[2] During the Edo period the Shinmachi River was a very busy area due to the travel of boats carrying indigo dyeing wares, one of the main trades supporting finance in the region at the time.

The Shinmachi River runs through the middle of Tokushima, and passes by many well known tourist spots within the city area.

Up until the early Shōwa period, the condition of the river was so good as to allow people to swim there during the summertime.

However, in the coming years the river became increasingly polluted and thus unsuitable for swimming.

The river itself is also used during an event each Christmas, in which people dressed in Santa suits distribute gifts to children along the riverside from atop boats.