＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
I previously wrote an article with the same title, but I’d like to share more, so I’ll write a sequel.
This time, I’d like to discuss the origins of the names of the streets in central Osaka.
In Osaka, streets running north-south are called “suji” (13 in total), and streets running east-west are called “toori” (23 in total). This time, I’d like to introduce the names of the streets in Semba, the center of Osaka. “Toori” is often referred to as “XX-cho-dori,” but in this case, “machi” is pronounced “machi” (town), not “cho.”
1. Doshomachi（道修町）
Doshomachi is known as a “medicine town” with many pharmaceutical companies lined up.
This street is home to Sukunahikona Shrine, affectionately known as “Shinnou-san.” The enshrined deities are those of medicine, medical care, hot springs, national development, brewing, and trade, and are said to have the divine virtues of promoting health as the god of medicine and prosperity in business as the god of trade.
Sukunahikona Shrine dates back to the Edo period, when a group of drug wholesalers in the area built the shrine, inviting a branch of the spirit of Sukunahikona from Gojo Tenjin Shrine in Kyoto.
The Shinno Festival is held every year on November 22nd and 23rd, and street stalls line the Doshomachi area.
There are two theories about the origin of the place name: one is that there used to be a temple called Doshu-ji in the area, and the other is that there was a pharmacologist named Kitayama Doshu in the early Edo period.
2. Hiranomachi（平野町）
The place’s name comes from the fact that the deity enshrined at Goryo Shrine in neighboring Awajicho is said to be Prince Sawara, a descendant of the Baekje clan, and that Hirano Shrine in Kyoto (famous for its cherry blossoms) enshrines the Baekje clan.
3. Awajimachi（淡路町）
The most popular theory about the origin of the place’s name is that it comes from the large number of people from Awaji Island. It is said that many people from Awaji Island immigrated to the area during the development of the castle town around Osaka Castle.
There is another interesting theory. During the Meiji period, the Bunraku Theater was established in Senba, where Awajicho is now located. It is said that Bunraku was founded by Uemura Bunrakuken, a native of Kariya, Awaji Island. However, this place name dates back to the Edo period, so this is probably incorrect.
4. Kawaramachi (瓦町)
The origin of the place name is unclear, but when you look at the origins of “Kawaramachi” in other regions, many of them were areas where many “tile makers” lived, so I think it probably comes from that.
In Osaka alone, the street just north of “Kawaramachi” is “Awajicho,” so I think it’s almost certain that many “tile makers from Awaji Island,” a famous tile production area, lived here. “Awaji tile” is a “traditional local craft industry” with a 400-year history that is known only to those in the know.
As an aside, the three major tile production areas in Japan are “Sanshu tile” in the Nishi Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, “Sekishu tile” in the Iwami region of Shimane Prefecture, and “Awaji tile” on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture.
5. Bingomachi (備後町）
The origin of the name is unclear, but it is believed to be due to the large number of people who immigrated from Bingo Province (present-day Hiroshima Prefecture) and settled here during the development of the castle town around Osaka Castle.
6. Azuchimachi (安土町)
The name of the area comes from the fact that many people who moved here from Azuchi-cho (present-day Shiga Prefecture) settled here during the development of the castle town around Osaka Castle. I read somewhere that Toyotomi Hideyoshi relocated Omi merchants en masse to promote commerce in Osaka.
7. Kyuhoji-machi (Kyuhojimachi)
There are two theories about the origin of the name: one is that there was a temple called Kyuhoji in the area, and the other is that when the Dotonbori River was dug, many laborers came from Kyuhoji in Kawachi (present-day Yao City), and a settlement was formed here.
8. Bakuromachi（博労町）
The name comes from the fact that many “bakuro” (horse traders), who made their living by buying and selling cattle and horses, lived in the area.