Osaka

Osaka(Japanese:大阪市,Hepburn:Ōsaka-shi,pronounced[oːsakaɕi]; commonly just大阪,Ōsaka[oːsaka])is adesignated cityin theKansai regionofHonshuinJapan. It is the capital of and most populous city inOsaka Prefecture, and thethird-most populous cityin Japan, following thespecial wards of TokyoandYokohama. With a population of 2.7 million in the 2020 census, it is also the largest component of theKeihanshin Metropolitan Area, which is thesecond-largest metropolitan area in Japanand the 10th-largest urban areain the world with more than 19 million inhabitants.
Ōsaka was traditionally considered Japan's economic hub. By theKofun period(300–538) it had developed into an important regional port, and in the 7th and 8th centuries, it served briefly as the imperial capital. Osaka continued to flourish during theEdo period(1603–1867) and became known as a center of Japanese culture. Following theMeiji Restoration, Osaka greatly expanded in size and underwent rapid industrialization. In 1889, Osaka was officially established as a municipality. The construction boom accelerated population growth throughout the following decades, and by the 1900s, Osaka was the industrial hub in theMeijiandTaishōperiods. Osaka made noted contributions to redevelopment, urban planning and zoning standards in the postwar period, and the city developed rapidly as one of the major financial centers in the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area.
Osaka is a major financial center of Japan, and it is recognized as one of the mostmulticulturalandcosmopolitancities in Japan. The city is home to theOsaka Exchangeas well as the headquarters of multinationalelectronicscorporations such asPanasonicandSharp. Osaka is an international center of research and development and is represented by several major universities, notablyOsaka University,Osaka Metropolitan University, andKansai University. Famous landmarks in the city includeOsaka Castle,Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan,Dōtonbori,TsūtenkakuinShinsekai,Tennōji Park,Abeno Harukas,Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine, andShitennō-ji, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Japan.
Ōsakameans "large hill" or "large slope". It is unclear when this name gained prominence over Naniwa, but the oldest written evidence for the name dates back to 1496.
By theEdo period,大坂(Ōsaka) and大阪(Ōsaka) were mixed use, and the writerHamamatsu Utakuni[ja], in his bookSetsuyo Ochiboshupublished in 1808, states that thekanji坂was abhorred because it means "returns to the earth," and thus阪was used. The kanji土(earth) is also similar to the word士(knight), and反means against, so坂can be understood as "samurai rebellion."阪was the official name in 1868 after theMeiji Restoration. The older kanji (坂) is still in very limited use, usually only in historical contexts. As an abbreviation, the modern kanji阪hanrefers to Osaka City orOsaka Prefecture.
During theJōmon period(7,000 BCE), present-day Osaka was mostly submerged, and theUemachi Plateau(上町台地,Uemachi Daichi)formed a 12 km long and 2.5 km wide peninsula separatingKawachi Bayfrom theSeto Inland Sea.It is considered one of the first places where inhabitants of Japan settled, both for the favorable geological conditions, rich in fresh water and lush vegetation, and because its position was defensible against military attack.
The earliest evidence of settlements in the Osaka area are the Morinomiya ruins(森ノ宮遺跡,Morinomiya iseki)which is located in the centralChuo-kudistrict.Buried human skeletons and a kaizuka (a mound containing remains), were found as well as shell mounds, oysters, and other interesting archeological discoveries from the Jomon period.In addition to the remains of consumed food, there were arrow heads, stone tools, fishing hooks and crockery with remains from rice processing. It is estimated that the ruins contain 2,000-year-old debris between theJomonandYayoi period. The findings of the archeological sites are exhibited in an adjacent building.
In the years between the end of the Jōmon period and the beginning of the Yayoi period, the sediments that were deposited north of the Uemachi peninsula / plateau transformed Kawachi Bay into a lagoon.During theYayoi period(300 BCE-250 CE), permanent habitation on the plains grew as rice farming became popular.
At the beginning of the third century CE the grand shrine ofSumiyoshi-taishawas inaugurated near the harbor, commissioned by consortEmpress Jingū. ThisShintoshrine structure survived historical events,which inaugurated a new style in the construction of Shinto shrines, calledSumiyoshi-zukuri.The maritime panorama enjoyed from the shrine gardens inspired several artists, and nowadays the representations of that type of landscape are calledSumiyoshi drawings.
Towards the end of the Yayoi period the Uemachi plateau-peninsula expanded further, transforming the Kawachi Lagoon into a lake (河内湖) connected to the mouth of theYodo River, which had widened to the south.
By theKofun period, Osaka developed into a hub port connecting the region to the western part of Japan. The port of Naniwa-tsu was established and became the most important in Japan.Trade with other areas of the country and theAsian continentintensified.The large numbers of increasingly larger keyhole-shapedKofunmounds found in the plains of Osaka are evidence of political-power concentration, leading to the formation of a state.The findings in the neighboring plains, including the mausoleum ofEmperor Nintokuwas discovered nearby inSakaitestify to the status of imperial city that Osaka had reached. Four of these mounds can be seen in Osaka, in which important members of the nobility are buried. They are located in the southern districts of the city and date back to the 5th century.A group of megalithic tombs calledMozu Tombsare located inSakai, Osaka Prefecture.
Important works of the Kofun period is the excavation that diverted the course of theYamato River, whose floods caused extensive damage, and the construction of important roads in the direction ofSakaiandNara.Maritime traffic connected to the port of Naniwa-tsu increased in such a way that huge warehouses were built to stow material arriving and departing.
TheKojikirecords that during 390–430 CE, there was an imperial palace located at Osumi, in what is present dayHigashiyodogawa ward, but it may have been a secondary imperial residence rather than a capital.
In 645,Emperor Kōtokubuilt hisNaniwa Nagara-Toyosaki Palacein what is now Osaka,making it the capital of Japan. The city now known as Osaka was at this time referred to as Naniwa (written as浪華or浪花) and this name and derivations of it are still in use for districts in central Osaka such asNaniwa(浪速) andNamba(難波). Although the capital was moved toAsuka(inNara Prefecturetoday) in 655, Naniwa remained a vital connection, by land and sea, betweenYamato(modern dayNara Prefecture),Korea, andChina.
Naniwa was declared the capital again in 744 by order ofEmperor Shōmu, and remained so until 745, when the Imperial Court moved back toHeijō-kyō(nowNara). By the end of the Nara period, Naniwa's seaport roles had been gradually taken over by neighboring areas, but it remained a lively center of river, channel, and land transportation betweenHeian-kyō(Kyoto today) and other destinations.Sumiyoshi TaishaGrand Shrine was founded by Tamomi no Sukune in 211 CE.Shitennō-jiwas first built in 593 CE and is the oldestBuddhisttemple in Japan.
In 1496,Jōdo ShinshūBuddhistsestablished their headquarters in the heavily fortifiedIshiyama Hongan-ji, located directly on the site of the old Naniwa Imperial Palace.Oda Nobunagabegan a decade-long siege campaign on the temple in 1570 which ultimately resulted in the surrender of the monks and subsequent razing of the temple.Toyotomi HideyoshiconstructedOsaka Castlein its place in 1583.Osaka Castle played a pivotal role in theSiege of Osaka(1614–1615)
Osaka was long considered Japan's primary economic center,with a large percentage of the population belonging to the merchant class (seeFour divisions of society). Over the course of theEdo period(1603–1867), Osaka grew into one of Japan's major cities and returned to its ancient role as a lively and important port.Daimyōs(feudal lords) received most of their income in the form ofrice.Merchantsin Osaka thus began to organizestorehouseswhere they would store adaimyō's rice in exchange for a fee, trading it for either coin or a form of receipt; essentially a precursor topaper money. Many if not all of theserice brokersalso made loans, and would actually become quite wealthy and powerful. Osaka merchants coalesced their shops aroundDōjima, where theRice Exchangewas established in 1697 and where the world's firstfuturesmarket would come to exist to sell rice that was not yet harvested.
The popular culture of Osakawas closely related toukiyo-edepictions of life inEdo. By 1780, Osaka had cultivated a vibrant arts culture, as typified by its famousKabukiandBunrakutheaters.In 1837,Ōshio Heihachirō, a low-rankingsamurai, led a peasant insurrection in response to the city's unwillingness to support the many poor and suffering families in the area. Approximately one-quarter of the city was razed before shogunal officials put down the rebellion, after which Ōshio killed himself.Osaka was opened to foreign trade by the government of theBakufuat the same time asHyogo Town(modernKobe) on January 1, 1868, just before the advent of theBoshin Warand theMeiji Restoration.TheKawaguchi foreign settlement, now the Kawaguchi subdistrict, is a legacy of the foreign presence in Osaka.
Osaka residents were stereotyped in Edo literature from at least the 18th century.Jippensha Ikkuin 1802 depicted Osakans as stingy almost beyond belief. In 1809, the derogatory term "Kamigata zeeroku" was used by Edo residents to characterize inhabitants of the Osaka region in terms of calculation, shrewdness, lack of civic spirit, and the vulgarity of Osaka dialect. Edo writers aspired to samurai culture, and saw themselves as poor but generous, chaste, and public spirited. Edo writers by contrast saw "zeeroku" as obsequious apprentices, stingy, greedy, gluttonous, and lewd. To some degree, Osaka residents are still stigmatized by Tokyo observers in the same way today, especially in terms of gluttony, evidenced in the phrase, "Residents of Osaka devour their food until they collapse"(大阪は食倒れ,"Ōsaka wa kuidaore").
With the enormous changes that characterized the country after theMeiji Restoration(1868), and the relocation of the capital fromKyototoTokyo, Osaka entered a period of decline. From being the capital of the economy and finance, it became a predominantly industrial center.The modern municipality was establishedin 1889 bygovernment ordinance, with an initial area of 15 square kilometres (6 sq mi), overlapping today'sChuoandNishiwards. Later, the city went through three major expansions to reach its current size of 223 square kilometres (86 sq mi). Osaka was the industrial center most clearly defined in the development of capitalism in Japan. It became known as the "ManchesterandMelbourneof the Orient".In 1925, it was the largest and most populous city in Japan and sixth in the world.
The rapid industrialization attracted many Asian immigrants (Indians, Chinese, and Koreans), who set up a life apart for themselves.The political system was pluralistic, with a strong emphasis on promoting industrialization and modernization.Literacy was high and the educational system expanded rapidly, producing a middle class with a taste for literature and a willingness to support the arts.In 1927,General Motorsoperated a factory calledOsaka Assemblyuntil 1941, manufacturingChevrolet,Cadillac,Pontiac,Oldsmobile, andBuickvehicles, operated and staffed by Japanese workers and managers.In the nearby city ofIkedain Osaka Prefecture is the headquarters ofDaihatsu, one of Japan's oldest automobile manufacturers.
Like its European and American counterparts, Osaka displayed slums, unemployment, and poverty. In Japan it was here that municipal government first introduced a comprehensive system of poverty relief, copied in part from British models. Osaka policymakers stressed the importance of family formation and mutual assistance as the best way to combat poverty. This minimized the cost of welfare programs.
DuringWorld War II,Osaka came under air raidsin 1945 by theUnited States Army Air Forcesas part of theair raids on Japan. On March 13, 1945, a total of 329Boeing B-29 Superfortressheavy bomberstook part in the raid against Osaka. According to an Americanprisoner of warwho was held in the city, the air raid took almost the entire night and destroyed 25 square miles (65 km) of the city. The U.S. bombed the city again twice in June 1945 and again on August 14, a day beforeJapan's surrender.
In the decades after World War II, the reconstruction plan and the industriousness of its inhabitants ensured Osaka even greater prosperity than it had before the war. Osaka's population regrew to more than three million in the 1960s when large-scale prefectural suburbanization began and doubled to six million by the 1990s. The factories were rebuilt and trade revived, the city were developed rapidly it became a major multicultural and financial center in the postwar periodbetween the 1950s and the 1980s, it is known as the "ChicagoandTorontoof the Orient".Osaka Prefecture was chosen as the venue for the prestigiousExpo '70, the firstworld's fairever held in an Asian country. Since then, numerous international events have been held in Osaka, including the 1995APEC Summit.
The modern municipality, which when it was established in 1889 occupied an area of just 15 kmincluding the districts of Chūō and Nishi, following three successive expansions has reached an area of 222 km. It was one of the first cities in Japan to obtaindesignated citystatus in 1956.
The plan to reorganize Osaka and its province into a metropolis like Tokyo met with stiff opposition in some municipalities, particularly the highly populatedSakai. Hethen fell back on a project that included the suppression of the 24 wards of Osaka, thus dividing the city into 5 new special districts with a status similar to that of the 23Special wards of Tokyo. It was introduced by former mayorTōru Hashimoto, leader of the reform partyOsaka Restoration Associationwhich he founded. The referendum of May 17, 2015 called in Osaka for the approval of this project saw the narrow victory of no, and consequently Hashimoto announced his withdrawal from politics.A second referendum for a merger into 4 semi-autonomous wards was narrowly voted down by 692,996 (50.6%).
According to theForbeslist ofThe World's Most Expensive Places To Live 2009, Osaka was the second most expensive in the world afterTokyo.By 2020 it slipped to 5th rank of most expensive cities.
On 7 March 2014, the 300-metre tallAbeno Harukasopened, which became the tallest building in Japan (surpassing theYokohama Landmark TowerinYokohama), until it was in turn surpassed by the 330-metre tallAzabudai Hills Main TowerinTokyofollowing its completion in 2022.
TheExpo 2025will be held atYumeshimaIsland,Konohana-ku, it became the third city since hostedExpo 1970and1990; the third in Japan since Expo '70 andExpo 2005inAichi Prefecture. The event will return to its traditional 5-year scheduling cycle after theExpo 2020inDubaiwas delayed to 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.The projected visitor count is approximately 28 million.
MGM Resortswill begin construction of MGM Osaka in April 2025. MGM Osaka will be the firstintegrated resortin Japan. It will include 2,300 hotel rooms, a casino, shopping and dining options, convention space and a 3,500 seat theatre.
The city's west side is open toOsaka Bay, and is otherwise completely surrounded by more than ten satellite cities, all of them inOsaka Prefecture, with one exception: the city ofAmagasaki, belonging toHyōgo Prefecture, in the northwest. The city occupies a larger area (about 13%) than any other city or village within Osaka Prefecture. When the city was established in 1889, it occupied roughly the area known today as the Chuo and Nishi wards, only 15.27 square kilometres (6 sq mi) that would eventually grow into today's 222.30 square kilometres (86 sq mi) via incremental expansions, the largest of which being a single 126.01-square-kilometre (49 sq mi) expansion in 1925. Osaka's highest point is 37.5 metres (123.0 ft) Tokyo Peil inTsurumi-ku, and the lowest point is inNishiyodogawa-kuat −2.2 metres (−7.2 ft) Tokyo Peil.Osaka has alatitudeof 34.67 (near the35th parallel north), which makes it more southern thanRome(41.90),Madrid(40.41),San Francisco(37.77) andSeoul(37.53).
Osaka is located in thehumid subtropical climatezone (KöppenCfa), with four distinct seasons. Its winters are generally mild, with January being the coldest month having an average high of 9.7 °C (49 °F). The city rarely sees snowfall during the winter. Spring in Osaka starts off mild, but ends up being hot and humid. It also tends to be Osaka's wettest season, with thetsuyu(梅雨,tsuyu, "plum rain")—the rainy season—occurring between early June and late July. The average starting and ending dates of the rainy season are June 7 and July 21 respectively.Summers are very hot and humid. In August, the hottest month, the average daily high temperature reaches 33.7 °C (93 °F), while average nighttime low temperatures typically hover around 25.8 °C (78 °F). Fall in Osaka sees a cooling trend, with the early part of the season resembling summer while the latter part of fall resembles winter. Precipitation is abundant, with winter being the driest season, while monthly rainfall peaks in June with the "tsuyu" rainy season, which typically ends in mid to late July. From late July through the end of August, summer's heat and humidity peaks, and rainfall decreases somewhat. Osaka experiences a second rainy period in September and early October, when tropical weather systems, including typhoons, coming from the south or southwest are possible.
Osaka's sprawling cityscape has been described as "only surpassed by Tokyo as a showcase of the Japanese urban phenomenon".
Central Osaka is roughly divided into downtown and uptown areas known asKita(キタ, "north")andMinami(ミナミ, "south").
Kita is home to theUmedadistrict and its immediate surrounding neighborhoods, a major business and retail hub that plays host toOsaka Station Cityand a large subterranean network of shopping arcades.Kita and nearbyNakanoshimacontain a prominent portion of the city's skyscrapers and are often featured in photographs of Osaka's skyline.
Minami, though meaning "south", is essentially in Chūō Ward(中央区,Chūō-ku)and geographically central within the city.Well known districts here includeNambaandShinsaibashishopping areas, theDōtonboricanal entertainment area,NipponbashiDen Den Town, as well as arts and fashion culture-oriented areas such asAmerikamuraand Horie. The 300-meter tallAbeno Harukaswas the tallest skyscraper in the country from 2014 until 2023.
The business districts between Kita and Minami such asHonmachi[ja]andYodoyabashi[ja], calledSemba(船場), house the regional headquarters of many large-scale banks and corporations. TheMidōsujiboulevard runs through Semba and connects Kita and Minami.
Further south of Minami are neighborhoods such asShinsekai(with itsTsūtenkakutower),TennojiandAbeno(withTennoji Zoo,Shitennō-jiandAbeno Harukas), and theKamagasakislums, the largest slum in Japan.
The city's west side is a prominentbay areawhich serves as its main port as well as a tourist destination with attractions such asKyocera Dome,Universal Studios Japanand theTempozan Harbor Village.Higashiosakais zoned as a separate city, although the east side of Osaka city proper contains numerous residential neighborhoods includingTsuruhashiKoreaTown, as well as theOsaka Castle Park,Osaka Business Parkand the hubKyōbashi Station.
Osaka contains numerous urban canals and bridges, many of which serve as the namesake for their surrounding neighborhoods.The phrase "808 bridges of Naniwa" was an expression in old Japan used to indicate impressiveness and the "uncountable". Osaka numbered roughly 200 bridges by the Edo periodand 1,629 bridges by 1925. As many of the city's canals were gradually filled in, the number dropped to 872, of which 760 are currently managed by Osaka City.
There are currently 24wardsin Osaka:
Population numbers have been recorded in Osaka since as early as 1873, in the earlyMeiji era.According to the census in 2005, there were 2,628,811 residents in Osaka, an increase of 30,037 or 1.2% from 2000.There were 1,280,325 households with approximately 2.1 persons per household. The population density was 11,836 persons per km. TheGreat Kantō earthquakecaused a mass migration to Osaka between 1920 and 1930, and the city became Japan's largest city in 1930 with 2,453,573 people, outnumbering even Tokyo, which had a population of 2,070,913. The population peaked at 3,252,340 in 1940, and had a post-war peak of 3,156,222 in 1965, but has declined since, as the residents moved out to the suburbs.
There were 144,123 registered foreigners, the two largest groups being Korean (60,110) and Chinese (39,551).Ikuno, with its Tsuruhashi district, is the home to one of the largest population of Korean residents in Japan, with 20,397 registeredZainichi Koreans.
The commonly spoken dialect of this area isOsaka-ben, a typical sub-dialect ofKansai-ben. Of the many other particularities that characterize Osaka-ben, examples include using the copulayainstead ofda, and the suffix-heninstead of-naiin negative verb forms.
TheOsaka City Councilis the city's local government formed under theLocal Autonomy Law. The council has eighty-nine seats, allocated to the twenty-four wards proportional to their population and re-elected by the citizens every four years. The council elects its president and Vice President. Toshifumi Tagaya (LDP) is the current and 104th president since May 2008. The mayor of the city is directly elected by the citizens every four years as well, in accordance with the Local Autonomy Law.Tōru Hashimoto, former governor ofOsaka Prefectureis the 19th mayor of Osaka since 2011. The mayor is supported by two vice mayors, currently Akira Morishita and Takashi Kashiwagi, who are appointed by him in accordance with the city bylaw.
Osaka also houses several agencies of the Japanese government. Below is a list of governmental offices housed in Osaka.
In July 2012, a joint multi-party bill was submitted to the Diet that would allow for implementation of theOsaka Metropolis planas pursued by the mayor of Osaka city, the governor of Osaka andtheir party. If implemented, Osaka City, neighboringSakaiCity and possibly other surrounding municipalities would dissolve and be reorganized as fourspecial wardsof Osaka prefecture – similar to formerTokyo City's successor wards within Tokyo prefecture. Special wards are municipal-level administrative units that leave some otherwise municipal administrative responsibilities andrevenuesto the prefectural administration.
In October 2018, the city of Osaka officially endedits sister city relationship withSan Franciscoin the United States after the latter permitted a monument memorializing "comfort women" to remain on a city-owned property, circulating in the process a 10-page, 3,800-word letter in English addressed to San Francisco mayorLondon Breed.
On November 1, 2020, a second referendum to merge Osaka's 24 wards into 4 semi-autonomous wards was narrowly voted down. There were 692,996 (50.6%) votes against and 675,829 (49.4%) votes supported it.Osaka mayor and Osaka Ishin co-leaderIchiro Matsuisaid he would resign when his term ended in 2023.
On February 27, 2012, three Kansai cities,Kyoto, Osaka, andKobe, jointly askedKansai Electric Power Companyto break its dependence on nuclear power. In a letter to KEPCO they also requested to disclose information on the demand and supply of electricity, and for lower and stable prices. The three cities were stockholders of the plant: Osaka owned 9% of the shares, while Kobe had 3% and Kyoto 0.45%. Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka, announced a proposal to minimize the dependence on nuclear power for the shareholders meeting in June 2012.
On March 18, 2012, the city of Osaka decided as largest shareholder of Kansai Electric Power Co, that at the next shareholders-meeting in June 2012 it would demand a series of changes:
In this action, Osaka had secured the support of two other cities and shareholders:KyotoandKobe, but with their combined voting-rights of 12.5 percent they were not certain of the ultimate outcome, because for this two-thirds of the shareholders would be needed to agree to revise the corporate charter.
At a meeting held on April 10, 2012, by the "energy strategy council", formed by the city of Osaka and the governments of the prefectures, it became clear that at the end of the fiscal year 2011 some 69 employees of Kansai Electric Power Company were former public servants. "Amakudari" was the Japanese name for this practice of rewarding by hiring officials that formerly controlled and supervised the firm. Such people included the following:
Besides this, it became known that Kansai Electric had done about 600 external financial donations, to a total sum of about 1.695 billion yen:
During this meeting some 8 conditions were compiled, that needed to be fulfilled before a restart of the No.3 and No.4 reactors Oi Nuclear Power Plant:
The gross city product of Osaka in fiscal year 2004 was ¥21.3 trillion, an increase of 1.2% over the previous year. The figure accounts for about 55% of the total output in the Osaka Prefecture and 26.5% in the Kinki region. In 2004, commerce, services, and manufacturing have been the three major industries, accounting for 30%, 26%, and 11% of the total, respectively. The per capita income in the city was about ¥3.3 million, 10% higher than that of the Osaka Prefecture.MasterCardWorldwide reported that Osaka ranks 19th among the world's leading cities and plays an important role in the global economy.Osaka's GDP per capita (Nominal) was $59,958.($1=\120.13)However, by 2020, Osaka ranked as the 5th most expensive city due to flatlining consumer prices and government subsidies of public transportation.
Historically, Osaka was the center of commerce in Japan, especially in the middle and pre-modern ages.Nomura Securities, the first brokerage firm in Japan, was founded in the city in 1925, and Osaka still houses a leading futures exchange. Many major companies have since moved their main offices to Tokyo. However, several major companies, such asPanasonic,Sharp, andSanyo, are still headquartered in Osaka. Recently, the city began a program, headed by mayor Junichi Seki, to attract domestic and foreign investment.In the 2017Global Financial Centres Index, Osaka was ranked as having the 15th most competitive financial center in the world and fifth most competitive in Asia (afterSingapore,Hong Kong,Tokyo, andShanghai).
TheOsaka Securities Exchange, specializing in derivatives such asNikkei 225futures, is based in Osaka. The merger withJASDAQwill help the Osaka Securities Exchange become the largest exchange in Japan for start-up companies.
According to global consulting firm Mercer, Osaka was the secondmost expensive city for expatriate employeesin the world in 2009. It jumped up nine places from 11th place in 2008 and was the eighth most expensive city in 2007. However, it was not ranked in the top ten places of the list in 2013.TheEconomist Intelligence Unit(EIU) ranked Osaka as the second most expensive city in the world in its 2013 Cost of Living study.
Osaka is part of themetropolitan regioncalledKeihanshin(also known as Greater Osaka) in theKansai region. The Keihanshin region includes the prefectures ofOsaka,Kyoto,Hyōgo(Kobe),Nara,Shiga,Wakayama, andSakai.The Keihanshin region has a population (as of 2015) of 19,303,000 (15% of Japan's population) which covers 13,228 km(5,107 sq mi).It is ranked the second mosturban region in Japanafter theGreater Tokyo areaand 10thlargest urban area in the world.Keihanshin has a GDP of approximately $953.9 billion in 2012 (16th largest in the world).Osaka-Kobe has aGDPof $681 billion (2015), which is a bit more thanParisorGreater London.
Greater Osaka has an extensive network of railway lines, comparable to that of Greater Tokyo. Major stations within the city includeUmeda(梅田),Namba(難波),Shinsaibashi(心斎橋),Tennōji(天王寺),Kyōbashi(京橋), andYodoyabashi(淀屋橋).
Osaka connects to its surrounding cities and suburbs via theJR WestUrban Networkas well as numerous private lines such asKeihan Electric Railway,Hankyu Railway,Hanshin Electric Railway,Kintetsu Railway, andNankai Electric Railway.
TheOsaka Metrosystem alone ranks 8th in the world by annual passenger ridership, serving over 912 million people annually (a quarter of Greater Osaka Rail System's 4 billion annual riders), despite being only 8 of more than 70 lines in the metro area.
AllShinkansentrains includingNozomistop atShin-Osaka Stationand provide access to other major cities in Japan, such as Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya, Yokohama, and Tokyo.
Regular bus services are provided byOsaka City Bus, as well Hankyu, Hanshin and Kintetsu, providing a dense network covering most parts of the city.
Osaka is served by two airports situated just outside of the city,Kansai International Airport(IATA:KIX) which handles primarily international passenger flights andOsaka International Airport(IATA:ITM) which handles mostly domestic services and some international cargo flights.
Due to its geographical position, Osaka's international ferry connections are far greater than that of Tokyo, with international service to Shanghai,Tianjin, andBusanalong with domestic routes toKitakyushu,Kagoshima,MiyazakiandOkinawa.
Osaka has a large number of wholesalers and retail shops: 25,228 and 34,707 respectively in 2004, according to the city statistics.Many of them are concentrated in the wards of Chuō (10,468 shops) and Kita (6,335 shops). Types of shops vary from malls to conventionalshōtengaishopping arcades, built both above- and underground.Shōtengai are seen across Japan, and Osaka has the longest one in the country.The Tenjinbashi-suji arcade stretches from the road approaching theTenmangū shrineand continues for 2.6 km (1.6 miles) going north to south. The stores along the arcade include commodities, clothing, and catering outlets.
Other shopping areas includeDen Den Town, the electronic and manga/anime district, which is comparable to Akihabara; theUmedadistrict, which has the Hankyu Sanbangai shopping mall andYodobashi Camera, a huge electrical appliance store that offers a vast range of fashion stores, restaurants, and a Shonen Jump store.
Osaka is known for its food, in Japan and abroad. AuthorMichael Boothand food criticFrançois SimonofLe Figarohave suggested that Osaka is the food capital of the world.Osakans' love for the culinary is made apparent in the old saying "Kyotoites are financially ruined by overspending on clothing, Osakans are ruined by spending on food."Regional cuisine includesokonomiyaki(お好み焼き, pan-fried batter cake),takoyaki(たこ焼き,octopusin fried batter),udon(うどん, a noodle dish), as well as the traditionaloshizushi(押し寿司, pressed sushi), particularlybattera(バッテラ, pressed mackerel sushi).
Osaka is known for its fine sake, which is made with fresh water from the prefecture's mountains.Osaka's culinary prevalence is the result of a location that has provided access to high-quality ingredients, a high population of merchants, and proximity to the ocean and waterway trade.In recent years, Osaka has started to garner more attention from foreigners with the increased popularity of cooking and dining in popular culture.
Other shopping districts include:
One of the most famous festivals held in Osaka, theTenjin Matsuri, is held on July 24 and 25 (Osaka Tenmangū). Other festivals in Osaka include the Aizen Matsuri (June 30–July 2, Shōman-in Temple), the Sumiyoshi Matsuri (July 30–August 1,Sumiyoshi Taisha), Shōryō-e (April 22,Shitennō-ji) and Tōka-Ebisu (January 9–10, Imamiya Ebisu Jinja). The annualOsaka Asian Film Festivaltakes place in Osaka every March while the Midosuji Parade takes place in October.
TheNational Museum of Art(NMAO) is a subterranean Japanese and international art museum, housing mainly collections from the post-war era and regularly welcoming temporary exhibitions.Osaka Science Museumis in a five storied building next to the National Museum of Art, with a planetarium and anOMNIMAXtheater. TheMuseum of Oriental Ceramicsholds more than 2,000 pieces of ceramics, from China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, featuring displays of some of their Koreanceladonunder natural light.Osaka Municipal Museum of Artis insideTennōji park, housing over 8,000 pieces of Japanese and Chinese paintings and sculptures. TheOsaka Museum of History, opened in 2001, is located in a 13-story modern building providing a view ofOsaka Castle. Its exhibits cover the history of Osaka from pre-history to the present day. Osaka Museum of Natural History houses a collection related to natural history and life.
Osaka hosts four professional sport teams: one of them is theOrix Buffaloes, aNippon Professional Baseballteam, playing its home games atKyocera Dome Osaka. Another baseball team, theHanshin Tigers, although based inNishinomiya, Hyōgo, plays a part of its home games inKyocera Dome Osakaas well, when their homegroundKoshien Stadiumis occupied with the annualNational High School Baseball Championshipgames during summer season.
There are twoJ.Leagueclubs,Gamba Osaka, plays its home games atSuita City Football Stadium. Another clubCerezo Osaka, plays its home games atYanmar Stadium Nagai. The city is home toOsaka Evessa, a basketball team that plays in theB.League. Evessa has won the first three championships of the league since its establishment.Kintetsu Liners, arugby unionteam, play in theTop League. After winning promotion in 2008–09, they will again remain in the competition for the 2009–10 season. Their base is theHanazono Rugby Stadium.
TheHaru Basho(春場所, "Spring Tournament"), one of the six regular tournaments of professionalsumo, is held annually in Osaka atOsaka Prefectural Gymnasium.
Another major annual sporting event that takes place in Osaka isOsaka International Ladies Marathon. Held usually at the end of January every year, the 42.195 km (26.219-mile) race starts from Nagai Stadium, runs throughNakanoshima,MidōsujiandOsaka castlepark, and returns to the stadium. Another yearly event held at Nagai Stadium is the Osaka Gran Prix Athletics games operated by theInternational Association of Athletics Federations(IAAF) in May. The Osaka GP is the only IAAF games annually held in Japan.
Osaka made the bid for the2008 Summer Olympicsand the2008 Summer Paralympicsbut was eliminated in the first round of the vote on July 13, 2001, which awarded the game to Beijing.
Osaka was one of the host cities of the officialWomen's Volleyball World Championshipfor its1998,2006and2010editions.
Osaka is the home of the 2011 createdJapan Bandy Federationand the introduction ofbandy, in the form ofrink bandy, was made in the city.In July 2012 the first Japan Bandy Festival was organized.
Osaka serves as one of the media hubs for Japan, housing headquarters of many media-related companies. Abundant television production takes place in the city and every nationwide TV network (with the exception of TXN network) registers its secondary-key station in Osaka. All five nationwide newspaper majors also house their regional headquarters, and most local newspapers nationwide have branches in Osaka. However major film productions are uncommon in the city. Most major films are produced in nearbyKyotoor in Tokyo. TheAd Council Japanwas founded in 1971 is based in Osaka, now it is the Osaka branch.
All five major national newspapers of Japan,The Asahi Shimbun,Mainichi Shimbun,Nihon Keizai Shimbun,Sankei ShimbunandYomiuri Shimbun,have their regional headquarters in Osaka and issue their regional editions. Furthermore, Osaka houses Osaka Nichi-nichi Shimbun, its newspaper press. Other newspaper-related companies located in Osaka include the regional headquarters of FujiSankei Business i.;Houchi Shimbunsha;Nikkan Sports;Sports Nippon, and offices ofKyodo NewsJiji Press;Reuters;Bloomberg L.P.
The five TV networks are represented byAsahi Broadcasting Corporation(ANN),Kansai Telecasting Corporation(FNN),Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc. (JNN),Television Osaka, Inc. (TXN) andYomiuri Telecasting Corporation(NNN), headquartered in Osaka.NHKhas also its regional station based in the city. AM Radio services are provided by NHK as well as the ABC Radio (Asahi Broadcasting Corporation), MBS Radio (Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc.) and Radio Osaka (Osaka Broadcasting Corporation) and headquartered in the city. FM services are available from NHK,FM OSAKA,FM802andFM Cocolo, the last providing programs in multiple languages including English.
Osaka is home to many publishing companies, including Examina, Izumi Shoin, Kaihou Shuppansha, Keihanshin Elmagazine, Seibundo Shuppan, Sougensha, and Toho Shuppan.
Public elementary and junior high schools in Osaka are operated by the city of Osaka. Its supervisory organization on educational matters is Osaka City Board of Education.Likewise, public high schools are operated by theOsaka Prefectural Board of Education.
Osaka once had a large number of universities and high schools, but because of growing campuses and the need for larger area, many chose to move to the suburbs, includingOsaka University.
Historically foreign expatriates in the Kansai region preferred to live inKoberather than Osaka. As a result, until 1991 the Osaka area had no schools catering to expatriate children.Osaka International School of Kwansei Gakuin, founded in 1991, is located in nearbyMinoh,and it was the first international school in the Osaka area.TheGreat Hanshin-Awaji earthquakeof 1995 caused a decline in demand for international schools, as there were about 2,500 U.S. nationals resident in Osaka after the earthquake while the pre-earthquake number was about 5,000.American Chamber of Commerce in Japan(ACCJ) Kansai chapter president Norman Solberg stated that since 2002 the numbers of expatriates in Kansai were recovering "but the fact is there is still a persistent exodus to Tokyo."In 2001 the city of Osaka andYMCAestablished theOsaka YMCA International School.
Colleges and universities include:
"Important cultural property" (重要文化財) after the name of a facility indicates an important cultural property designated by the country.
Osaka istwinnedwith:
Osaka also cooperates with:
Osaka's business partner cities, mostly in theAsia-Pacificregion, are:
Osaka's sister ports are: