Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka

Sumiyoshi (住吉区, -"ku") is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It is located on the southern part of the Uemachi Plateau, in the southern most part of Osaka City, and is separated from Sakai city's Sakai-ku and Kita-ku by the Yamato River. There are 6 rail lines, and two main highways (Abiko Highway and Abeno Highway) that run north-south through the centre of the ward. The northern part of Sumiyoshi-ku is a residential area that is a continuation from the southern part of Abeno-ku. The Tezukayama 1-Chome neighbourhood in Abeno-ku, and Tezukayama-naka and Tezukayama-nishi neighbourhoods in Sumiyoshi-ku are high class residential areas. South of this, around the Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, are the Sumiyoshi and Uesumiyoshi neighbourhoods, home to many old established families. Surrounding these are the middle-class residential neighbourhoods of Shimizugaoka, Sumie, Oriono, Minamisumiyoshi, and Yamanouchi.

Area History

Sumiyoshi is steeped in history. In ancient times the Chinese character combination for the current day Sumiyoshi, 住吉, was pronounced "Suminoe", and even appeared in Man'yōshū (8th century Japanese poetry). These days, Sumiyoshi, Suminoe, and Sumie are different area names.

Suminoe no Tsu (Suminoe Port), which in ancient times was located south of Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, had Japan's first international port, and until Naniwa no Tsu (Naniwa Port) was made it was Japan's international point of contact. The Japanese envoy to the Sui and T'ang Dynasties in China departed here, and was the portal to the Silk Road. Buddhism also entered Japan at this port.

In the middle ages, the throne of Emperor Go-Murakami of the Southern Court was placed at the house of the chief priest of Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine for ten years. It was known as Sumiyoshi-angou (住吉行宮) and was the base of the Southern Court.

There was also a town built around Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, and until the Meiji period the sea came up quite close to the shrine. "Sumiyoshi Moyou", a famous picture map showing a Japanese "place of scenic beauty" (風光明媚な風景) depicts the landscape at the front of the shrine.

In ancient times, the mansions of powerful family clans were located in the Tezukayama area. Included among these was the house of the famous Ootomo No Kanamura who supported Emperor Keitai. Tezukayama Tumulus is the burial site of either Ootomo No Kanamura or one of his children.

Ward History

Sumiyoshi-ku (ward) was originally called Sumiyoshi-gun (district) of the Settsu province. In ancient times the area prospered independently of central Osaka.

In 1878 an act was passed for the organisation of areas into a county system of "gun" (distrct), "ku" (ward), "machi" (town) and "mura" (village/neighbourhood). From this Sumiyoshi-gun (district) was created. The district town hall was built in the only town of the district, Anryuu-machi. In April 1896, a new county system was introduced which resulted in Sumiyoshi-gun being absorbed into Higashinari-gun.

Sumiyoshi-ku was formed in 1925 with the second expansion of Osaka city in an area part of the original Sumiyoshi-gun. In 1943 two sections were separated from Sumiyoshi-ku to form Abeno-ku and Higashisumiyoshi-ku. Also in 1943, part of Nishinari-ku and all of Kohamachi-ku were absorbed into Sumiyoshi-ku. In 1974 Sumiyoshi-ku was subdivided, resulting in Sumiyoshi Park, Anryuu, and Hamaguchi becoming part of the newly formed Suminoe-ku.

Places of Interest

Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine
Tezukayama Tumulus
Ruins of the palace of Emperor Go-Murakami
Ikune Shrine
Oyosami Shrine
Asazawa Shrine
Wakamatsu Shrine (also known as Todorokihimenomikoto Shrine)
Gokurakuji Temple
Shogon Jodoji Temple
Statue of a Guardian Deity, Rokudo-no Tsuji Enma Jizo
Monument to Osho Ikkyu's Hermitage, Shosaian
Kishu Highway
Kumano Road
Abiko Kannon
Mandai-ike Pond
Asaka Central Park
Yamato River
Hosoe River

External links

* [http://www.city.osaka.jp/sumiyoshi/english/ Official website of Sumiyoshi] en icon