午夜剧场

Did you know that ferryboats are still active in the metropolis of Osaka? While ferryboats are often thought of as a means of transportation from the past, Osaka City has eight municipal ferry landings that can be used free of charge. These are not for sightseeing, but are active means of transportation for local people. Furthermore, while ferry services are often abolished once a bridge is built, four of the eight ferry locations in Osaka City have continued to exist even after bridges were constructed. What is the background behind this? Let's look back as far as the early modern period.

In the urban areas of Osaka formed from the late 16th to the 17th century, many canals (horikawa) were excavated. Along with the Yodo River, these played an important role as a logistics hub consisting of coastal and riverine water transport. This is why Osaka, the "Kitchen of the World," was said to have "808 bridges." This urban water transport was inherited and developed further in the modern era. With the growth of Osaka as an industrial city, various large and small factories were established along the lower reaches of the Yodo River, such as the Okawa, Ajigawa, and Kizugawa rivers, and water transport was utilized for the collection and distribution of raw materials and products. As water transport became more active, building bridges became difficult, and ferryboats increased in importance as a means of transportation. At ferry landings with high traffic volumes, transport limits were reached, leading to the construction of an underwater tunnel beneath the Ajigawa River in the 1940s, which is still in use today. After the war, against the backdrop of motorization, most of the canals in central Osaka were filled in by the 1960s, and today their names remain only in place names. However, the lower Yodo River area continues to exist as an industrial zone, and river water transport continues to play a certain role. On the Ajigawa River, it is still necessary to build bridges without piers to accommodate water transport.

Now, let's return to the ferryboats mentioned at the beginning that survived even after bridges were built. At each of these locations, the bridges have a clearance of 30 to 50 meters to allow large ships to pass, making them unsuitable for daily use by pedestrians. Due in part to opposition from residents, the ferryboats remained. In the rivers of the industrial zones in the lower Yodo River basin, water transport is still prioritized today, making it difficult to build bridges that can be easily used by pedestrians and cyclists.

The above story is a byproduct of research I conducted several years ago on urban water transport in Osaka. Every region has been shaped over a long history by various human actions and interventions. I have once again realized that the history carved into a land or region can manifest itself in unexpected ways.