Dotonbori - Dotonbori

Dotonbori River is an entertainment district in "Minami" along the south bank of Dotonbori River in Chuo Ward, central Osaka City. Dotonbori River was founded in 1612 (Keicho 17) by Seian Doton of Hiranogo, who obtained permission to dig a canal connecting the East and West Yokobori Rivers to the Kizu River. After Doton's death, his cousin Yasui Kyubei Doboku and others took over and completed the 2.4-kilometer long canal. It was originally called Minamibori (Southern Border), but Matsudaira Tadaaki, lord of Osaka Castle, named it Dotonbori in honor of Doton's achievements. There is a monument commemorating his achievements at the north end of Nipponbashi Bridge. The south bank of Dotonbori has flourished as a theater town since the Edo period, with five theaters (Benten-za, Asahi-za, Kado-za, Naka-za, and Naniwa-za), and people used to come by boat to watch plays. Even today, it is a bustling entertainment district lined with entertainment halls and movie theaters, as well as restaurants, bars, and cabarets that represent Osaka, the city of gourmets. Recently, in order to beautify the heavily polluted Dotonbori River and make it a place where fish can live, green belts have been created on both banks and fountains have been placed in the river to improve its image.

[Tsukasa Yasui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大阪市中央部、中央区の道頓堀川南岸に沿う「ミナミ」の歓楽街。道頓堀川は、1612年（慶長17）平野(ひらの)郷の成安道頓(せいあんどうとん)が、許可を得て東・西横堀川を連絡して木津川に通じる運河の開削に着手。道頓の死後、従弟(いとこ)の安井久兵衛(きゅうべえ)道卜(どうぼく)らが引き継ぎ、延長2.4キロメートルを完成した。初め南堀とよばれたが、大坂城主松平忠明(ただあき)が道頓の功をたたえて道頓堀と名づけた。日本橋(にっぽんばし)北詰にその紀功碑がある。道頓堀の南岸は、江戸時代から芝居町として栄え、五座の櫓(やぐら)（弁天座、朝日座、角(かど)座、中座、浪花(なにわ)座）があり、船で芝居見物にきたものである。現在も、演芸場や映画館が並び、食い倒れ大阪を代表する飲食店、バー、キャバレーが軒を連ねる繁華街である。最近、汚れの激しい道頓堀川を美しくし、魚のすむ川にするため、両岸にグリーンベルトを設け、川の中に噴水をあげ、イメージアップを図っている。

［安井　司］

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