Doshōmachi

Doshōmachi is a historic pharmaceutical district in Osaka's central Chūō-ku ward that retains a strong connection to medicine and healing. The area contains numerous pharmacies, traditional medicine shops, and historical buildings arranged along narrow stone-paved streets that give it a distinct character.

The district originated during the Edo period when the Tokugawa government granted it authority to regulate medicine distribution across Japan. This official designation established it as the nation's pharmaceutical center, a role it maintained through generations.

The Sukunahikona Shrine within the district honors healing deities and draws those interested in traditional medicine practices. The narrow lanes remain lined with pharmacies and shops that continue to serve as gathering places for people seeking remedies.

The area is best explored on foot, with the narrow stone-paved streets easy to navigate and numerous shops inviting browsing. Visitors should allow time to explore the many pharmacies and the museum housed in a shrine building, which offers deeper insight into the trade's history.

Multiple pharmaceutical companies maintain headquarters in the district while continuing operations from buildings used centuries ago. This continuity makes the area a living example of how businesses can remain rooted in the same locations across generations.