Hanshin Industrial Area

This industrial zone consists of the waterfront area of ​​Osaka Bay, centered on the two major cities of Osaka and Kobe, and the inland areas along the Yodo River and the eastern part of Osaka City, as well as the adjacent area of ​​East Osaka. The waterfront area stretches from Kobe, Nishinomiya, Amagasaki, and Osaka (Nishiyodogawa, Konohana, Minato, and Taisho wards) to Sakai and the Senboku reclaimed land, and is the core of the Hanshin Industrial Zone, with large factories in the heavy chemical industry, such as steel, metals, machinery, shipbuilding, electricity, gas, and petrochemicals, concentrated there. To the south of the waterfront area is the textile industry zone, centered around Izumiotsu, Kishiwada, Kaizuka, and Izumisano. Inside the waterfront are factories producing machinery and equipment, textiles, miscellaneous goods, etc., located from Osaka's three eastern wards (Joto, Higashinari, and Ikuno) through Daito, Higashiosaka, and Yao, and chemical, pharmaceutical, textile, and dyeing factories located along the Yodogawa River from Osaka's northeastern wards (Fukushima, Kita, Miyakojima, Yodogawa, and Higashiyodogawa) to Suita. The outer edge of the inland region includes Ibaraki and Takatsuki on the right bank of the Yodogawa River, and Moriguchi, Kadoma, Neyagawa, and Hirakata on the left bank, and with the technological innovations and development of truck transport after World War II, large factories producing light electrical equipment, machinery, chemicals, food, etc. have moved into the areas along the JR lines and national highways. When the Hanshin industrial zone is interpreted in a broad sense, it includes the Harima industrial region, which includes Akashi, Kakogawa, Takasago, Himeji, Aioi, and Ako in Hyogo Prefecture in the west, the Kihoku industrial region, which includes Wakayama, Kainan, and Arita in the south, and the Keiji industrial region, which includes Kyoto, Uji, Otsu, and Kusatsu in the northeast. The former two areas are home to heavy chemical industries such as steel, shipbuilding, and petrochemicals, and the latter to light electrical equipment, chemicals, food products, and the relatively long-established textile industry.

The economic driving force behind the development of the Hanshin Industrial Zone was the commercial capital accumulated through the sale and purchase of goods from all over the country, the handicraft industries that had flourished in the old developed rural areas, and the large consumer market in the vicinity of the large cities of Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. In addition, the area's geographical location and transportation advantages, such as convenient shipping via the Seto Inland Sea and the Yodo River, convenient land transportation centered on the Tokaido and Sanyo Highways, and the development of the national railway (now JR) and private railways since the Meiji period, were cited. In addition, new rice fields created by developing old riverbeds along the coast of Osaka Bay and inland areas were cheaply available for use as factory sites, and the Yodo River, which originates from Lake Biwa, provided abundant water for industrial use, and the groundwater known as Miyamizu at the foot of Mt. Rokko could be used as good quality water for brewing, which were cited as reasons for its location. Osaka had copper refining, oil refining, leather, and shipbuilding industries that had already developed to the stage of factory-based handicrafts during the Edo period, and were known nationwide, along with breweries in Nada, Itami, and Ikeda, gunsmiths in Sakai, and cotton woven, dyed, and bleached cloth by farmers in Kawachi and Izumi.Meanwhile, the forerunners of modern factory-based machine industries were government-run factories such as the Sakai Spinning Mill (originally established by the Satsuma Domain) established in 1870 (Meiji 3) as part of the Meiji government's policy of encouraging industry and commerce, the Mint Bureau (1871, now the Mint Bureau) established in Sakuranomiya, Osaka, the Cannon Factory (1872, later the Army Arsenal), and the Hyogo Shipbuilding Bureau (1883). In particular, under the guidance of British engineers, the Mint was the beginning of the chemical industry, producing not only currency but also sulfuric acid, soda, gas, and other products, while the Army Arsenal sparked the development of the foundry and machinery industries. Eventually, private spinning factories began to be established, and in 1883, the modern, large-scale Osaka Spinning Company, using 10,000 steam spindles, was founded in Sangenya, Osaka Prefecture (now Taisho Ward, Osaka City). After that, private spinning companies were established one after another, and Osaka was called the Manchester of the East. In addition, general goods industries such as matches, knitted goods, and umbrellas also developed. These modern industries made a great leap forward with the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars, and Osaka achieved the highest production in Japan, focusing on textile industries such as cotton yarn, cotton fabric, and knitted goods, as well as light industries such as fertilizer, paper, and matches. The First World War marked a turning point for the development of metal industries such as steel and copper-drawing, machinery and equipment industries such as shipbuilding and spinning machinery, chemical industries such as oils and pharmaceuticals, and heavy chemical industries such as cement and glass ceramics, securing Osaka's position as a comprehensive industrial region. During this time, Osaka and Kobe saw the development and expansion of related industries, with factories concentrated in the two cities, including the coastal areas of Amagasaki, Nishinomiya, Ashiya, and Sakai, and the inland areas of Fuse (now Higashiosaka City), Moriguchi, Suita, and Itami. During the Second World War, factories were evacuated and heavy chemical industries were moved to surrounding cities, further expanding the area of ​​the Hanshin Industrial Region. However, the region suffered a major blow from the war damage.

After the Second World War, the region recovered thanks to a boom in the textile industry known as the "thread boom" and a boom in special procurements due to the Korean War, but its relative share of the national economy has fallen and the Kansai economy has been in a state of decline. To recover, large-scale reclaimed land was developed and petrochemical and steel complexes were built, but this has resulted in pollution problems such as land subsidence, air pollution, and water contamination, and efforts are being made to eliminate these problems. The Hanshin Industrial Zone developed on the back of Japan's high economic growth after the war, but its characteristics, such as a high concentration of medium-sized and small-sized enterprises, a high proportion of basic material industries such as steel and textiles, and a high reliance on trade with Asia, have cast a serious shadow over the decline in production growth due to the effects of the uncertainty about the economic outlook in recent years and the worsening of the Asian economy. In addition, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that occurred in 1995 caused major damage to the chemical shoe manufacturing industry, centered in Nagata Ward of Kobe City, and the sake brewing industry from Kobe City to Nishinomiya City, with commercial and industrial damage (excluding buildings) amounting to approximately 630 billion yen.

However, the three major projects of Kansai International Airport, Kansai Cultural and Academic Research City, and Akashi Kaikyo Bridge have been completed for the time being, and together with the promotion of other projects, it is expected that these will be the trump cards for economic recovery. The accumulation of cutting-edge industries in the Cosmo Square area of ​​Nanko, Osaka City, the second industrial complex on Kobe Port Island, and venture businesses in Kyoto City and neighboring cities are new movements toward revitalization.

In the future, the challenge will be to strengthen the technological capabilities of the Hanshin Industrial Zone in its traditional areas of expertise, while also working to improve the sophistication of industry and the foundations for cultivating new industries by attracting companies and developing human resources in areas where growth is expected. Expected areas include development in areas that ensure the basic conditions for national life and industrial activity, such as information and communications, medical and welfare, housing, and the environment and energy.

[Tsukasa Yasui]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大阪、神戸の二大都市を中心とする大阪湾の臨海地区と、それに続く内陸部の淀(よど)川沿岸および大阪市東部、それに隣接する東大阪一帯の地域からなる工業地帯。臨海地区は、神戸、西宮(にしのみや)、尼崎(あまがさき)、大阪（西淀川、此花(このはな)、港、大正の各区）から堺(さかい)、泉北埋立地にかけて広がり、鉄鋼、金属、機械、造船、電力、ガス、石油化学など重化学工業部門の大工場が集中しており、阪神工業地帯の中核となっている。臨海地域の南には、泉大津(いずみおおつ)、岸和田、貝塚、泉佐野を中心とする繊維工業地帯がある。臨海地域の内側には、大阪市の東部3区（城東、東成(ひがしなり)、生野(いくの)）から大東(だいとう)、東大阪、八尾(やお)にかけての機械器具、繊維、雑貨などの工場群、淀川沿いの大阪市北東部（福島、北、都島(みやこじま)、淀川、東淀川の各区）から吹田(すいた)にかけての地域の化学、薬品、繊維、染色などの工場群がある。内陸地域の外縁部には、淀川右岸の茨木(いばらき)、高槻(たかつき)、左岸の守口(もりぐち)、門真(かどま)、寝屋川(ねやがわ)、枚方(ひらかた)が含まれ、第二次世界大戦後の技術革新やトラック輸送の発達により、JR沿線や国道沿いに軽電機、機械、化学、食料品などの大工場が進出している。阪神工業地帯を広義に解釈するときには、西は兵庫県の明石(あかし)、加古川(かこがわ)、高砂(たかさご)、姫路(ひめじ)、相生(あいおい)、赤穂(あこう)などの播磨工業地域(はりまこうぎょうちいき)、南は和歌山、海南、有田などの紀北工業地域(きほくこうぎょうちいき)、北東は京都、宇治、大津、草津などの京滋工業地域(けいじこうぎょうちいき)を含み、前二者には鉄鋼、造船、石油化学などの重化学工業、後者には、軽電機、化学、食料品と比較的歴史の古い繊維工業などが発達している。

　阪神工業地帯の発展には、江戸時代に天下の台所として全国の物資を集散し、その売買により蓄えられていた商業資本、古くから開けた農村地帯に栄えていた手工業、京阪神の大都市を控えた大消費市場がその経済的原動力となっている。加えて瀬戸内海や淀川を利用する舟運の便と、東海道と山陽道を中心とする陸上交通の便、明治以降整備された国鉄（現、JR）、私鉄の発達といった地理的位置と交通上の優位があげられる。また、大阪湾沿岸をはじめ内陸の旧河床を開発してつくられた新田が工場用地として安価に入手できたうえに、琵琶(びわ)湖を水源とする淀川が豊富な工業用水を提供し、六甲山麓(ろっこうさんろく)の宮水(みやみず)とよばれる地下水を醸造用の良水として利用できたことが立地要因としてあげられる。大阪には、江戸時代からすでに工場制手工業の段階にまで発達していた銅の精錬、製油、皮革、造船業があり、灘(なだ)、伊丹(いたみ)、池田の醸造、堺の鉄砲鍛冶(かじ)、河内(かわち)・和泉(いずみ)の農家で織られていた木綿、染色、晒(さらし)などとともに、全国的に知られていた。一方、近代的工場制機械工業の先駆けは、明治政府の殖産興業政策によって1870年（明治3）に設立された堺紡績所（最初は薩摩(さつま)藩が設立）、大阪市桜宮(さくらのみや)に設けられた造幣寮（1871。現在の造幣局）、大砲製造所（1872。後の陸軍造兵廠(しょう)）、兵庫造船局（1883）などの官営工場である。とくに造幣局は、イギリス人技師の指導のもとに、貨幣のほか硫酸やソーダ、ガスなどの化学工業の始めとなり、陸軍造兵廠は鋳物、機械工業の発達の口火となった。やがて民間の紡績工場ができ始め、1883年には大阪府三軒家(さんげんや)（現、大阪市大正区）に1万錘の蒸気力による近代的で大規模な大阪紡績会社が生まれた。その後、民間の紡績会社が次々に設立され、大阪は東洋のマンチェスターとよばれた。このほか、マッチ、メリヤス、洋傘などの雑貨工業も発達した。こうした近代工業は、日清(にっしん)・日露戦争を契機に飛躍を遂げ、綿糸、綿織物、メリヤスなどの繊維工業をはじめ、肥料、紙、マッチなど軽工業を中心として、日本一の生産をあげていた。第一次大戦を転機に、鉄鋼、伸銅などの金属工業、造船、紡績機械などの機械器具工業、油脂、薬品などの化学工業、セメント、ガラスの窯業などの重化学工業が伸展し、総合工業地帯としての地位を確保した。この間、大阪と神戸は、それぞれ関連した工業が相互依存的に発達して広がり、大阪、神戸を中心に尼崎、西宮、芦屋(あしや)、堺の臨海地域と内陸部の布施(ふせ)（現、東大阪市）、守口、吹田、伊丹を包含する工場密集地域が形成された。第二次世界大戦中は工場疎開が行われ、重化学工業も周辺都市に移動し、阪神工業地帯の区域はさらに広がった。しかし、戦災により大打撃を受けた。

　第二次世界大戦後、糸偏ブームとよばれる繊維産業の好況、朝鮮戦争による特需ブームによって立ち直りをみせたが、全国に対する相対的比率は低下し、関西経済は地盤沈下をきたしている。その復興のため、大規模な埋立地を造成し、石油化学、鉄鋼のコンビナートが建設されたが、逆に地盤沈下や大気汚染、水質汚濁などの公害問題がおこり、その除去に努力が払われている。阪神工業地帯は、戦後、日本経済の高度成長に支えられて発達してきたが、中堅、中小企業の集積度が高い、鉄鋼、繊維などの基礎素材型産業の構成比が高い、アジア向け貿易依存度が高いといった特色が、近年の景気先行きの不透明感やアジア経済の悪化などの影響により、生産の伸びの落ち込みに深刻な影を落としてきた。また、1995年（平成7）に起きた阪神・淡路(あわじ)大震災では、神戸市長田(ながた)区を中心とした、ケミカルシューズ製造業、神戸市から西宮(にしのみや)市にかけての酒造業などに大きな被害を与え、商・工業関連被害額（建物を除く）は約6300億円となった。

　しかし、関西国際空港、関西文化学術研究都市、明石海峡大橋の三大プロジェクトがひとまず完成し、他のプロジェクトの推進と相まって、経済回復の切り札になることが期待されている。大阪市南港(なんこう)のコスモスクエア地区の先端産業の蓄積、神戸ポートアイランド第2期の産業団地、京都市とその近隣都市にみられるベンチャー企業などは、その再生に向けての新しい動きである。

　今後は、従来から阪神工業地帯が得意とする分野の技術力を強化するとともに、成長が期待される分野の企業誘致や人材育成により、産業の高度化や新産業の育成基盤の充実を図ることが課題である。期待される分野としては、情報・通信関連、医療・福祉関連、住宅関連、環境・エネルギー関連など、国民生活や産業活動の基礎条件を確保する分野への発展があげられる。

［安井　司］

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