[Faculty of Modern Social Studies] Associate Professor Ryohei Ebi gave a lecture titled "The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the Hanshin Area: Entertainment and Leisure in the Hanshin Area, on the Eve of the Disaster."

On Sunday, November 17, Ebi Associate Professor of Faculty of Modern Social Studies gave a lecture titled "'1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and Hanshin-Ma' - Entertainment and Leisure in Hanshin-Ma, on the Eve of the Earthquake" at Nishinomiya Civic Hall hosted by Kiyoshi Yamamoto Memorial Foundation, which was attended by about 50 eager people.
First, he explained the geographical definition of the Hanshin area, its development as a vacation home and suburban residential area for Osaka merchants with the opening of the railroad, and the formation of "Hanshin area modernism" consisting of Architecture, art, literature, and entertainment. He also explained that the Takarazuka Grand Theater and Koshien Stadium, two of Japan's representative entertainment facilities, which will celebrate their 100th anniversary this year, were established in the Mukogawa River basin; the relationship between the establishment of beaches (Kozen, Hamadera, etc.) along the Hanshin Electric Railway, Nankai Electric Railway and other private railway lines and Osaka newspaper companies; the establishment of modern parks and the National Industrial Exposition in Japan, etc. The lecture continued with interesting explanations on the background of the development of "entertainment and leisure in the Hanshin area" from the Meiji period to the Taisho and early Showa periods, such as the establishment of modern parks and the National Industrial Exposition.
Next, he explained about the two amusement parks (Kouzono Amusement Park and Koyo Amusement Park) at the foot of Mt. These facilities include an amusement park, a zoo, a hotel, an inn, a theater, and a playground, etc. He explained that Kohzono Amusement Park hosted the Japan-U.S. Baseball Game (Waseda University vs. University of Chicago) in 1908, and that Koyo Amusement Park was revived by a movie production company that lost its shooting location due to the Great Kanto Earthquake. After both facilities closed, they were developed as residential areas in the suburbs of Osaka during the land development boom of the Taisho era (1912-1926), and have become what they are today.
Finally, he explained about the Takarazuka Revue. The origin of Takarazuka Revue is that a swimming pool in the Takarazuka New Hot Spring Paradise developed in 1911 was remodeled and a fairy opera "Don Braco" was held (1914), the first performance at the Tokyo Imperial Theater (1918), the loss of the theater due to fire and the subsequent construction of the Takarazuka Grand Theater (completed in 1924), the relief revue performances in various places during the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923), and the history of the revue before the earthquake. The Takarazuka Revue had been actively engaged in charitable activities (charity performances) even before the earthquake.
He concluded with the comment that entertainment and leisure in the Hanshin area developed as a result of a multilayered combination of various events, including geographical factors, the historical background of the development of Hanshin modernism, and the Great Kanto Earthquake.

(Source: School Public Relations)