this thesis, the contrast between elimination from road and non-elimination from public parks shows an important role of public parks in the early Meiji era.