BRIEF SKETCH OF THE CITY OF OSAKA, (ACCOMPANYING THE MAP.) HI'OGO; FBINTED AT THE “HIOGO HEWS ” OFFICE. 1 8 7 9 . kQJ BEIEE SKETCH OF THE CITY OF OSAKA, (ACCOMPANYING THE MAP.) H I 0 G 0: FEINTED AT THE “ HIOQO NEWS” OFFICE. 1 8 7 9. , Digitized by the Internet Archive . in 2017 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/briefsketchofosaOOunse A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE CITY OF OSAKA. (ACCOMPANYING THE MAP.) :o: The city of Osaka is situated in the county of Nishi- nari, in the province of Settsu : it is about three miles and a quarter from north to south, and about three and a half from east to west. In ancient times it was an insignificant village called Naniwa ; hut in the first year of the reign of the Emperor Nintoku (302, A. D.) it became the Capital, and thereby was raised to the dignity of a town. After the eleventh year of Tensho (1582, A. D.), when Toyotomi Hideyoshi established his central government here, it acquired such a reputation as a mercantile centre that whenever the people spoke of the prosperity of different places in trade and com- merce, they always mentioned the city of Osaka as ranking first. At the time of the recent revolution,* however, its commercial pre-eminence was somewhat injured by the sud- den political changes and the consequent derangement of social customs : it has not yet fully recovered its former * The revolution in this sketch always refers to the Kestoration of the Emperor in 1868. 2 prosperity, but is still the leading commercial city of Japan. The number of dwelling houses is 94,674, the population is 351,303. General Conditions . — The land is generally level, though a little high in the eastern part. The river called Yodo-gawa runs through the northern part of the city from east to west, and divides into two at the north-western corner, one branch flowing south, almost at right angles with the main river. Besides this, there are two great canals running north and south, intersected by eight smaller ones, all together forming a net-work of canals through every part of the city ; so that there is every advantage for the transportation of merchandise in all directions, there being no quarter inaccessible to the freight boats : conse- quently, the streets, though narrow, were tolerably sufficient for foot-passengers, and did not cause much inconvenience to the people. But, since the revolution, wheeled vehicles were widely introduced : and though there still are no side- walks, and people, carts, and carriages all go mingled to- gether, yet because merchandise is mainly carried by boats, there is no special disadvantage arising from the narrow streets and the lack of side-walks. The number of the bridges over the river and canals is two hundred and three. The aggregate length of all the streets is about one hundred and fifty-flve miles. The people are mainly engaged in trade and commerce. 'Their habits are extravagant and their character weak. The temperature varies from 90“ in summer to 40“ in winter. Education . — Before the revolution there were no fixed regulations for education : though writing, arithmetic, and moral science were taught, yet because the language used 3 was that of the lower classes, and because the only books used were old fashioned and deficient in information, there was but little success in elevating the people. The advanced students were taught history, moral science, poetry, and literature, in Chinese. But since the rules for education have been fixed and put into operation by the government, the method has been thoroughly reformed : the object now is to develope knowledge, and new text books are being con- stantly printed. Children are first sent to a primary school, and if they make proper progress they are advanced to a high school, where they are instructed in both the native language and English. Those students who take special conrses are educated only in the English language. There are two hundred and fifty-eight schools, among which is one college and one high school, while the rest are primary. Religion . — In ancient times there was the Shinto, which was the recognized religion, consisting of the worship of the ancestor of the Japanese Emperor. No book has been written about this religion, and nobody has systematized its doctrines. Since the middle ages, when Buddhism was in- troduced into Japan, the people who believed in the Shinto faith preferred Buddhism, and thus the new religion spread. But since the revolution, although this religion has not been as prosperous as in the olden days, yet it has been revived and purified, and is not without some signs of a new and vigorous life. There are now four or five times as many Buddhists as Shintoists ; there are forty-four Shinto shrines, and one hundred and sixty-eight Buddhist temples. Manufactures . — Dealing in the products of other pro- vinces being the chief occupation of the people, the products of Osaka are very few. Some of the people, however, having 4 learned that manufactures are the fountain of trade and commerce, have recently commenced to pay attention to this branch. The chief productions are Cotton, Eape Seed, Isinglass, Indigo, manufactured Konbu (a kind of Sea-weed), Bleached wax. Cotton Carpets, Artificial Flowers, Domestic Utensils, Agricultural Tools, Sugar, Cotton Cloth, Toyumi- no-tsuru (a kind of bow-string for unraveling cotton), &c. Trade and Commerce . — The city of Osaka, as regards transportation, is very advantageously situated in the centre of Western Japan ; even the largest junks are able to enter the mouth of the river. Hence, all the produc- tions of the western provinces naturally flow to the city, and even those of the northern provinces are brought here by circuitous ways. The chief articles of domestic trade are Rice, Sugar, and several kinds of Manure. Tea, Oil, Silk, &c. stand second on the list. According to the statistics of domestic exports and imports, reported in the tenth year of Meiji (1877, A. D.), the declared value of exports is about s 22,357,000 Yens,* and that of imports 32,332,300 Yens. As regards direct foreign trade at the port of Osaka, the proportion of business transacted with foreign merchants is only one twentieth of that done at the port of Kobe. But as regards indirect foreign trade the exports of the native commission merchants are valued at about 5,400,000 Yens, and the imports at about 19,200,000 Yens, which is about six-tenths of the total value of the imports of Japan, NOTED PLACES AND RUINS. Osaka Castle . — This is situated in the county of Nishi-nari. The site was formerly occupied by a Buddhist *The value of the Yen is a trifle less than the Mex. dollar. 5 temple called Ishiyama Honguanji. la the eleventh year of Tensho (1582. A. D.) Toyotomi Hideyoshi built the Castle on the same site, and the whole place was bounded by the walls standing on the side of the river Yodogawa on the north, on the Karahorimachi on the south, on the side of the river Yamatogawa on the east, and Nishi- yoka-bori on the west. At that time the extent of the Castle was one mile and a quarter square. In the third year of Keicho (1596, A. D.), Hideyoshi died, and his son Hideyori had a dispute with Tokukawa lyeyasu. In the nineteenth year of the same, lyeyasu compelled Hideyori to destroy the walls, and to fill up the ditches. The buildings, which are now existing are only the central parts, the circumference of which is about two miles and a quarter. In the first year of Genwa (1614, A. D.), another quarrel occurred between Hideyori and lyeyasu, and the former was completely defeated in battle. The Castle was thence- forward placed in the possession of an acting master, who from time to time was appointed by Tokugawa from amongst the Princes. In the fourth year of Keiow (1868, A. D.), when the war of the revolution was commenced at Fushimi, Tokugawa Yoshinori tried to defend the Castle, but being defeated set fire to it, and departed for Yedo. In the fourth year of Meiji (1871, A. D.), it became the Osaka garrison. The Kodsu Shrine is a provincial shrine situated at Kodsu Machi, in the southern section of the city. The god worshipped is Nintoku Tenno. The shrine is said formerly to have existed in the neighbourhood of the shrine of Himekoso, in the county of Higashi-nari. In the eleventh year of Tensho (1567, A. D.), it was removed 6 to its present site. It is uncertain when the original shrine was built. The Ikutama Shrine is a state shrine situated in the Tillage of Tamastukuri, in the county of Higashi-nari. The gods worshipped are Ikukunitama no Ogami and Sakukuni tama no Ogami. In the forty-ninth year of the reign of the Emperor Jinmu (612, B. C.), the shrine was estab- lished. When rebuilt by the order of the Emperor Masachika Machi, a god named Omononushi no Ogami was added for worship in the same shrine. The Sumiyoshi Shrine is a state shrine situated in the village of Sumiyoshi, in the county of Sumiyoshi. The gods worshipped are Sokotsutsuno Ono Mikoto, Nakatsu- tuno Ono Mikoto, and Wuwatsutsuno Ono Mikoto. In the first year of the reign of the Empress Jingu Kogu (260, A. D.), the shrine was removed from the county of Towara to the present site^ In the eleventh year of the same, the buildings were completed, and after that time the fourth shrine was created for the worship of the Empress Jingu Kogu* Shi-tennoji Temple . — This is a Buddhist temple situated in the village of Tennoji, in the county of Higashi-nari. There are two other names given to this temple, viz : Korio- zan and Keidenin. Formerly it belonged to all the sects of Buddhism, but now it belongs to the Tendai sect. The original situation was on the banks of the Tamatsukuri. Ini the second year of the reign of the Emperor Yomei (585, A. D.), the temple was created by the order of an Imperial Prince named Shotoku Taishi. In the second year of the reign of the Emperor Suiko (592. A. D.), the temple was 7 removed to the present site, and some smaller ones were added for the worship of the four Buddhist gods. The Tenka Chaya is an individual dwelling-house situated in the village of Tennoji, in the county of Higa- shi-nari. During the years of Tensho (about three hundred years ago), Toyotomi Hideyoshi rested there through the persuasion of Kikiu, his teacher of tea ceremonies, in order to try the water for tea. Hence the house is called .Tenka Chaya (His Highness’s Tea House). Some tea vessels, which were at that time used by Shawa, the teacher of Eikiu, are still in the possession of the house. MANUFACTORIES. The Mint is an Imperial establishment, situated at Kawasaki, in the northern section of the city. In the third year of Meiji (1870, A. D.), it was built for manufacturing coins of gold, silver, and copper. Branch Arsenal . — This is an Imperial establishment, situated in the late inclosure of the Osaka castle. In the third year of Meiji, it was built for manufacturing guns, rifles, harness, and ammunition. The number of the workmen now employed is one thousand one hundred. SCHOOLS. The Osaka Semmon Gakko is an Imperial establish- ment, situated at Wuyehon-machi in the eastern section of the city. In the second year of Meiji (1869, A. D.), it was built for teaching three kinds of science, viz: Medical science. Natural Philosophy, and Chemistry. The number of the instructors now employed is nineteen ; of this number three 8 are foreigners, and the rest natives. The number of the students is two hundred and eight. Osaka Chiu Gakko . — This is a provincial establishment, and is situated at Nakanoshima, in the northern section of the city. In the tenth year of Meiji (1877, A. D.), it was built for teaching high-class lessons in both native and foreign languages. The number of the teachers now employed is nine, including one foreigner and eight natives. The number of students is one hundred and ten. HOSPITAL. Osaka Bio-in . — This is a provincial establishment, situated at Nakanoshima, in the northern section of the city, and was built in the sixth year of Meiji (1873, A. D.) The number of doctors now employed is twenty-five, and the number of patients is one hundred and seventy-six, MUSEUM. Osaka Hakuhotsu-jo . — This is a public establishment, situated at Hon-machi, Hashidsume cho in the eastern section of the city ; it was built in the eighth year of Meiji (1875, A. D.) THE END.