Shinsaibashi Sketch
Is Shinsaibashi a city's name? A bridge's name? A person's name?
Osaka・Shinsaibashi is a "river town"!
Osaka was built on the estuary of the Yodo River, supported by water transport, and developed as a center of business and culture.
Osaka in the Edo period was called the "town of 808 bridges". While there may not have actually been 808 bridges, the area is famous for having many, many of them. In fact, there were about 350 bridges in Edo (Tokyo) to Osaka's about 200. However, most of the bridges in Osaka were not assisted by the Shogunate, but "machihashi" that the townspeople built on their own.
You can see the spirit and richness of Osaka townspeople by looking at the bridges they worked hard to build and protect.
Bridged Shinsai-san as the Origin of Shinsaibashi
Today there are no bridges in Shinsaibashi, but when a river called Nagahori River flowed, there was an actual bridge. After the excavation of Nagahori River, Shinsai Okada, a merchant, moved to this area and had a wooden bridge built in 1622 to ease his travel back and forth over the Nagahori River. This is the origin of the name Shinsaibashi.
Shinsai sold goods from all over the country and took initiative in "merchant town town, Osaka", but did not hoard his wealth. Even after building the Shinsai Bridge (Shinsaibashi), his attitude of investing large amounts money and working on town building remained the same, and it is said that he was loved by the people of the town.
Bridge That Has Passed through the Generations
After the finish of the Edo period and the start of the new government era, the bridge in Shinsaibashi, like the nation and the economy, was modernized.
In 1873, the Shinsaibashi wooden bridge had a bow-shaped iron bridge imported from Germany attached to it. Later, after the opening of the Osaka Tram, the bridge was replaced with a stone bridge in 1909. This bridge was called "Megane Bridge" or "Glasses Bridge" because the double arched design reflecting on the river surface looked like a pair of glasses. For a long time, this bridge was thought of as the symbol of Shinsaibashisuji.
Interestingly, the iron bridge, which was replaced by the stone bridge, is preserved in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park in Osaka City and is the oldest iron bridge in Japan.
Shinsaibashi Osaka's Representative Downtown
Running north and south through Osaka City, Shinsaibashi is the shopping street that best represents Osaka. Along with Daimaru Shinsaibashi, the world's top brands and unique, popular stores gather to share the latest trends. In particular, the photogenic, colorful signboards along the Dotonbori River are popular with tourists. Famous restaurants and food stands selling Osaka delicacies like takoyaki and udon are packed along the streets of Shinsaibashi.
