Tenjinbashi/Tenjin Bridge

Tenjinbashi refers to the bridge spanning the “Kensaki” tip of Nakanoshima, and together with Tenmabashi and Naniwabashi it is known as one of the “Three Great Bridges of Naniwa.” It is a very long bridge, with a length of 210.70 meters—so long that a children’s song famously goes, “Tenjinbashi is long—if you fall, it’s scary.” The bridge crosses the Okawa River and is said to have been first built around 1594 (Bunroku 3). During the Ōshio Heihachirō uprising, it is said that the shogunate quickly destroyed the three great bridges (including Tenjinbashi) to block rebels, highlighting its strategic importance. It is about a 6-minute walk from Tenmabashi Station on the Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line and Keihan Main Line, and during Tenjin Matsuri many people watch the fireworks from here. The current Tenjinbashi was rebuilt in 1934 (Shōwa 9) in connection with the widening of Matsuyamachi-suji; it features three light steel arches with concrete arches at both ends, giving it an elegant, photogenic form. North of the bridge are the Tenmangu shrine area and the lively Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street, known as Japan’s longest shopping arcade.