Umeda, Osaka

is a major commercial, business, shopping and entertainment district in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, and the city's main northern railway terminus (Ōsaka Station, Umeda Station). The district's name means "plum field".

History

Umeda was historically called Umeda Haka (Umeda Grave), because it was 1 of 7 largest cemeteries of Osaka from the Edo period (1603-1868) till the initial 20 years of the Meiji period (1868-1912). In 2020, survey teams for the Umekita redevelopment project discovered ancient burial remains of over 1,500 people. Experts say these remains were of commoners, not the aristocracy. They used several burial styles, both cremated as well as buried with enclosed wooden caskets, barrel-shaped open containers and earthenware coffins called kameganbo (turtle caskets). They found burial items such as pipes, clay dolls, rokusenmon (a set of six coins to pay passage across the Sanzu River which separates the world of the living and the afterlife) and juzudama (rosary-style prayer beads). A stone wall separated a mass grave with skeletons that were only covered by soil. These are thought to be the deceased of a plague.

Until the 1870s, the area which is now Umeda was agricultural land. The area was reclaimed and filled in by the prefectural government in the 1870s to support the creation of the first Osaka Station. The word "Umeda" was previously written with different kanji characters; 埋田 ''(English: "buried field")'' to reflect this history. The name was changed to 梅田 ''(English: "plum field")'' without altering the pronunciation, likely due to negative connotations with the previous characters.

The original Osaka Station, a two-story red brick building, was opened in 1874, along with the first railway connecting Osaka and Kobe cities, and in 1876 an additional line to Kyoto. This was essentially the establishment of Umeda as a district. As industry in the area increased at the turn of the century, the station required expansion, so in 1901 the first station was demolished, and a larger station was built in the location where Osaka Station resides in a different form today. Hanshin Umeda station was constructed in 1906, followed by Hankyu Umeda Station in 1910, the Umeda subway station and Midosuji subway line in 1933 and Kitashinchi station in 1997. The current incarnation of Osaka Station was built in 1979, but underwent extensive renovation and reconstruction between 2005 and 2011, including the addition of the North Gate Building, a glass roof covering the tracks, and vast additional retail space providing shops, restaurants, sports centers and movie theatres to the area. For the 2011 re-opening, the station was re-branded Osaka Station City.

The construction of Umeda Sky Building in 1993 and the re-branding of Osaka Station City in 2011 have transformed the Umeda area from a business district to a retail and tourist attraction.

Politics and Government

Umeda makes up a large part of the Kita Ward of Osaka city, the Kita Ward Electorate could elect three representatives to the current composition of the Osaka Municipal Assembly. As of 2018, the Kita electoral district was represented by Takayama Mia from the Osaka Restoration Association, Maeda Kazuhiko from the Liberal Democratic Party and Yamamoto Tomoko from Komeito.

Before the 2019 Japanese unified local elections in April 2019, the number of representatives from Kita was increased to four. The 2019 election results saw all three incumbent representatives re-elected, along with Osaka Restoration Association newcomer Kuramoto Takayuki.

Geography

Umeda officially only covers JR West Osaka Station and the immediate area to its south and west, although "Umeda" is often used to describe much of the surrounding area, and is commonly used as a catch-all to refer to the downtown area of northern Osaka City.

In addition to JR Osaka Station, Kitashinchi Station, Hankyu Umeda Station and Hanshin Umeda Station are located in this area. Osaka Metro's Higashi-Umeda Station and Nishi-Umeda Station provide subway services to and from Umeda, making it a key transportation hub for the greater Osaka area. Underneath the main roads is an underground city which connects most of the local train stations and provides retailers, eateries and access to the area's department stores and the Dojima area of Kita ward.

Official districts of Umeda:
*Umeda 1-chome: Diamond District, Hanshin Department Store, Hilton Hotels & Resorts Osaka.
*Umeda 2-chome: Osaka Garden City, Herbis Osaka
*Umeda 3-chome: Osaka Station, Osaka Garden City, Nishi Umeda Square

The area commonly referred to as Umeda, though outside of Umeda-proper, includes:

*Shibata
*Chayamachi
*Tsuruno
*Toyosaki 2-chome
*Kakuda
*Nakazaki 2-chome, 4-chome
*Komatsubara
* Doyama
*Banzai
*Taiyuji
*Togano
*Sonezaki
*Sonezaki Shinchi
*Dojima
*Dojimahama
*Nishitenma
*Oyodo-Naka 1-chome
*Oyodo-Minami 1-chome
*Ofukacho
*Nakatsu 1-chome, 5-chome

These areas are not officially part of the Umeda district, but may use "Umeda" on their buildings, business names, and in their advertising, and are commonly referred to unofficially as the Umeda area. An example of this is the Umeda Sky Building, one of Osaka's most recognizable landmarks, which resides not in Umeda but in Oyodo-Naka.

Districts

Osaka Station City

Osaka Station City refers to the immediate area around Osaka Station, above and below ground. JR Osaka Station boasts the largest number of passengers in and out of any station in the JR West network, so Osaka Station City is the central hub of Umeda.

*South Gate Building
**Daimaru Umeda
**Hotel Granvia Osaka
*North Gate Building
**Luqua
**Luqua 1100
**Osaka Station Cinema
**Osaka Station JR Express Bus Terminal

Diamond District

Umeda 1-chome

Diamond District refers to the area of Umeda 1-chome north of Hanshin Umeda Station and south of Osaka Station. A pentagonal section of Umeda 1-chome surrounded by the Midosuji and Sonezaki Dori roads, which resembles a diamond on the map. The price of land within this area is among the highest in Osaka, so it has come to be known as the "Diamond District". The area contains some of the largest skyscrapers in Osaka, department stores and recognizable buildings. The Osaka Maru Building has become a symbol of Umeda, due to its early construction and unique cylindrical shape.

*Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South
*Hanshin Department Store
* Hilton Plaza Osaka
*Osaka Maru Building
*Osaka Station 1st Building
*Osaka Station 2nd Building
*Osaka Station 3rd Building
*Osaka Station 4th Building

Nishi-Umeda

Umeda 2-chome / Umeda 3-chome / Osaka Garden City

Nishi-Umeda refers to the area of Osaka Garden City in Umeda 2-chome and 3-chome. The Nishi-Umeda district is the main business center of the Umeda area. Nishi-Umeda hosts the facilities of the Ritz Carlton Osaka, Mainichi Shimbun main office and many corporate headquarters for western Japan, it is easily accessible underground via Hanshin Umeda Station and serviced by the