中央道路・高田川と天神橋(大和高田市本郷町)
Chuo Road, Takadagawa River and Tenjinbashi Bridge (Hongo Cho, Yamato Takada City)
 
 
今 Present
 

天神橋筋商店街と天神橋西商店街の間を通る現在の中央道路は、昭和の初めまで高田川が流れていて、東西の商店街をつなぐ「天神橋」がかかっていました。現在は、石の欄干が残っています。
Until the beginning of the Showa era (around 1926), the present-day Chuo Road, which runs between the Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street and Tenjinbashi-Nishi Shopping Street, was the Takadagawa River and these shopping streets in the east and west were connected by the Tenjinbashi Bridge. The stone railings of the bridge still remain today．

 
 
昔 Past
 





中央道路側(西)から見た天神橋西商店街(昭和40年・1965年頃)
Tenjinbashi-Nishi Shopping Street seen from Chuo Road (west) (around 1965)
食べ物や化粧品、文房具、呉服などのお店が並んでいます。
The street is lined with various stores selling foods, cosmetics, stationery, kimonos, and other products．
 
 
 
中央道路と高田川の歴史
　大和高田市街の中央部を南北に貫くこの道路は、川であった。花内川、高田川とも呼ばれ、この町を東西に二分し、農業を基盤とする本郷（ほんごう）と、商業を主とする寺内町（じないちょう）の対立を生み、政治的、経済的に高田を分割するものであった。また、旧高田川は、高田市街で大きく蛇行しており、大雨には、しばしば氾濫し、特に大中（おおなか）地区はその都度大きな被害を受けた。昭和七年から十一年の歳月をかけて、上流東中（ひがしなか）から神楽（じんらく）の境まで、現在の高田川に、川替工事がおこなわれ、更に、昭和二十三年から旧高田川廃川敷の埋め立て及び道路化への事業が実施され、その後、近鉄両駅、国鉄との立体化、飾粧等がおこなわれ、今日の大和高田市発展の根幹となったのである。
　新しい高田川両岸には、昭和二十三年から、市民の努力によって南北二キロメートルにわたって桜が植樹され、市民の憩いの場となっている。

History of Chuo Road and the Takadagawa River
Chuo Road cuts through the central part of Yamato Takada City from north to south. It was once a river. The river, which was called Hanauchigawa River or Takadagawa River, separated Yamato Takada City into two conflicting regions: the agriculture-based town of Hongo and the commercial-based town of Jinaicho (temple compound town). This divided the city politically and economically. The former Takadagawa River meandered throughout the urban area of Yamato Takada City and these meandering river channels produced flooding in the city, particularly causing significant damage in the Onaka district. Over a period of 11 years from 1932, there was construction to reconfigure the present-day Takadagawa River, from the upper reaches in Higashinaka to the boundary of Jinraku. Since 1948, various projects have also been implemented including landfill and road development projects for the abandoned river sites of the former Takadagara River and construction and improvement of the multi-level crossings for two stations of Kintetsu Railway and Japanese National Railways track. These efforts are the foundation of the development of present-day Yamato Takada City.
In 1948, volunteers across the city planted cherry blossom trees on both banks of the new Takadagawa River, stretching about two kilometers from north to south. These river banks are now a popular place for residents to visit and relax.