History
HISTORY

Introduction

Osaka developed as an economic and cultural center supported by water transportation, and was known as the "City of Water" during the Meiji period. It dates back to the Asuka period, when the port known as Naniwazu flourished as a trading hub with the continent and other countries.
Now, in an effort to restore the vibrant scenery of Osaka as a "water city" with people living alongside the river, a time that is becoming a distant memory, various initiatives are underway to harness the potential of the city's waterway network and water surfaces and revitalize Osaka's waterfront into lively, bustling places.
Since the 21st century, Osaka has been implementing a variety of projects centered on its "water corridor," a rare geographical feature on a global scale where a river runs through the city center in an L-shape. These include the development of iconic waterfront spaces and wharves, and the lighting up of embankments and bridges.
Now, the movement to revitalize Osaka as an aqua metropolis is accelerating, utilizing the river space, an asset that Osaka can be proud of, as an engine for urban development. For the city of Osaka, the waterfront is the origin of its birth and the driving force behind its development, and life in Osaka has always been linked to the waterfront. Now, Osaka will once again evolve into a city full of vitality that lives side by side with the waterfront. The aqua metropolis of Osaka will be reborn as a source of civic pride for the city of Osaka.
In order to create more appealing aquatic cities like Osaka, we will reexamine the bond between water, the source of life, and rivers as places that enrich people's lives and develop culture, and trace the history of Osaka as aquatic cities.