Agencies, temporalities, and spatialities in Hiroshima’s post-war reconstruction: a case of reflexive peacebuilding in the Anthropocene?

Abstract

This article revisits the case of Hiroshima’s post-war reconstruction using the lens of reflexive peacebuilding. Reflexive peacebuilding is a set of practices that align peacebuilding efforts with the notions of agency, time, and space, as problematised within the critical discourse on the Anthropocene. For this study, a review of relevant policies and initiatives following the bombing reveals how agencies, temporalities, and spatialities in Hiroshima’s post-war reconstruction generate interweaving and sometimes contesting peace narratives. Hiroshima’s experience in responding to the needs of the survivors, accommodating future generations, and using spaces for peace promotion offer insights into the blurred agency, uncertain times, and porous spaces of Anthropocene imaginaries.