Osaka Brand Center

The movement to positively reevaluate the rivers began to rise as we were nearing the end of the 20th century. It is only 4 or 5 years ago that the government as well as the business community formed a committee, made a revitalization plan, and started organizing specific projects such as promotional events for water transport and the improvement of a water-friendly environment. The process of rejuvenating the water capital finally and gradually started to appear in concrete form. People in the community are also seeking ways to enjoy the close relationship between the rivers and their lives. “Suito Osaka-Mizubenomachi Saisei Project,” or Mizube NPO, is one of the citizens’ groups of which I am a member. By sharing the skills and knowledge of the members, we are making suggestions regarding how to enjoy the riverfront life on an everyday basis, such as creating a waterfront map, organizing a waterfront lunch event, and providing real estate information on waterfront properties. During summer, we hold a series of events called “waterfront night,” where participants may enjoy river cruises, riverside concerts, or other seasonal events to cool down during the summer heat. In this past August, we had about 400 people who came and joined our events. The number of participating people is increasing. I heard lots of people saying they had never taken a ride on a ship or had never enjoyed the waterfront before.