Osaka city has been rapidly urbanized since the end of the Meiji period, and the population of the city was more than 1.5 million in 1916. However, this development has problems such as price hike and poor living environment. How to stabilize the expanding citizen's eating habits for Osaka city at that time was an important policy task. Therefore, Osaka City opened the temporary public markets at 4 locations in April 1918 in order to adjust the price and provide inexpensive and stable daily necessities. Thereafter, 60 public markets were planned because of citizen's popularity. At the time of the second city limit extension (1925.4), the arrangement of the public market in the new city area was discussed. This study aims to clarify the formation of retail commercial space focused on Public Market in pre-war Osaka city on following 3 aspects.
1. The public policies and roles of the Public Market were analyzed through Osaka's Council Minutes.
2. 35 locations of public market established since October 1921 were classified into 4 types “Old city area”, “Traditional town”, “Newly developed area” and “Rural area”.
3. Interview survey for 65 shop owners since pre-war indicated the relationship between the formation of shopping street and public market.
The main results were summarized as follows.
1) The public markets that were opened after being referred to as "establish a public market for resident of the newly opened area" in the city council of October 1921 are located from residential-industrial coexistence area to residential area in the wake of the second city limit extension (1925.4). In addition, it became clear that they gradually increased its location to area with high open space rate.
2) The public markets in the old city area opened near the public facilities constructed in the Meiji period. The public markets in the traditional town has been established near the old roads and temples that have relations with the area from long ago. The public markets in the newly developed area opened near the public facilities planned at the same time. The public markets in rural area opened on the old roads and approaches of temple. In this way, it was clarified that Osaka city arranged the public markets of pre-war to be the core of the retail commercial space planned differently for each site.
3) The formation of retail commercial space was classified into 3 patterns. First, the public market opens in existing shopping streets. And shopping streets develop by gathering stores and private markets. (For example, Kujo, Nigiwaimachi and Abeno public market) Secondly, when the public market opens, stores will gather, and the shopping streets will form. Later, the shopping street develops in stores independent of the public / private market. (For example, Tsuruhashi, Hirano, Izuo, Kagaya, Kitatanabe, Ikuno and Anryuu public market)Third, the private market opens first and the public market opens. Shopping streets form by stores gathering each other. (For example, Tanabe public market)
