How Was "Naniwa's Kitchen" Born? The 300-Year Story of Osaka Kizu Wholesale Market

 

The history of Osaka Kizu Wholesale Market is not merely the record of a single market; it is the story of Osaka's food culture itself, once known as "the nation's kitchen."

From small street stalls in the Edo period, it has endured three major trials—shogunate control, the threat of abolition by the city, and wartime devastation—to become one of Japan's largest private wholesale markets. This 310-year journey, once known, will allow you to see the market landscape with even greater depth.

 

Roots as a "food sanctuary" dating back to the Heian period

While the direct history of Kizu Market begins in the Edo period, its connection to "food" goes back even further, reputedly to the Heian period. During that time, a tradition remains that people called "mikuriyakunin" in this region offered seafood to the imperial court, suggesting that the area has long been a hub for food distribution.

As if inheriting that spirit, the people of the current Kizu Market continue to offer large sea bream (a pair of male and female) to Imamiya Ebisu Shrine's "Toka Ebisu Kendai Shinji" (ritual offering of sea bream), conveying the deep history to the present day.

Edo Period: Birth of Street Stalls (circa 1710)

The prototype of the current Kizu Market emerged around 1710 (Hōei 7), in the mid-Edo period. At that time, the official fish market in Osaka was the "Zakoba Fish Market," but due to increasing demand from a growing population, fishermen and merchants naturally began selling their goods in Kizu, a location convenient for water transport. This was the beginning of "street stalls."

 

Path to an Authorized Market (Official Approval in 1810)

About 100 years after the street stalls began, in 1810 (Bunka 7), the Kizu market reached a major turning point. Thanks to the efforts of Shinoyama Jūbei Kageyoshi, the Osaka magistrate at the time, it finally received "official approval" (kankyo) from the shogunate and was recognized as a formal market.
The market at that time was located in the northwest area of Ōkuni Shrine, and from here, it established its position as "Osaka's kitchen."

 

Preservation Movement and the Wisdom of "Giving up the name to gain the substance" (1923-1931)

In 1923, with the enactment of the "Central Wholesale Market Law," Kizu Market faced its greatest crisis. It was targeted for abolition under the principle of "one market per city." However, the market people launched an intense preservation movement, asserting that it was "indispensable for citizens' lives."

After many years of negotiation, in 1931 (Shōwa 6), it was decided that the market would continue under the name "Osaka City Central Wholesale Market Kizu Distribution Center." By outwardly being a distribution center for the central market while maintaining its de facto operational independence, it overcame the crisis with the wisdom of "giving up the name to gain the substance," a true characteristic of Osaka merchants.

 

Reconstruction from War Damage and Re-establishment as a Private Market

Although it relocated to its current location (Shikitsuhigashi, Naniwa-ku) in 1938 (Shōwa 13), the market was completely destroyed in the Great Osaka Air Raid of 1945 (Shōwa 20). However, immediately after the war, volunteers rose to rebuild it, and in 1950 (Shōwa 25), it reopened as the fully private "Osaka Kizu Wholesale Market."

This form of a "privately operated wholesale market," rare nationwide, became the source of a free and vibrant atmosphere distinct from government-led markets, as well as the flexibility to adapt to changing times.

To the present: Evolution into an open market

In 2010 (Heisei 22), after extensive redevelopment, it was renovated into a modern facility with thorough hygiene management. It has evolved into an "open market" where professional chefs rely on it for sourcing, and the general public can also enjoy it.

Especially popular is "Kizu no Asaichi" (Kizu Morning Market), held on the second and last Saturdays of every month, which attracts many people seeking fresh ingredients.

 

Kizu Market: 300 Years of Progress (Chronological Summary)

• Heian Period: Tradition holds that local mikuriyakunin offered seafood to the imperial court.
• Circa 1710 (Hōei era): Start of street stalls (origin of the market).
• 1810 (Bunka 7): Received official approval through the mediation of the Osaka magistrate.
• 1931 (Shōwa 6): Continuation decided as Kizu Distribution Center.
• 1938 (Shōwa 13): Relocated to the current site.
• 1945 (Shōwa 20): Completely destroyed by the Great Osaka Air Raid.
• 1950 (Shōwa 25): Reopened as the privately run Osaka Kizu Wholesale Market.
• 2010 (Heisei 22): Facility renewal grand opening.

 

Basic Information

Address: 2-2-8 Shikitsuhigashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka 556-0012

Access: 3-minute walk from Exit ① of Daikokuchō Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line and Yotsubashi Line

Kizu Morning Market: Every 2nd and last Saturday of the month, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Official Website: https://kiduichiba.jp/