The East-West Line and the North-South Line
of the municipal streetcar route were inaugurated
in 1908 and the transportation from Umeda
to Ebisu-cho became much easier. ( Hankai
Line started its service in 1912. )
Tennoji park, a long-cherished project, was
open in December,1909.
The eastern part of
the land which was once
used for the Expo,
approximately 264,000 square
meters, was
assigned to this park.
All of the remaining
land of 72,600 square meters
was transferred
to Osaka Land & Building
Company which
was established in August
1911. The company
developed the area in phase
1and 2.
 |
 |
year 1905;
after Expo | year 1912;
Tennoji Park & Shinsekai |
Making Shinsekai a core of the area that
accumulated entertainment facilities, a new
town was created in northern half, modeled
after Paris. Three streets were laid radiately
from the foot of the Tsutenkaku Tower with
a concept to solicit specific line of businesses
on each street according to their business
category. The names of three streets were
Ebisu-dori, Tamamizu-dori and Gappo-dori.
The southern half of the ground was developed
in the image of Coney Island
in New York,USA
and was designed for an
urban-type recreational
zone with its central part
named ' Lunar
Park'. It was also planned
to build an observatory
as its landmark in view
of the fact that
observation platforms as
'Chobokaku' and
' Ryounkaku' were popular
at that time, so
the Tsutenkaku Tower of
75 meters high* was
designed in imitation of
the Eiffel Tower
of Paris. ( * Some people
argue that it was
64 meters high.)
 |
Illumination |
The Tsutenkaku Tower was completed and started
its service in July 1912. ( The name was
given by Mr. Fujisawa, a Confucianist.) It
was the day to open the first page for Shin-Sekai.
' Shin-Sekai' was truly the ' New World'
literally.
With the Tsutenkaku Tower in the center,
there was Luna Park and
many theaters for
plays and movies aligned
in the south. Many
restaurant gathered along
the street of Ebisu-dori
and there was an incessant
flow of people
coming out of the Ebisu
Station. The area
looked like a miniature
of the world and
people could enjoy the
atmosphere of foreign
countries from East Europe
to Asia as well
as U.S.A. and France. It
might as well be
called the forerunner of
today's Theme Park.
 |
 |
| Shinsekai in those days | Tsutenkaku |
It was written and exaggerated with excitement
in old books that " Look high tower
' Tsutenkaku' built with Eiffel Tower structure,
soars and looks as if it reaches the sky!".
At this time, Tsutenkaku Tower was 75-meters
high and its bottom part had been built like
the Ark de Triumphs, and its ceiling was
painted with beautiful pictures. Even those
non " Naniwakko( people born and bred
in Osaka ) " were moved by it.
Lunar Park had a great variety of amusing
devices, there was a ride, called the Circling
Wave, rotating with an up-and-down motion,
a music hall " Ongakudou", a public
theater, called the Seikaden showing various
attractions, a mistery hall " Fushigikan"
etc. ....
The most unique things was a statute called
" Biriken san"
that still exists
today. It was made in America
in 1908, and
brought to Japan in around
1910 and was enshrined
as the god of wealth. Although
it disappeared
at one time, it has been
sitting in Tsutenkaku
Tower again in since 1980.
 |
 |
 |
| Building No.1 | Asahi theater | Naniwa Club building |
There were various shows in other places
besides Luna Park as well. The constructions
for making a show district of cinemas and
theatres around Luna Park grew rapidly at
around the time the Park was opened.
In 1913 ( year 2 in the Taisho era ) the
second term of the construction
started,
and a spa, spouting out
hot spring water,
was built. It was a circle
bath having two
bath spaces, one of them
was a circle bath
with enough area and depth
to swim, and the
other was a bath inside
the former one with
hot water flowing from
the ceiling like a
fall. The bath came to
be called ' Radium
Hot Spring ' because it
was popular for its
radium water.
 |
 |
The view east from west
1912. | Shinsekai Ebisu gate |
Inside of Luna Park they took advantage of
the technology of constructing amusement
structures and devised them to create a Western
atmosphere. For example yhey installed a
ropeway between Tsutenkaku and Luna Park,
although it was a very short distance. People
could look down on Luna Park below and feel
as if they were in an airplane.
 |
 |
| Ebisu Street | Janjan Alley |
- In 1908 (Meiji 41)
- Near Tennoji Museum there is Keitaku-en Garden,
which has been made by a gardener 'Harubei
Ogawa' and used to be a garden in the main
house of the Sumitomo family.
- In 1921
- There was a mansion of Kichzaemon Sumitomo
in the southern side of Chausuyama, which
and some estates around which were donated
to Osaka in 1926.
- In 1915 (Taisho 4)
- Tennoji Zoo opened in January, and the bog
entertaiment district was now completed.
A lot of people in Osaka visited there.
- In 1920 (Taisho 9)
- The contract with Lion Honpo was made and
on the side of Tsutenkaku the advertisement
with electrical letters was turned on brightly.
However, the prosperity of Shinseksi did7t
go smoothly.
- In 1923 (Taisho 12)
- Luna Park closed down.
