From ancient pastures to bustling city, the story of Chishimachi Ato (乳牛牧跡) unfolds. Here at Chishimachi Ato in Osaka, we uncover a piece of the city’s agricultural past. Chishimachi Ato translates to “Dairy Farm Ruins”. This place stands as a testament to Osaka’s rich history, a time when dairy farming thrived in this very spot.
Chishimachi Ato has a history stretching back to the peaceful Heian period. As far back as the 9th century, this area was known as Ajifunomaki (味原牧). It was a designated grazing land under the jurisdiction of the Tenyaku-ryo (典薬寮), the Imperial medicine bureau. The name Chishimachi (乳牛牧), meaning “dairy farm”, speaks to its purpose. Local residents raised cows here, contributing dairy products to the Tenyaku-ryo. They produced so (蘇), a type of yogurt, rak (酪), a concentrated dairy product, and daigo (醍醐), considered a delicacy made by boiling and ripening so. Every year, cows and calves were sent from this farm to the Tenyaku-ryo’s dairy facility. There, milk was collected for medicinal purposes, and older cows were returned to the pasture. The remaining cattle played a role in cultivating the land, further connecting this community to their bovine companions.
The influence of Chishimachi Ato is felt even today. The area’s history as a grazing ground is preserved in the name of the local elementary school. Until 1926, it was known as Chishimachi Futsū Shōgakkō (乳牛牧尋常小学校), literally “Chishimachi Regular Elementary School”. A stone monument marking Chishimachi Ato stands near the present-day Daisho Junior High School, further commemorating the area’s agricultural heritage. Though the physical remnants of the dairy farm may be gone, the legacy of Chishimachi Ato lives on. It serves as a reminder of a time when cows grazed peacefully in the heart of what is now a bustling metropolis.