Kamagasaki
Encyclopedia
is an old place name for a part of Nishinari-ku
in Osaka
, Japan
. became the area's official name in May 1966.
, who won the 1961 Newcomer's Prize awarded by the Japan Photography Critics` Society for "One Hundred Faces of Kamagasaki".
The area surrounding Kamagasaki nowadays is very clean and attracts tourists with popular sightseeing spots including the Tsutenkaku
, Shinsekai
, and Nipponbashi
. However, in Kamagasaki, homeless people can often be seen sleeping in the streets throughout the day, and hotels (cheap temporary rooms intended for day laborers) abound in the area. These hotels have recently become popular amongst backpackers from outside of Japan due to their cheap price and close location to rail transportation.
Non-profit and religious organizations frequently give out food rations, creating long lines of people in public parks. Property values in Kamagasaki are noticeably lower than those of surrounding areas.
Many Bōryokudan offices are located in Kamagasaki, and drug and weapons trafficking is thought to occur daily. Illegal gambling stores are often in business in broad daylight. A seemingly endless line of illegally parked cars extends along the national highway
just across from the Nishinari police station. The police do not bother issuing tickets knowing that the fines will never be paid.
violations by authorities. The mass media
usually refer to these events using words that can be translated as "riot".
The first riot occurred on August 1, 1961, when an elderly day laborer from Kamagasaki was killed in a traffic accident. The official who arrived on the scene assumed that the man was already dead (only doctors are allowed to pronounce a death) and left the body on the street for over 20 minutes without calling an ambulance while he spoke with witnesses. A large group of day laborers surrounded the Nishinari police station in protest of the man's treatment, overturned parked police cars, and set fire to nearby apartment buildings. The Osaka Prefectural Police responded with 6,000 officers, using police sticks and vehicles to round up the rioters. It took two days to stop the 2,000 rioters; 28 were arrested. Approximately 10 rioters and 100 police officers were injured.
This riot became a national issue and was taken up in the prefectural legislature and national legislature
of Japan. Several attempts were made to mend relationships between the groups, but minor riots continued to occur. In May 1966, it was decided that the official name of Kamagasaki would be changed to in an attempt to improve the area's crime-ridden image. The name Kamagasaki is still commonly used amongst inhabitants, while the name Airin-chiku is used by the media and government officials.
The 22nd riot occurred in October 1990, 17 years after the last riot in 1973. This riot also involved local day laborers but grew in proportion when youths from outside Kamagasaki joined in. Shin-Imamiya Station
and local stores were set on fire during this riot, and it took several days to calm the area.
The 23rd riot occurred in October 1992, and a large-scale riot did not occur for over 10 years. This was the last large-scale riot to occur in Japan before the 34th G8 summit
.
The 24th conflict with the police occurred on June 13, 2008, and it continued six days. It was related to the 34th G8 summit
. One day before the G8 Finance Ministers' Meeting started in Osaka
with a very large police presence, a day laborer in Kamagasaki was allegedly torture
d by the police. In protest, many day laborers and other local citizens carried out several days of street protests.. Many mass media
referred to the protests as a "riot".
Six arrested on April 5, 2011. On April 10, 2011, a movie director was arrested at a polling place Haginochaya.
Upper house election on July 11 2010
Primary schools: Haginochaya Primary School, 1-11-15 Haginochaya; Koji Primary School, 2-16-26 Hanazonokita
Junior high school: Imamiya Junior High School, 1-8-32 Hanazonokita
Other school: UNION Theology University Extension Study, 3-4-23 Haginochaya
Memorial service at the 38th Kamagasaki Summer Festival
The 28th Twilight Concert
Nishinari-ku, Osaka
is one of the 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It contains some shopping and entertainment areas beloved to many Osakans, e.g. Shinsekai and Tamade. It lies directly south of the Namba transport hub and extends further south toward Sumiyoshi Park. It is served by the Nankai Railway lines as well as the...
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. became the area's official name in May 1966.
Geography
Sections of four different towns — , , , and — are collectively known as Kamagasaki.Transport
- West Japan Railway CompanyWest Japan Railway Company, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...
- Osaka Loop LineOsaka Loop LineThe is a railway line in Japan operated by West Japan Railway Company . It encircles central Osaka.The second loop line, the Osaka Higashi Line, from Hanaten to Kyuhoji was opened on March 15, 2008, and the line from Shigino to Shin-Ōsaka is planned to open in 2020.-Outline:This loop line consists...
: Shin-Imamiya StationShin-Imamiya Station-Layout:* 2 island platforms with 4 tracks-Adjacent stations:-Nankai Railway Shin-Imamiya Station:-Layout:* an island platform and 2 side platforms with 4 tracks-Adjacent stations:...
- Osaka Loop Line
- Osaka Municipal SubwayOsaka Municipal Subwayis the metro network in the city of Osaka, Japan, forming an integral part of the extensive mass transit system of Greater Osaka , having 125 out of the 1,108 rail stations in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto region. In 2010 the greater Osaka region had 13 million rail passengers daily of which the Osaka...
- Midōsuji Line: Dōbutsuen-mae StationDobutsuen-mae Stationis a train station on the Osaka Municipal Subway in Nishinari-ku, Osaka, Japan. The name in English means "in front of the zoo". It is one of the nearest stations to the Tennōji Zoo and Tsutenkaku.-Lines:*Osaka Municipal Subway**Midōsuji Line...
- Sakaisuji Line: Dōbutsuen-mae Station
- Yotsubashi Line: Hanazonochō StationHanazonocho Stationis a train station on the Osaka Municipal Subway Yotsubashi Line in Nishinari-ku, Osaka, Japan.-Layout:*There are 2 side platforms with 2 tracks on the first basement.-Adjacent stations:...
- Midōsuji Line: Dōbutsuen-mae Station
- Nankai Railway
- Nankai Main Line: Shin-Imamiya Station
- Kōya Line: Shin-Imamiya Station, Haginochaya StationHaginochaya Stationis a train station operated by Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. in Nishinari-ku, Osaka Osaka Prefecture, Japan.-Layout:Haginochaya is an elevated station with one island platform serving the two easternmost tracks of the four-track right-of-way...
- Hankai TramwayHankai Tramwayis a company which owns two tramway lines in the cities of Osaka and Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The parent company is Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.-Now owned:*Hankai Line 14.1 km...
- Hankai LineHankai LineThe is a tramway in the cities of Osaka and Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. owns and operates the line.The line's name comes from and ....
: Minamikasumichō Station, Imaike Station
- Hankai Line
History
Kamagasaki has been a place name since 1922. Kamagasaki is Japan's largest slum and has the largest day laborer concentration in the country. 30,000 people are estimated to live in every 2,000 meter radius in this area. An accurate count of occupants has never been produced, even in the national census, due to the large population of day laborers who lack permanent addresses. Daily life in Kamagasaki in the 1950s was photographed by Seiryū InoueSeiryu Inoue
was a renowned Japanese photographer.Born in 1931 in Tosa, Kōchi Prefecture, Inoue became the first apprentice to Takeji Iwamiya in Osaka in 1951. While continuing to work with Iwamiya in 1954 he started work as temporary cameraman for Asahi Broadcasting Corporation in Osaka.Iwamiya recognized his...
, who won the 1961 Newcomer's Prize awarded by the Japan Photography Critics` Society for "One Hundred Faces of Kamagasaki".
The area surrounding Kamagasaki nowadays is very clean and attracts tourists with popular sightseeing spots including the Tsutenkaku
Tsutenkaku
, lit. "Tower Reaching Heaven", owned by Tsūtenkaku Kanko Co., Ltd. is a well-known landmark of Osaka, Japan and advertises Hitachi. It is located in the Shinsekai district of Naniwa-ku, Osaka....
, Shinsekai
Shinsekai
Shinsekai , "New World" in English, is an old neighbourhood located next to south Osaka City's downtown "Minami" area. The neighbourhood was created in 1912 with New York as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half...
, and Nipponbashi
Nipponbashi
is a shopping district of Naniwa Ward, Osaka, Japan. The area is centered along Sakaisuji Avenue, extending from the Ebisu-chō Interchange of the Hanshin Expressway in the south, to Nansan-dōri in the north...
. However, in Kamagasaki, homeless people can often be seen sleeping in the streets throughout the day, and hotels (cheap temporary rooms intended for day laborers) abound in the area. These hotels have recently become popular amongst backpackers from outside of Japan due to their cheap price and close location to rail transportation.
Non-profit and religious organizations frequently give out food rations, creating long lines of people in public parks. Property values in Kamagasaki are noticeably lower than those of surrounding areas.
Many Bōryokudan offices are located in Kamagasaki, and drug and weapons trafficking is thought to occur daily. Illegal gambling stores are often in business in broad daylight. A seemingly endless line of illegally parked cars extends along the national highway
National highways of Japan
Japan has a nationwide system of distinct from the expressways. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and other government agencies administer the national highways. Beginning in 1952, Japan classified these as Class 1 or Class 2. Class 1 highways had one- or two-digit numbers, while...
just across from the Nishinari police station. The police do not bother issuing tickets knowing that the fines will never be paid.
Notable riots/human rights protests
Several conflicts with the police have occurred in Kamagasaki since 1961 over perceived human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations by authorities. The mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
usually refer to these events using words that can be translated as "riot".
The first riot occurred on August 1, 1961, when an elderly day laborer from Kamagasaki was killed in a traffic accident. The official who arrived on the scene assumed that the man was already dead (only doctors are allowed to pronounce a death) and left the body on the street for over 20 minutes without calling an ambulance while he spoke with witnesses. A large group of day laborers surrounded the Nishinari police station in protest of the man's treatment, overturned parked police cars, and set fire to nearby apartment buildings. The Osaka Prefectural Police responded with 6,000 officers, using police sticks and vehicles to round up the rioters. It took two days to stop the 2,000 rioters; 28 were arrested. Approximately 10 rioters and 100 police officers were injured.
This riot became a national issue and was taken up in the prefectural legislature and national legislature
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
of Japan. Several attempts were made to mend relationships between the groups, but minor riots continued to occur. In May 1966, it was decided that the official name of Kamagasaki would be changed to in an attempt to improve the area's crime-ridden image. The name Kamagasaki is still commonly used amongst inhabitants, while the name Airin-chiku is used by the media and government officials.
The 22nd riot occurred in October 1990, 17 years after the last riot in 1973. This riot also involved local day laborers but grew in proportion when youths from outside Kamagasaki joined in. Shin-Imamiya Station
Shin-Imamiya Station
-Layout:* 2 island platforms with 4 tracks-Adjacent stations:-Nankai Railway Shin-Imamiya Station:-Layout:* an island platform and 2 side platforms with 4 tracks-Adjacent stations:...
and local stores were set on fire during this riot, and it took several days to calm the area.
The 23rd riot occurred in October 1992, and a large-scale riot did not occur for over 10 years. This was the last large-scale riot to occur in Japan before the 34th G8 summit
34th G8 summit
The 34th G8 summit took place in on the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan from July 7–9, 2008. The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Japan include: Tokyo ; and Nago, Okinawa . The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders...
.
The 24th conflict with the police occurred on June 13, 2008, and it continued six days. It was related to the 34th G8 summit
34th G8 summit
The 34th G8 summit took place in on the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan from July 7–9, 2008. The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Japan include: Tokyo ; and Nago, Okinawa . The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders...
. One day before the G8 Finance Ministers' Meeting started in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
with a very large police presence, a day laborer in Kamagasaki was allegedly torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d by the police. In protest, many day laborers and other local citizens carried out several days of street protests.. Many mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
referred to the protests as a "riot".
Resident registration issue
Pharmacotherapy has ordered expunged the no living realities and encouraging this survey Osaka city workers had a resident registration in Kamagasaki release Center in the district, such as the equivalent number of actually registered location realities of living condition was discovered, because since 2007 resident registration. For civil rights, such as the right to vote is workers and supporters are stripped of contrast continues to campaign against. It is said that ranging from the Liberal Democratic Party Japan to Communist Party requested cooperation to each political party, but you have ignored it.Six arrested on April 5, 2011. On April 10, 2011, a movie director was arrested at a polling place Haginochaya.
Upper house election on July 11 2010
Education
Nursery school: Wakakusa Nursery School, 2-9-2 HaginochayaPrimary schools: Haginochaya Primary School, 1-11-15 Haginochaya; Koji Primary School, 2-16-26 Hanazonokita
Junior high school: Imamiya Junior High School, 1-8-32 Hanazonokita
Other school: UNION Theology University Extension Study, 3-4-23 Haginochaya
Events
- Kamagasaki May Day May 1
- Kamagasaki Summer Festival August 13–15
- Twilight Concert
- Energy Festival
- Evening Variety Show
- Come Here Festival
Memorial service at the 38th Kamagasaki Summer Festival
The 28th Twilight Concert
See also
- Tobita Shinchi
- ShinsekaiShinsekaiShinsekai , "New World" in English, is an old neighbourhood located next to south Osaka City's downtown "Minami" area. The neighbourhood was created in 1912 with New York as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half...
- Nishinari-ku, OsakaNishinari-ku, Osakais one of the 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It contains some shopping and entertainment areas beloved to many Osakans, e.g. Shinsekai and Tamade. It lies directly south of the Namba transport hub and extends further south toward Sumiyoshi Park. It is served by the Nankai Railway lines as well as the...
, one of 24 wards of Osaka - Seiryū InoueSeiryu Inouewas a renowned Japanese photographer.Born in 1931 in Tosa, Kōchi Prefecture, Inoue became the first apprentice to Takeji Iwamiya in Osaka in 1951. While continuing to work with Iwamiya in 1954 he started work as temporary cameraman for Asahi Broadcasting Corporation in Osaka.Iwamiya recognized his...
, photographer of Kamagasaki in 1950s-1960s