Takarazuka, a city of music | Transcending the time and space of Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods | Creating a city full of vitality and vigor
The name of Takarazuka, whose name makes one take a romantic fancy, originated in the legend that a villager who prayed for happiness in the ancient burial mound had actually become happy and they started to call the place “Takara no tsuka, (which means the treasure mound)”. Later on, in Meiji period, as the hot-spring inns began to be built side by side, the town was named Takarazuka spa. Then the Hankaku Line (present Japan Railways) and Minoo-Arima Electric Railroad (present Hankyu Railway) were opened, and the name of Takarazuka as the “town of Takarazuka Review and hot-spring” had become famous throughout Japan.
The hot spring, which was the source of the development of Takarazuka, was recorded as “Obayashi hot spring” and “Kawamo hot spring” in medieval times. The Takarazuka spa development became active in the middle of Meiji period. The first spa opened on the right bank of Muko River, and on the left bank, the Takarazuka New Spa, which had a modern and western style appearance, opened. Thus the town enjoyed a lot of visitors for three generations of Meiji, Taisho and Showa. In 2002, in a corner of Takarazuka Spa, a leisurely day-visit hot spring facility called “Nature Spa Takarazuka” was opened. It attracts many visitors as a spa resort where you can enjoy an esthetic clinic, a bed rock basing and a fancy restaurant all in one building.
Takarazuka Tourism Fireworks Exhibition, which is performed in the area near the Muko River Tourism Dam, is one of the oldest fireworks exhibitions in Japan, dating back to 1913. This event attracts widespread popularity every summer in Takarazuka, painting the night sky with beautiful colors.
In Takarazuka, there once was the "Takarazuka Movie Production Company," where Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu and Yuzo Kawashima, whose names were carved into the history of movie-making in Japan, manufactured high-quality entertainment movies. Until 1978, they produced 176 theatrical movies during the heyday of Japanese movies. Takarazuka and its surrounding area was used as the location site in many premier movies and quite a few citizens appeared in those movies as extras. In 1999, in Mefu, Takarazuka, Cine Pipia was opened as "a movie house for the movie town of Takarazuka," on the heels of a movement by citizens who wanted to enjoy movies. This movie theater is unique in that it is funded by the Takarazuka City Government, and is now privately run. Since 2000, the Takarazuka Film Festival is held for the purpose of making the movie culture flourish in Takarazuka once again.
The “Takarazuka Family Land (Takarazuka New Spa)”, which was opened by Ichizo Kobayashi, who was the founder of Minoo-Arima Electric Railroad, a former Hankyu Railway, had given dreams and adventures to many children as the world's leading amusement park. Takarazuka Garden Fields opened in 2003, the same year as the Familyland Park closed down. You can relax in the colorful beauty and contrasts of the four seasons, in the English natural style garden, known as “Seasons” and also the pet park named “Dog Run Do”.
1-1 Toyo-cho Takarazuka City, Hyogo Pref. Japan Zip. 665-8665