N

Shin-Osaka Station

Umekita Phase 2 Development Area (P.5)
OIH (P.6)
Hack Osaka (P.6)
Kansai University Umeda Campus

Expand Your

Osaka Station
Umeda Station

Kyobashi Station

Nakanoshima
Qross (P.3)

Namba Station
Maishima

Tennoji Station

Yumeshima

Morinomiya University of
Medical Sciences

Osaka, Kansai Expo (P.5)

Sakishima

Business in Osaka

INVEST
OSAKA

Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai
Image courtesy of the Japan Association
for the 2025 World Exposition

TEQS (P.6)

WHY OSAKA?

JR LineOsaka’s Excellent Infrastructure and Business Environment

Osaka Metropolitan University

Osaka Metro

Osaka’s Plentiful Business Opportunities
Osaka’s Diverse Expanding Companies
Osaka’s Comprehensive Support for Expansion

Please feel free to contact us for more information.

Grand Green Osaka (artist's rendition)
Image courtesy of the Umekita 2nd Project Developer

https://www.investosaka.jp/eng/
info＠investosaka.jp

Facebook

LinkedIn

Publisher: The City of Osaka, Business Development Department, Economic Strategy Bureau
Date: August 2024

Ticket gatesin Osaka Station’s
Umekita area

Osaka’s Excellent Infrastructure andBusiness Environment
Convenient domestic andinternational travel accessconnecting Osaka to the worldKansaiInt’l Airport(summer 2024)

Central city in Kansai, Japan’s 2nd-largest economic region*

1,113 weekly ﬂights
City of Osaka, “The Outline Osaka Economy 2024;” Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “2021 Economic
Japan vs. Kansai vs. Osaka City Source:
Census for Business Activity,” “2020 Population Census”

59 airlines
Flights to 49 cities in 19 countries

Gross regional product

Osaka City

Number of establishments

Helsinki

San Francisco

IstanbulHong Kong

Dubai

Shanghai

Japan

US$

Los Angeles
Taipei

Switzerland

5,040.1 billion

US$

Honolulu

752.2 billion(16.3% of Japan)

Japan

Kobe

5,156,063

Kyoto

Nara

Osaka

Osaka City’s
daytime/night-time population is

GuamSingapore

Kuala Lumpur

10km
Osaka City

Manila Ho Chi Minh City
Bangkok

30km

842,649(16.03% of Japan)

Seoul

MunichKansai

807.9 billion
≒

Paris

60km

(21.0% of Kansai)

Kansai

US$

Osaka City

177,184184.0

US$billion(22.78% of Kansai)

Amsterdam*Kansai = Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara, Shiga, Wakayama prefectures

Wakayama#1 among Tokyo’s 23 wards and
20 ordinance-designated cities in Japan

CairnsBrisbaneSydneyNight-time population

Daytime population

2,752,412

3,645,921

Ratio

132.5 ％

Osaka City stands out among Japan’s major cities as a place for business.

#1

From Japan to Osaka
1：00

Nagoya2:20

1：30

Business cost advantage over Tokyo

1：50

SapporoHiroshima

4：00

Fukuoka

1：20

2：50

7：20

Osaka City
Kagoshima
Naha

to
to
to
to
to
to

1：20

4：30

Avg. commercial land price (yen/m²)*1 1,074,400 (Osaka Pref.)

Tokyo

1：10

2：30

Avg. industrial land price (yen/m²)*1

115,300 (Osaka Pref.)Avg. ofﬁce rent (yen/m²/mth)*2

4,309 (Osaka City)

Avg. warehouse rent (yen/m²/mth)*3

1,261 (Kansai region)

metro92.4 ( Tokyo
politan area )Avg. store rent (yen/m²/mth)*4

73,939 (Shinsaibashi)

92.8

Avg. wage (yen/mth)*5

340,000 (Osaka Pref.)92.3 368,500

3：50

2：10

Port of Osaka regular container
ship routes・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

317/mthfrom China・・・・・・・・・・・・・
249/mthfrom S. Korea・・・・・・・・・・・101/mthfrom Taiwan・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 73/mthfrom SE Asia・・・・・・・・・・・・
108/mthfrom Australia/New Zealand・・・ 5/mthfrom N. America・・・・・・・・・・・・8/mth

Foreign trade cargo handled (2022)

Port of Osaka
Distribution
Hub(as of Aug. 2023)

toOsaka City

from

8.494mil tons
Import 25.871mil tons
ExportUmeda 6,582 yen

Port of Osaka

306,700

37.6

6,476

66.5

1,364

79,697(Ginza)Shin-Osaka............................................................................................................................4,412yen
Umeda .....................................................................................................................................6,582yen

Kita Ward

Image courtesy of Osaka Ports and Harbors Bureau

2,228,300

Avg. business area ofﬁce rent (mth/m2)

Yodogawa Ward

Source: Osaka Ports and Harbors Bureau “PORTs of OSAKA 2024”

48.2

Sources:*1. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, “2023 Todoufuken Chika Chosa (Prefectural Governments' Land Price Surveys) ”*2. CBRE K.K., “Japan Ofﬁce MarketView Q1 2024”*3. CBRE K.K., “Japan Logistics MarketView Q1 2024”*4. CBRE K.K., “Japan Retail MarketView Q1 2024”*5. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “2023 Basic Survey on Wage Structure”

Shin-Osaka 4,412 yen*Some routes overlap.

1

Index (Tokyo = 100)

Sendai

6：00
1:10

Tokyo

Osaka

Business costs in Osaka

Nakanoshima 5,973 yen

Nakanoshima ......................................................................................................................5,973yen
Hommachi ............................................................................................................................4,330yen

Source: CBRE K.K., “Japan Ofﬁce MarketView Q1 2024”

Chuo Ward

Hommachi 4,330 yen

2Osaka’s Excellent Infrastructure and Business Environment

Strengths in life science and new energy

Large talent pool
In Osaka Prefecture, approximately 60,000 students graduate
and enter the workforce each year from 58 universities, 21 juniorcolleges, 1 technical college, and 108 medical-related vocational
colleges.

One of the largest concentrations ofcompanies in Japan138 establishments#2 in Japan

Main international schools in Osaka City

Osaka Pref.

Medical manufacturers

203 establishments#3 in Japan● Osaka YMCA International School
Nakanoshima Qross

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,“2021 Economic Census for Business Activity”

Approx.

● Umeda International School● Osaka Chinese School

Our life science clusters and comprehensive support systems
Local companies include:

Takeda Pharmaceutical
Company Limited
Shionogi & Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.
Mitsubishi Tanabe
Pharma Corporation

Junior colleges

Osaka Pref.

Drugmakers

Life Science

21

58

Universities• Regenerative medicine hub: Nakanoshima Qross• Consultations on commercializing medical supplies and devices: PMDA Kansai Branch• Integrated support for medical device businesses: Medical Device Industry Forum• Hub for drug discovery, medical devices,
regenerative medicine, etc.: Northern Osaka (Saito, etc.) area
• Medical clusters: Northern Osaka Health and Biomedical Innovation Town (NohBIT)Approx.

● Abroad International School Osaka

graduate and ﬁnd jobs each year

30,000● One World International School Osakainternational students

Osaka Pref. has the second-mostinternational students in Japan

1

Technical college#2
Rankings that show Osaka’s strong potential

Battery-related companies
clustered in Kansai

Osaka Pref.

#1 in Japan

Location

Establishments

Osaka Pref.

29
(12)
22
9
29
4

(Osaka City, Osaka Pref.)Kyoto Pref.
Shiga Pref.
Hyogo Pref.
Wakayama Pref.

Attention from the world

60,000 students#9in the world

#1

108

Medical vocational
colleges

Source: “Basic School Survey” for FY 2023 by the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology;“Osaka School Statistics (Basic School Survey) for FY 2023” by the Osaka
Prefectural Government;“International Student Enrollment Status Survey Results March 2023” by
Independent Administrative Institution Japan Student Services Organization“The world’s most liveable cities”(2024 Economist Intelligence Unit survey of 173 cities worldwide)in Japan#18“World Airport Awards” [Kansai Int’l Airport](2024 Skytrax survey of 550+ airports worldwide)

National Laboratory for Advanced Energy Storage Technologies (NLAB)

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications,“2021 Economic Census for Business Activity”

Batteries and New Energy

Our comprehensive support systems#1• One of the world’s largest testing facilities for large storage battery systems:
National Laboratory for Advanced Energy Storage Technologies (NLAB)• Support for carbon neutral technologies and business:
Osaka Carbon Neutral Business Network• Support for battery demonstration testing:Osaka’s economic indicators
lead Japan#2

Per capita income in Osaka City 3.74 mil yen (FY2020)(#1 among 20 ordinance-designated cities in Japan)

Business establishments in Osaka City 227,520 (2021)(#2 among Tokyo’s 23 wards and ordinance-designated cities in Japan)

Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology• International battery assessment organization:
TÜV Rheinland Japan Ltd. Kansai Technology Assessment Center (KTAC; Germany)

Local companies include:

3

Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd. (automotive lithium-ion battery plant in Suminoe Ward, Osaka City)
Iwatani Corporation (leading hydrogen fuel cell company in Chuo Ward, Osaka City)
Espec Corp. (rechargeable battery plant in Kita Ward, Osaka City)
Yashima Dengyo Co., Ltd. (lithium battery developer in Higashinari Ward, Osaka City)

New corporations in Osaka Prefecture 11,357 (2023)#2(#2 in Japan)#3(#3 in Japan)

Net migration to/from Osaka City 9,103 (2022)

4

2 Osaka’s Plentiful Business Opportunities
Hosting Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai● Concept● Dates

The City of Osaka and Osaka Prefecture will exhibit the
Osaka Healthcare Pavilion Nest for Reborn to show Osaka’s
future potential.

People’s Living Lab

April 13 – October 13, 2025
Visitors

Theme REBORN

Yumeshima Island,
Konohana Ward, Osaka City

Carbon neutrality

5G networks, other digital tech

Next-gen mobility such as ﬂying cars

Grand Green Osaka Project
The Umekita Phase 2 Development Area under development on the north side of JR
Osaka Station will show people in the Kansai region, throughout Japan, and abroad avibrant and creative life model, Osaka MIDORI LIFE, by creating a dynamic urban spacethat blends in with greenery, facilities that kick off innovation, and a setting andframework for citizens and companies to take on new challenges.

Osaka MIDORI LIFE

Osaka as backup location for head office functions
Osaka has potential as a backup location for head ofﬁce functions, offering convenienttransportation, a large business region, and readily available talent, in addition to lessrisk of simultaneous disasters compared to the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Many companies have chosen Osaka as their backup location. Osaka is ideal forstrengthening emergency response capabilities as well as developing business innormal times.
Why do you need a backup ofﬁce?
Companies across a wide range ofindustries have chosen Osaka.
View examples ofcompanies already inOsaka at this website.
(Japanese)

5

Future of medical care

Japan is prone to many disasters due to its
geographical and natural characteristics. Even theTokyo metropolitan area faces risks from major
earthquakes or volcanic eruptions of Mt. Fuji.
Keeping head ofﬁce functions running not only
minimizes damage, but also leads to enterprisegrowth by maintaining and improving corporate
value and earning trust.

Future entertainment

schedule

PROJECT

Global Innovation Forum(GIF)

Hack Osaka

The City of Osaka hosts thisinternational innovation
conference that creates
opportunities to connect playersof Osaka, Kansai with aworldwide network throughglobal interaction.

Future of food

3

PROJECT

Osaka Innovation Hub(OIH)

Image courtesy of EXPO 2025 Osaka Pavilion Association

Examples of technology andsystems fordemonstration/implementation

2

PROJECT

This center of innovation opened in
Osaka’s Umekita area in 2013. With itstheme “From Osaka to the world,” OIH
hosts events to help create and scale
up new businesses, shapes business
communities, and supports businesscreation.

Site

28.2 million (est.)

1

PR
O

Event overview

Designing Future Society for Our Lives

Theme

The Japanese government selected Osaka as a global city. Looking ahead to hosting Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai and creating a smart city, companies,
universities, and government are partnering to produce globally successful startup ﬁrms and create a globally competitive startup ecosystem. Thiseffort is concentrated in the Umekita area and its accumulated resources for producing innovation.

JE
CT

The Expo will drive economic growth in Osaka and Kansai. The Expo venue will showcase the future of society and demonstrate the world’s mostadvanced technologies and social systems.

Forming a startup ecosystem city to create innovation

The Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI)and the Osaka Business and Investment Center (O-BIC)
hold this international startup
exhibition and business
conference with a focus onmatching that leads tobusiness creation for Japanesecompanies.

Business creation support for enterprises with advanced tech

Opening Schedule

September 2024

Some facilities open

Spring 2025

South building open

Spring 2027

Opening all park areas

FY2027Full opening

SUPPORT

1

SUPPORT

Concept Demonstration Promotion
Team Osaka (Osaka Pref., Osaka City, OCCI)TEQS, support center for businessusing advanced techLocal governments and economic organizations in Osaka
collaborate to support pilot projects with advanced
technology, whether by startups or major companies.

● Incubation facilities● Provide/refer testing ﬁelds

Most major companies headquartered in Tokyo thinkof Osaka Prefecture2● Refer testing support services● Acceleration program● Support for IoT and robot

demonstration tests● 5G open lab● Support public relations activities

at the time of demonstration tests

Dental technicians test XR’s feasibility in a 5G network.

Areas considered temporary backup locations(From survey results)

Kansai

Kanto

Outside Osaka Pref.
6.9％

Outside Tokyo
24.1％

Osaka Pref.
37.9％

18.6％

Tokyo

<Survey Summary>
Survey period: July 14 - July 31,2023
Survey method: questionnaires mailed by post; collected via online system, email, or post
Survey target: companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (2,048)
Valid responses: 145 (7.1%)

Seeking to become the Global Financial City OSAKA
Osaka Prefecture, the City of Osaka, economic circles and various other organizations are united in a
public-private effort to utilize Osaka’s strengths and potential to make Osaka into a global ﬁnancial city with
distinctive traits and functions. Strengthening the ﬁnancial functions that are the lifeblood of the economy toattract domestic and foreign investment and create a new pillar for economic growth in Osaka and the Kansai
region to promote further prosperity and development. In addition to providing preferential tax beneﬁts andsubsidies directed at foreign ﬁnancial ﬁrms seeking to enter Osaka, we are pursuing efforts to deregulate thearea as a special zone for ﬁnance and asset management.

Global Financial
City OSAKA

Osaka Global Financial
One-Stop Support Center

6

3 Osaka’s
CRUST JAPAN K.K.

Diverse Expanding Companies
Business Overview
Professional services (foodtech company upcycling food loss)
Reason for choosing Osaka City
“Our representative in Japan was operating his own business in Osaka, and when we
considered the size and convenience of the city and the fact that Osaka will host the Expo,
we naturally gravitated here. Being at the center of the economy, Osaka has lots of inboundtourism, and the political, business, and cultural communities are teaming up to host Expo
2025 Osaka, Kansai and make it a success. So, the city has the energy that creates maximum
synergy for a startup like us.”
Support from Osaka City
• Referrals to legal and labor specialists• Business matching• Help with PR on website

Business Overview
Electrical machinery and appliances manufacturing (sales, technical development, groupsupervision for the Aqua and Haier brands in Japan)

Support from Osaka City
• Help with PR on website
HP▶ https://haier.co.jp/en/

Business Overview
Professional services (prevention of complications arising from diabetes)
Reason for choosing Osaka City
”We initiated a project to help prevent foot amputations resulting from diabetes in responseto needs presented by Malaysia. The project included establishing a base in Osaka tofacilitate assistance for specialized businesses, in Japan and overseas, from JETRO Osaka, theOsaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, IBPC Osaka, and other organizations. Osaka has
a strong sense of community and humanity where people come together and support one
another.”
Support from Osaka City
• Help with PR on website• Business matching• Support for international business expansion

Hiroshi Ikeda, Representative Director

HP▶ https://enter-force.co.jp/ (Japanese)

7

Jingguo Du, CEO

Reasons for choosing Osaka City
“We chose Osaka because we were building a partnership with Sanyo Electric and their
headquarters was here at the time. Osaka is a modern city with an environment that’s easy
for people from any country to live in. The IoT age, when all sorts of things in our lives areconnected over the internet, is coming, so we want to take advantage of the Osaka, Kansai
Expo to accelerate IoT development in Osaka and elsewhere in the Kansai economy.”HP▶ https://www.crust-group.com/sg

ENTER FORCE Co., Ltd.

Haier Group Japan Region

Second Heart Inc.

Vertex Co., Ltd.

Yukihiro Ishida, CEO

Yuji Kajio, Representative Director

HP▶ https://www.secondheart.co.jp/enHP▶ https://vertex-c.co.jp/ (Japanese)

Business Overview
Real estate (provides services ranging from consulting to referrals, management, andremodeling [many things involving real estate])
Reasons for choosing Osaka City
“After Kanto, we have the most customers in Kansai. We chose Osaka for our Kansai location
because it would be easier to provide support to customers living in Kansai. Consideringthat there are many customers in Osaka and that it’s easy to get to big cities like Kobe andKyoto, we chose Osaka for our Kansai location. Osaka is attractive for business because of
the large population and good access to other big cities.”
Support from Osaka City
• Subsidy for locating head ofﬁce functions• Information on incentive programs• Business Support Ofﬁce (BSO)

Business Overview
Entertainment (runs pro esports team ENTER FORCE.36, manages players)

Business Overview
IT services (Agentic AI for Hyper Transformation)

Reason for choosing Osaka City
“The most important thing about running a pro esports team is a close connection with thecity. The city’s people, companies, government, and public-private cooperation are essential
to providing the dream of sports. Meanwhile, it’s important for the players who lead lives in
a competitive environment to have somewhere they can have fun and relax. Osaka’s
economy is a good size and does well keeping up with fast-changing trends. The people areenergetic and lively. There are sightseeing spots and good access to nearby cities. There arealso good business opportunities and lots of entertainment. That’s our impression. Osakalets us do esports like nowhere else.”

Reasons for choosing Osaka City
“Both Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City are proactive in attracting overseas companies andprovide a wide range of support necessary for overseas companies to expand into the city.“

Support from Osaka City
• Business matching• Help with PR on website

BOTMIND K.K.
Muthuvelan T, Representative

Support from Osaka City
• Business matching• Information on real estate propertyHP▶https://promantusinc.com/

8

4 Osaka’sComprehensive Support for Expansion
Incentives available for expansion in Osaka City

Support Menu for Expansion into Osaka City

Support

01

02

Expert referrals(legal, taxes, labor, hiring, etc.)

03Free rental ofﬁces

04

Information on properties(ofﬁces, factories, etc.)

Business matchingassistance

Entrance

Free rental office: Business Support Office (BSO)
BSO Overview
Rental ofﬁces available for a limited time to prepare yourexpansion into Osaka City.

Private room

Shared ofﬁce

BSO Advantages
Merit

1

Can prepare your expansion with market research and job interviews.

Merit

2

Can hold down initial investments with free rooms.

Merit

3

Can use the address to establish a Japanese subsidiary.

4

Full communications equipment so you can begin
working the day you move in.

5

PORT (free ofﬁce lounge) and everything you need inATC's surrounding area: ATMs, post ofﬁce, restaurants,
etc.

Merit

Merit

Who has used the BSO?

More than 190 companies and organizations have used the BSO
since its opening in 2004.

PORT (6F, ITM, ATC Bldg.)

Address
4F, ITM, ATC Bldg., 2-1-10 Nankokita, Suminoe-ku, Osaka
Available to
A Japanese or foreign company or a foreign government
agency with a plan to expand or further invest in Osaka City,
such as by opening an ofﬁce
Availability duration
Max 6 months (renewable in 2-month increments)
Fees
Free rooms (Users pay telephone/fax communication fees)
Deposit50,000 yen for a private room,
20,000 yen for the shared ofﬁce

Subsidy programs

Subsidy ratio/limit (1US$=160JPY)

Subsidy for locating headofﬁce functions

Enterprises locating a new ofﬁce with head ofﬁcefunctions in Osaka City

Subsidy of up to 50% of building rent, up to 1 million yen(6,250US$)/month
Subsidy available for 24 months

Regional tax breaks

Advanced businesses in new energy and/or life
science and businesses to support themRate on below regional taxes: as low as 0% for 5 years + as low as 50% for 5 years
Municipal tax: corporate municipal tax, ﬁxed asset tax, ofﬁce tax, city planning tax
Prefectural tax: corporate prefectural tax, corporate enterprise tax, real estate acquisition tax

Subsidy for promoting
prefectural investment

SMEs building or remodeling R&D facilities

5% of the costs for premises, machinery and equipment, etc. (10%for companies that have their head ofﬁces, factories or research anddevelopment facilities in the Prefecture) will be subsidized (up to 30
million yen / 187,500US$)

life science and new energy

Subsidy for businessstart-up of foreign-capitalenterprise

Foreign companies, etc., which have their ofﬁceswith headquarters functions in Osaka Prefecture

If acquiring a building: 5% subsidy of expenses for the building,machinery, etc. (up to 100 million yen / 625,000US$)
If renting a building: subsidy of one-third of rent, etc. (for 24 months)(up to 60 million yen / 375,000US$)

Tax system for stronger
regional locations(relocation)

Companies relocating head ofﬁce functions to
Osaka City from Tokyo’s 23 wards

Ofﬁce tax cut: 25% special depreciation or 7% tax exemption for the
price of obtaining a special business facility
Hiring tax incentive: tax exemptions according to the number of
employees hired at a special business facility

O-BIC Support Program for
Foreign Companies

Foreign companies that have established a mainofﬁce or branch ofﬁce in Osaka Prefecture

Expenses for obtaining registration: up to 100,000 yen (625US$)

Subsidy Program for
Foreign Financial
companies, etc.,
Establishing a Base in
Osaka City

Foreign ﬁnancial companies, etc., to establish a
new business location in Osaka City

Preliminary Survey: Up to 1.1 million yen (6,875US$) for ofﬁce
leases and initial expenses related to leasing anofﬁce space.
Base Establishment: Half of the total amount (max. 10 million yen /62,500US$) of ofﬁce lease payments and initialexpenses related to leasing an ofﬁce space,furniture ﬁxtures and equipment purchases, andrecruitment expenses.

Local Tax Reduction
System for Overseas
Financial Corporations

Foreign ﬁnancial ﬁrms engaged in asset
management that are setting up business inJapan or Osaka City for the ﬁrst time

Up to 100% reduction of regional taxes (corporate inhabitant tax(corporate prefectural tax, corporate municipal tax) and corporate
enterprise tax) for up to 10 years.

Cooperation with main agencies/organizations supporting companies expanding to Osaka
Osaka Business andInvestment Center（O-BIC）
Support for foreign companies
expanding to Osaka

9

Eligibility

For incentive details and how to apply▶▶▶

Osaka Business
Development Agency
Support for Osaka SMEs
and entrepreneurs

Japan External Trade
Organization(JETRO)
National agency encouraging
trade and investment

Osaka Innovation Hub(OIH)
Center for creating innovationin Osaka City

10