Statue of Mayor Seki Hajime

The Mayor Seki Hajime Statue stands in Nakanoshima, Kita Ward, Osaka City, facing the front of the Osaka City Central Public Hall. Hajime Seki served as the seventh mayor of Osaka for 11 years starting in 1923. As a pioneer in urban policy research, he put his knowledge to work through many major projects. These included not only transportation initiatives such as widening Midosuji Boulevard, constructing the subway, drafting plans for the city’s subway network, and introducing municipal buses, but also a wide range of other developments such as port construction projects in the Osaka Bay area, improvements to Osaka Castle Park, reconstruction of Osaka Castle’s main tower, and the establishment of the Osaka Central Wholesale Market. These undertakings greatly contributed to Osaka’s growth as a modern city, and the foundations Seki built continue to support the lives of Osaka’s residents today. The statue that stands here now was erected in recognition of his achievements 20 years after his death, following his collapse from typhoid fever in 1935. The statue is about a 3-minute walk from Yodoyabashi Station on the Osaka Metro, heading toward the Central Public Hall.