The prefecture and city of Osaka in Japan are moving forward with their plans to create a 1-kilometer pool. The proposed Dotonbori Pool will feature large spaces for advertising in order to subsidize the largest pool open to the public in a major metropolitan area.

The pool will open in 2015 on the 400th anniversary of the lively Dotonbori area which is lined by restaurants and entertainment facilities. The Dotonbori pool is scheduled to be 1 kilometer in length, 12-14 meters wide and 1.5 meters deep.

Plans include holding long-distance international swimming competitions and areas where people can dive in and enjoy. The entire pool can also be rented out by events or sponsors for 200,000 yen (US$2,424) for 2 hours.

On a typical weekend, there are usually 100,000 people per day walking along the area, making the potential for a POW (Pool Open Water) competition something potentially endearing, exciting and entertaining to the open water swimming world. Open water swimming is definitely growing, but imagine the possibilities for the Dotonbori Pool…

Imagine if age-group swimmers, masters swimmers and world-class swimmers had the opportunity to race down the 1-kilometer canal pool on a weekend in front of 100,000 spectators and a television audience?

Now that would be big-time swimming.

Copyright © 2012 by World Open Water Swimming Association