Umeda

Umeda (Japanese: 梅田) is a major commercial, business, shopping and entertainment district in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, and the city's main northern railway terminus (Ōsaka Station, Umeda Station). The district's name means "plum field".

This article is about a district in Japan. For other uses, see Umeda (disambiguation).
Umeda
Business District
梅田
The Umeda skyline
The Umeda skyline
Umeda is located in Japan
Umeda
Umeda
Coordinates: 34°42′0″N 135°29′49.2″E
CountryJapan
PrefectureOsaka Prefecture
CityOsaka
WardKita-ku
Population
 • Total1,316
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Postal code
530-0001
Area code6

History

Umeda was historically called Umeda Haka (Umeda Grave), because it was 1 of 7 largest cemeteries of Osaka from the Edo period (1603-1868) till the initial 20 years of the Meiji period (1868-1912). In 2020, survey teams for the Umekita redevelopment project discovered ancient burial remains of over 1,500 people. Experts say these remains were of commoners, not the aristocracy. They used several burial styles, both cremated as well as buried with enclosed wooden caskets, barrel-shaped open containers and earthenware coffins called kameganbo (turtle caskets). They found burial items such as pipes, clay dolls, rokusenmon (a set of six coins to pay passage across the Sanzu River which separates the world of the living and the afterlife) and juzudama (rosary-style prayer beads). A stone wall separated a mass grave with skeletons that were only covered by soil. These are thought to be the deceased of a plague.[1]

Until the 1870s, the area which is now Umeda was agricultural land. The area was reclaimed and filled in by the prefectural government in the 1870s to support the creation of the first Osaka Station.[2] The word "Umeda" was previously written with different kanji characters; 埋田 (English: "buried field") to reflect this history. The name was changed to 梅田 (English: "plum field") without altering the pronunciation, likely due to negative connotations with the previous characters.

The original Osaka Station, a two-story red brick building, was opened in 1874, along with the first railway connecting Osaka and Kobe cities,[3] and in 1876 an additional line to Kyoto.[4] This was essentially the establishment of Umeda as a district. As industry in the area increased at the turn of the century, the station required expansion, so in 1901 the first station was demolished, and a larger station was built in the location where Osaka Station resides in a different form today. Hanshin Umeda station was constructed in 1906,[5] followed by Hankyu Umeda Station in 1910,[6] the Umeda subway station and Midosuji subway line in 1933[7] and Kitashinchi station in 1997. The current incarnation of Osaka Station was built in 1979,[8] but underwent extensive renovation and reconstruction between 2005 and 2011,[9][10] including the addition of the North Gate Building, a glass roof covering the tracks, and vast additional retail space providing shops, restaurants, sports centers and movie theatres to the area. For the 2011 re-opening, the station was re-branded Osaka Station City.[11]

The construction of Umeda Sky Building in 1993 and the re-branding of Osaka Station City in 2011 have transformed the Umeda area from a business district to a retail and tourist attraction.

Politics and Government

Umeda makes up a large part of the Kita Ward of Osaka city, the Kita Ward Electorate could elect three representatives to the current composition of the Osaka Municipal Assembly.[12] As of 2018, the Kita electoral district was represented by Takayama Mia from the Osaka Restoration Association, Maeda Kazuhiko from the Liberal Democratic Party and Yamamoto Tomoko from Komeito.[13]

Before the 2019 Japanese unified local elections in April 2019, the number of representatives from Kita was increased to four. The 2019 election results saw all three incumbent representatives re-elected, along with Osaka Restoration Association newcomer Kuramoto Takayuki.[14]

Geography
Map of Kita ward showing area of Umeda-proper (red) and the greater Umeda area (green)
Umeda district in the broad sense

Umeda officially only covers JR West Osaka Station and the immediate area to its south and west, although "Umeda" is often used to describe much of the surrounding area, and is commonly used as a catch-all to refer to the downtown area of northern Osaka City.

In addition to JR Osaka Station, Kitashinchi Station, Hankyu Umeda Station and Hanshin Umeda Station are located in this area. Osaka Metro's Higashi-Umeda Station and Nishi-Umeda Station provide subway services to and from Umeda, making it a key transportation hub for the greater Osaka area. Underneath the main roads is an underground city which connects most of the local train stations and provides retailers, eateries and access to the area's department stores and the Dojima area of Kita ward.[15][16]

Official districts of Umeda:

View of Sonezaki during the night

The area commonly referred to as Umeda, though outside of Umeda-proper, includes:

  • Shibata
  • Chayamachi
  • Tsuruno
  • Toyosaki 2-chome
  • Kakuda
  • Nakazaki 2-chome, 4-chome
  • Komatsubara
  • Doyama
  • Banzai
  • Taiyuji
  • Togano
  • Sonezaki
  • Sonezaki Shinchi
  • Dojima
  • Dojimahama
  • Nishitenma
  • Oyodo-Naka 1-chome
  • Oyodo-Minami 1-chome
  • Ofukacho
  • Nakatsu 1-chome, 5-chome

These areas are not officially part of the Umeda district, but may use "Umeda" on their buildings, business names, and in their advertising, and are commonly referred to unofficially as the Umeda area. An example of this is the Umeda Sky Building, one of Osaka's most recognizable landmarks, which resides not in Umeda but in Oyodo-Naka.[17]

Districts

Osaka Station City

Osaka Station City refers to the immediate area around Osaka Station, above and below ground. JR Osaka Station boasts the largest number of passengers in and out of any station in the JR West network,[18] so Osaka Station City is the central hub of Umeda.

  • South Gate Building
  • North Gate Building
    • Luqua
    • Luqua 1100
    • Osaka Station Cinema
    • Osaka Station JR Express Bus Terminal

Diamond District
  • Buildings of the Diamond District
    Buildings of the Diamond District
  • Osaka Maru Building and Hilton Plaza
    Osaka Maru Building and Hilton Plaza
  • Umeda Hanshin Department Store
    Umeda Hanshin Department Store

Umeda 1-chome

Diamond District refers to the area of Umeda 1-chome north of Hanshin Umeda Station and south of Osaka Station. A pentagonal section of Umeda 1-chome surrounded by the Midosuji and Sonezaki Dori roads, which resembles a diamond on the map. The price of land within this area is among the highest in Osaka,[19] so it has come to be known as the "Diamond District". The area contains some of the largest skyscrapers in Osaka, department stores and recognizable buildings. The Osaka Maru Building has become a symbol of Umeda, due to its early construction[20] and unique cylindrical shape.

  • Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South
  • Hanshin Department Store
  • Hilton Plaza Osaka
  • Osaka Maru Building
  • Osaka Station 1st Building
  • Osaka Station 2nd Building
  • Osaka Station 3rd Building
  • Osaka Station 4th Building

Nishi-Umeda

Umeda 2-chome / Umeda 3-chome / Osaka Garden City

Nishi-Umeda refers to the area of Osaka Garden City in Umeda 2-chome and 3-chome. The Nishi-Umeda district is the main business center of the Umeda area. Nishi-Umeda hosts the facilities of the Ritz Carlton Osaka, Mainichi Shimbun main office and many corporate headquarters for western Japan, it is easily accessible underground via Hanshin Umeda Station and serviced by the Osaka Metro subway system. The comparatively high concentration of tall buildings in Nishi-Umeda (and neighboring Dojima and Nakanoshima) form a prominent skyscraper district.[21]

Hankyu Umeda/Kita-Umeda
  • Hankyu Department Store Umeda Main Store
    Hankyu Department Store Umeda Main Store
  • NU Chayacho Plus
    NU Chayacho Plus
  • Hep Navio
    Hep Navio

Shibata 1-chome, Kakuda, Chayamachi, Tsuruno, Nishi-Nakazaki 2-chome

The Hankyu Umeda/Kita-Umeda district is the area of Umeda immediately surrounding Hankyu Umeda Station, the largest terminal of the Hankyu Corporation.[22] The area extending to the east and north of the station hosts many buildings owned or funded by the Hankyu Corporation, so it is colloquially referred to as Hankyu-mura (lit:Hankyu village).[23] Buildings such as the HEP Five building and Ferris wheel, Hankyu Mens department store, TOHO Cinemas, the Hankyu Grand Building, Hankyu Sanbangai shopping street, a string of antique book and art sellers, and the main branch of Hankyu Department Store, a 187 meter, 41-story building.[24]

The west side of Hankyu station hosts hotels, restaurants, fitness clubs, and the Hankyu Corporation's headquarters. The area to the northeast of the station has been rapidly developing since the 1990s. The Chayamachi area, in particular, is growing quickly since the construction of NU Chayamachi shopping mall.[25][26]

Osaka Station North
  • Grand Front Osaka
    Grand Front Osaka
  • Osaka Station North Gate Building and Yodobashi Camera
    Osaka Station North Gate Building and Yodobashi Camera

Ofukacho, Shibata 2-chome

The area to the north of JR Osaka Station. This area hosts the Seiseikai Nakatsu Hospital, JR West Japan Headquarters, and JR Umeda Freight Station. Since large-scale redevelopment is being undertaken in the area,[27] land prices have been rising, and now Obukacho 4-chome has become the site with the highest land prices in West Japan.[28] The area's rise has been attributed to the opening of the large Yodobashi Camera electronics department store in 2001, and since then other large developments such as Grand Front Osaka and a satellite campus of Osaka University have been completed. It is commonly called "Umekita".[29]

Higashi-Umeda

Komatsubara, Hoyama, Sonezaki, Taiyuji, Togano, Doyama-cho

Located to the east of JR Osaka Station, it is a less-developed area of Umeda, with fewer skyscrapers, and generally far smaller buildings. Higashi-Umeda is known for its low-cost retailers in the covered Hankyu Higashidori and Sonezaki Ohatsutenjin shopping streets. The area boasts a bustling nightlife, with Japanese izakaya bars, restaurants, arcades, sex shops, love hotels and pachinko parlors. The area hosts the Tsuyu-no-Tenjinsha shinto shrine. Doyama-cho is one of Japan's few LGBT districts, and known to be the home to one of the largest homosexual communities in west Japan.[30]

Kitashinchi

Kitashinchi was a high-class entertainment district of Osaka until the end of the bubble era, at which point its reputation decreased. It has been known as a red light district since the Edo period.[31] The area hosts restaurants, karaoke, hostess clubs, snack bars, brothels, and pole dance bars. The area is famous for its kushikatsu restaurants.

Tōru Hashimoto, former Mayor of Osaka and Governor of Osaka Prefecture, while working as a lawyer in the Tobitashinchi red light district in the south of Osaka,[32] was revealed to have had an affair with hostesses in Kitashinchi before entering politics, a scandal that led to heavy criticism during political campaigns, along with allegations of ties to yakuza.[33]

Underground City

The Osaka Underground City was completed in 1942 as a station underpass but has been dramatically expanded since. The total underground area extends from Chayamachi in the north to Dojima in the south, and Doyamacho in the east to Osaka Garden City in the west. The area connects the shopping malls of Whity Umeda and Diamor Osaka with the basements of Hankyu Sanbangai, Hankyu Department Store, Hanshin Department Store, JR Osaka Station, Osaka Ekimae Building, Osaka Toukoku Life Building, New Hankyu Building, and Herbis Osaka. More expansions to the underground city are planned to be completed by the end of 2022.[34]

  • Whity Umeda
  • Diamor Osaka
  • Dojima Underground Center

University Campuses

Many university satellite campuses and research centers opened in Umeda in the 2010s due to the convenience of public transport and proximity to the business district.

Transportation

Rail

Roads and Highways

See also

References
  1. "Bones of over 1,500 people found at Osaka Station area construction site". SoraNews24. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  2. "大阪府・梅田はかつて"埋田"で東京都・池袋には池が!? 地形と地名トリビア" [Osaka Prefecture, Umeda was once a "buried field", and there are ponds in Tokyo and Ikebukuro? Terrain and place name trivia.] (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  3. "大阪駅進化論" [Osaka Station Evolution] (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  4. "鉄道の歴史" [Railroad History] (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  5. "ラッシュ時混雑の阪神梅田駅、広々ホームに改良 １・５倍に拡幅工事スタート" [Hanshin Umeda Station crowded during rush hour, upgraded to 1.5 times size, widening construction commenced] (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  6. "明治43年3月10日の風景が現代に！NHK小林一三ドラマ撮影レポ" [The scenes of March 10, 1910 today! NHK Kobayashi Izumi drama shooting.] (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
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  8. "Osaka 1900s • Osaka Station". Old Photos of Japan. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
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  10. "West Japan Railway Company - History (2010 -)". www.westjr.co.jp. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  11. "The History of Osaka Umeda Stations". Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  12. "選挙区別名簿" [Electoral District List] (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  13. "選挙区別名簿（北区）" [Electoral District List (Kita Ward)] (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  14. "'19統一地方選 大阪市議選 投票結果 ／大阪" [2019 Unified Local Elections: Osaka City Election Results] (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  15. 大阪観光局© (2018-01-29). "Whity Umeda". OSAKA-INFO. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
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  17. Dumenco, Simon (2008-11-13). "No. 2 in Japan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
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  21. "Osaka - SkyscraperPage.com". skyscraperpage.com.
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  23. "阪急阪神ホールディングス　2022年以降に金城湯池の「阪急村」を順次再開発　第一弾は「大阪新阪急ホテル」の建て替え？" [Hankyu-Hanshin Holdings reinvent "Hankyu Village" from 2022. first step is rebuilding New Hankyu Hotel?] (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  24. "Osaka's Umeda area, driving the Group's growth" (PDF). Hankyu-Hanshin Holdings annual report: 3.
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  27. "Why Osaka is winning real estate investment in Japan?". The Investor. 2018-04-26. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  28. "平成31年地価公示ランキング ／大阪" [2019 Land Price Ranking] (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  29. Hornyak, Tim (2018-03-23). "Japan's second-largest metro area aims for a slice of the start-up pie". www.cnbc.com. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  30. "A Night Out in Doyamacho - Osaka's LGBT District". japantoday.com. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
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  32. "橋下徹氏 大阪の旧遊郭街・飛田新地組合の顧問弁護士だった" [Tosu Hashimoto was a lawyer for the Tobitashinchi hospitality union in Osaka]. NEWSポストセブン (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  33. "橋下徹大阪市長「高級クラブホステスと不倫してました。聖人君子ではない」" [Toru Hashimoto, Mayor of Osaka - "I had an affair with a high-class club hostess."]. J-CASTテレビウォッチ (in Japanese). 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
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