“Why a stele?” you might ask. This is the \u521d\u4ee3 \u5927\u5742\u8239\u5949\u884c\u6240\u8de1 Stele. It marks a site of immense historical importance.
Let’s step back in time to the early Edo period. It was a time of strategic oversight by the shogunate. The \u521d\u4ee3 \u5927\u5742\u8239\u5949\u884c\u6240\u8de1 Stele stands as a reminder of this.
In 1620 the Tokugawa Shogunate established a “bugyosho” or commissionary office for ships in Shikashima Village. This commissionary oversaw maritime traffic. Ships headed to Osaka from western domains had to pass this point. They traveled upstream on the Ajigawa River. The shogunate used this to monitor ship traffic. They also kept an eye on the lords from the western domains. The \u521d\u4ee3 \u5927\u5742\u8239\u5949\u884c\u6240\u8de1 Stele commemorates this fact.
The establishment of the Osaka Ship Bugyo marked a turning point. Osaka became a key port supplanting Naniwazu. The bugyosho was initially located in Shikashima. It boasted 185 public residences. It became Japan’s largest ship commissionary.
Later, changes occurred due to the opening of the Ajigawa River by Kawamura Zuiken in 1684. This rerouting of water traffic lessened the need to pass through Ajigawa. Consequently in 1685, the shogunate abolished the ship watch stations. They were formerly located in Shikashima and at the mouth of the Kizu River. A new “Kawaguchi Funate Bugyo” was established. It sat at the northern end of Kujo Village Motoda. The \u521d\u4ee3 \u5927\u5742\u8239\u5949\u884c\u6240\u8de1 Stele tells of these shifts.
The stele you see before you was erected in 2011. It sits near the Asahi Bridge, which spans the Rokkenya River. The \u521d\u4ee3 \u5927\u5742\u8239\u5949\u884c\u6240\u8de1 Stele isn’t just a marker. It represents a significant chapter in Osaka’s maritime history.
Notice the inscription on the \u521d\u4ee3 \u5927\u5742\u8239\u5949\u884c\u6240\u8de1 Stele. The calligraphy is by Hashimoto Toru. He was a former governor of Osaka Prefecture. Also he served as the mayor of Osaka City.
As you stand here consider the flow of ships. Imagine the watchful eyes of the shogunate. The \u521d\u4ee3 \u5927\u5742\u8239\u5949\u884c\u6240\u8de1 Stele encapsulates a moment. It connects us to Osaka’s rich and complex past. It was a time when maritime control shaped the destiny of a city.