is a prefecture of Japan located in the

Kansai region The or the , lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropoli ...

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island se ...

. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north,

Nara Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayam ...

to the southeast, and

Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 () and has a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture ...

to the south.

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

is the capital and largest city of Osaka Prefecture, and the third-largest city in Japan, with other major cities including

Sakai is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the medieval era. Sakai is known for its keyhole-shaped burial mounds, or kofun, which date from the fifth century and inclu ...

Higashiōsaka is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 489,077 in 233,124 households and a population density of 7900 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The city is known as one of the industrial ci ...

, and

Hirakata file:Hirakata Park.jpg, 260px, Hirakata Park is a Cities of Japan, city in northeastern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 397,681 in 183075 households and a population density of 6100 persons per km2. The total ...

. Osaka Prefecture is the third-most-populous prefecture, but by geographic area the second-smallest; at it is the second-most

densely populated Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

, below only

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

. Osaka Prefecture is one of Japan's two " urban prefectures" using the designation ''fu'' (府) rather than the standard ''

ken Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in ...

'' for prefectures, along with Kyoto Prefecture. Osaka Prefecture forms the center of the Keihanshin metropolitan area, the second-most-populated urban region in Japan after the

Greater Tokyo area The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the ...

and one of the world's most productive regions by

GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...

History

Prior to the Meiji Restoration, the modern-day area of Osaka Prefecture was split between Kawachi, Izumi, and

Settsu is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2017, the city has an estimated population of 85,290 and a population density of 5,664 people per km². The total area is 14.88 km². Surrounding municipalities *Osaka Prefecture **Higa ...

provinces. Osaka Prefecture was created on June 21, 1868, at the very beginning of the Meiji era.The creation of Osaka prefecture took place slight earlier than many other prefectures, that had to wait for abolition of the han system in 1871. During the instigation of

Fuhanken Sanchisei The was the subnational government structure in early Meiji Japan. It lasted from the Boshin War, the start to the Meiji Restoration, in 1868 until the replacement of all remaining feudal domains ''(-han)'' with prefectures ''(-ken)'' in 1871. ...

in 1868, the prefecture received its suffix '' fu'', designating it as a prefecture. On September 1, 1956, the city of

was promoted to a

city designated by government ordinance A , also known as a or , is a Japanese city that has a population greater than 500,000 and has been designated as such by order of the Cabinet of Japan under Article 252, Section 19, of the Local Autonomy Law. Designated cities are delegate ...

and thereby divided into 24 wards.

became the second city in the prefecture to be promoted to a city designated by government ordinance on April 1, 2006, and was divided into seven wards. In 2000,

Fusae Ota is a Japanese politician, a former governor of Osaka prefecture, and the country's first female prefectural governor. Her married name is . She is affiliated to the revisionist lobby Nippon Kaigi. Overview Born in Kure, Hiroshima, she later mo ...

became Japan's first female governor when she replaced

Knock Yokoyama was a Japanese politician and comedian. Born Isamu Yamada (山田勇 ''Yamada Isamu'') in Kobe, he adopted his current stage name while directing the ''Manga Trio'' manzai troupe from 1959 to 1968. Following his comedy years, he went into the ...

, who resigned after prosecution for sexual harassment.

Tōru Hashimoto is a Japanese TV personality, politician and lawyer. He was the mayor of Osaka city and is a member of Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Osaka Restoration Association. He is one of Japan's leading right-wing conservative-populist politicians. Early ...

, previously famous as a counselor on television, was elected in 2008 at the age of 38, becoming the youngest governor in Japan. On June 18, 2018, an

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

struck the northern region of the prefecture. It killed 4 people and caused minor damage across Greater Osaka.

Proposed reorganisation

In 2010, the

Osaka Restoration Association The , also referred to as One Osaka, is a regional political party in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 2010 by then-Governor Tōru Hashimoto, its main platform is pursuing the Osaka Metropolis plan of merging the prefecture and some of its ci ...

was created with backing by Governor Tōru Hashimoto, with hopes of reforming Osaka Prefecture into the Osaka Metropolis and merging with the City of Osaka. In the 2011 local elections, the association was able to win the majority of the prefectural seats and Hashimoto was elected as mayor of Osaka. A

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

on the issue was held in 2015 and was defeated with 50.38% of voters opposed to the plan. A second referendum in 2020 was rejected by 50.6% of voters.

Geography

Osaka Prefecture neighbors the prefectures of Hyōgo and

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

in the north,

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

in the east and

Wakayama Wakayama may refer to: *Wakayama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan *Wakayama (city) Wakayama City Hall is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 351,391 in 157066 househol ...

in the south. The west is open to

Osaka Bay Osaka Bay (大阪湾 ''Ōsaka-wan'' ) is a bay in western Japan. As an eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea, it is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Kii Channel and from the neighbor western part of the Inland Sea by the Akashi Strait. ...

. The Yodo and Yamato Rivers flow through the prefecture. Prior to the construction of

Kansai International Airport Kansai International Airport ( ja, 関西国際空港, Kansai Kokusai Kūkō) commonly known as is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and ...

, Osaka was the smallest prefecture in Japan. The artificial island on which the airport was built added enough area to make it slightly larger than Kagawa Prefecture. As of 1 April 2012, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen and Meiji no Mori Minō Quasi-National Parks and Hokusetsu and Hannan-Misaki Prefectural Natural Parks.

Municipalities

Since 2005, Osaka consists of 43

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

: 33

cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

, nine

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

and one

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

. As of 2021, the 33 cities include two designated major cities, seven

core cities The Core Cities Group (also Core Cities UK) is a self-selected and self-financed collaborative advocacy group of large regional cities in the United Kingdom outside Greater London. The group was formed in 1995 and serves as a partnership of el ...

and two (transitional) special case cities (after legal abolition in 2015, to be replaced with the core city system in the 2020s).

Mergers

After the modern reactivation of districts in 1878/79, Osaka, including

which was only merged into Osaka in 1881, consisted of 5 urban districts ''(-ku)'' and 27 rural districts ''(-gun)'', excluding 15 districts in Yamato Province which was later separated from Osaka as

in 1887. When the prefectures were subdivided into modern municipalities in 1889, the five urban districts were turned into two district-independent cities: Osaka City and Sakai City, and Osaka's

ural Ural may refer to: *Ural (region), in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural Mountains, in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural (river), in Russia and Kazakhstan * Ual (tool), a mortar tool used by the Bodo people of India *Ural Federal District, in Russia *Ural econ ...

districts were subdivided into 12 towns and 310 villages. After Osaka City had absorbed many surrounding municipalities in the interwar/Taishō period, the number of municipalities in Osaka had already dropped to 149 by 1953. The Great Shōwa mergers of the 1950s reduced the total to 47 by 1961, including 26 cities by then. The current total of 43 was reached during the Great Heisei mergers in 2005.

Economy

The gross prefecture product of Osaka for the fiscal year 2004 was ¥38.7 trillion, second after Tokyo with an increase of 0.9% from the previous year. This represented approximately 48% of the Kinki region. The per capita income was ¥3.0 million, seventh in the nation. Commercial sales the same year was ¥60.1 trillion. Overshadowed by such globally renowned electronics giants as

Panasonic formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...

and

Sharp Sharp or SHARP may refer to: Acronyms * SHARP (helmet ratings) (Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme), a British motorcycle helmet safety rating scheme * Self Help Addiction Recovery Program, a charitable organisation founded in 19 ...

, the other side of Osaka's economy can be characterized by its Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) activities. The number of SMEs based in Osaka in 2006 was 330,737, accounting for 99.6% of the total number of businesses in the prefecture. While this proportion is similar to other prefectures (the average nationwide was 99.7%), the manufactured output of the SMEs amounted to 65.4% of the total within the prefecture, a rate significantly higher than Tokyo's 55.5%, or

Kanagawa is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kanagaw ...

's 38.4%. One model from Osaka of serving the public interest and restimulating the regional economy, combined with industry-education cooperation efforts, is the Astro-Technology SOHLA, with its artificial satellite project. For details on the campaign featuring SOHLA, navigate through the Japanese page to the 2003 campaign listing, at entry "東大阪の人工衛星" (Higashiosaka's Satellite

Having originally started from a gathering of Higashiosaka based SMEs, Astro-Technology SOHLA has not only grown into a Kansai region-wide group but has also won support from the government, through technology and material support from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and financial support from NEDO. The

Osaka Securities Exchange , renamed from , is the largest derivatives exchange in Japan, in terms of amount of business handled. , the Osaka Securities Exchange had 477 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $212 billion. The Nikkei 225 Futures, intr ...

, specializing in derivatives such as Nikkei 225 Futures, is based in Osaka. There are many electrical, chemical, pharmaceutical, heavy industry, food, and housing companies in Osaka Prefecture.

Major companies

Major factories and research institutes

Demographics

According to the 2005 Population Census of Japan, Osaka prefecture has a population of 8,817,166, an increase of 12,085, or 0.14%, since the Census of year 2000. As of 2020 this prefecture has about 99,000 ethnic Korean persons, the largest such population of any prefecture in Japan.

Osaka City is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

. As of 2013 most ethnic Korean children attend ordinary Japanese public schools, although some Korean schools operated by the Chongryon and classes for ethnic Koreans had opened in the prefecture. During the

Japanese rule of Korea Between 1910 and 1945, Korea was ruled as a part of the Empire of Japan. Joseon Korea had come into the Japanese sphere of influence with the Japan–Korea Treaty of 1876; a complex coalition of the Meiji government, military, and business offici ...

many ethnic Koreans came to the Osaka area to look for work. Many people from

Jeju Jeju may refer to: * Jeju Island (Jejudo), an island near South Korea * Jeju Province (formerly transliterated Cheju), a province of South Korea comprising Jejudo **Jeju City, the biggest city on Jejudo **Jeju dog, a dog native to Jejudo ** Jeju l ...

came to the Osaka area after a 1922 ferry line between Osaka and Jeju opened. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Japanese authorities forced additional ethnic Koreans to move to the Osaka area.Aoki, Eriko. "Korean children, textbooks, and educational practices in Japanese primary schools" (Chapter 8). In: Ryang, Sonia. '' Koreans in Japan: Critical Voices from the Margin'' (Routledge Studies in Asia's Transformations).

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...

, October 8, 2013. , 9781136353055. Start: p
157
CITED: p
166

Temples and shrines

Shitennō-ji Shitennō-ji ( ja, 四天王寺, ''Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings'') is a Buddhist temple in Ōsaka, Japan. It is also known as Arahaka-ji, Nanba-ji, or Mitsu-ji. The temple is sometimes regarded as the first Buddhist and oldest officially-a ...

Kanshin-ji is a Buddhist temple located in the Teramoto neighborhood of the city of Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, in the Kansai region of Japan. It is one of the head temples of the Kōyasan Shingon-shū branch of Shingon Buddhism. The temple ha ...

Sumiyoshi Taisha , also known as Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine, is a Shinto shrine in Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is the main shrine of all the Sumiyoshi shrines in Japan. However, the oldest shrine that enshrines the Sumiyoshi sanjin, the thr ...

Museums

National Museum of Ethnology, Japan The is one of the major museums in Japan. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Museums"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', pp. 671-673. It is Japan's largest research institute in the academic disciplines of humanities and social sciences, which was estab ...

br>
* Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses (

Hattori Ryokuchi Park is a large, hilly park in northern Osaka. It is most famous for its Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses, which contains examples of rural architecture from various parts of Japan. It also contains tennis courts, bamboo gardens, ponds, p ...

) * OSTEC (Osaka Science and Technology Center) Exhibition Hall * Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Osak
大阪日本民芸館

Education

Public elementary and junior high schools in the prefecture are operated by the municipalities. Public high schools are operated by the

Osaka Prefectural Board of Education Osaka Prefectural Board of Education is a branch of the government of Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The board supervises individual municipal school systems and directly operates public high schools in Osaka prefecture. Schools operated by the prefec ...

Universities

Kansai Medical University is a private university in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1928, and it was chartered as a women's medical college in 1947. In 1954 it became coeducational. Organization This university has following organi ...

(

, Osaka) * Osaka University (

Toyonaka is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on October 15, 1936. Geography Climate Toyonaka has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The averag ...

and

Suita is a city located in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 378,322 and a population density of 9,880 persons per km². The total area is 36.11 km². The city was founded on April 1, ...

) * former

Osaka University of Foreign Studies , abbreviated to OUFS or , , or was a national university in Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, Japan. It was dedicated to area studies and the study of foreign languages and their related cultures. History Osaka University of Foreign Studies (OUFS) wa ...

(

Minoh is a city in northwestern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Its name is commonly romanized as "Minō" or "Minoo"; however, the city government officially uses the spelling Minoh in English. As of October 2016, the city has an estimated population of 134 ...

) * Osaka Kyoiku University (

Kashiwara file:Kashiwara City Office, Osaka pref01.JPG, 270px, Kashiwara City Hall is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 67,698 in 32007 households and a population density of . The total area of the city ...

) *

Osaka City University , abbreviated to , is a public university in Japan. It is located in Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka. It is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan regarding Applied Linguistics. The university will merge with Osaka Prefecture University to form ...

(

Osaka city is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

) *

Osaka Prefecture University (OPU), also abbreviated to , is one of the largest public universities in Japan. The main campus is among big Kofun tombs in Sakai, Osaka. The university will merge with Osaka City University to form Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) in A ...

(

) *

Kansai University , abbreviated as or , is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university with its main campus in Suita, Osaka, Japan and two sub-campuses in Sakai and Takatsuki, Osaka. Founded as Kansai Law School in 1886, It has been recognized as one o ...

(Suita,

Takatsuki is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is located in northern Osaka's Hokusetsu region. As of 2020, the city had an estimated population of 347,944 and a population density of 3,300 persons per km². The total area is 105.31 km². The c ...

, Osaka city) *

Kindai University is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university based in Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan with campuses in five other locations: Nara, Nara; Ōsakasayama, Osaka; Uchita, Wakayama; Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima; and Iizuka, Fukuoka. The Eng ...

( Higashiosaka) *

Kansai Gaidai University , almost always abbreviated ''Kansai Gaidai'' (関西外大), is located in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. It is a private university focusing on foreign language studies. Kansai is the proper name of the large region where it is located, which inclu ...

(

) (Kansai University of Foreign Studies) * Osaka International Educational University ( Moriguchi) * Osaka University of Health and Sport sciences (

Kumatori 270px, Eiraku Dam in theOkuyama-Ameyama Nature Park is a town located in Sen'nan District, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 43,154 in 18377 households and a population density of 2500 persons per km2. The tota ...

) *

Osaka University of Commerce , abbreviated to , is a private university located in Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. History The origin was founded in 1928 as Osaka Joto School of Commerce (大阪城東商業学校) by Noboru Tanioka (谷岡登, 1894–1 ...

(Higashiosaka) * Osaka University of Economic and Law (Yao) * Osaka College of Music (Toyonaka) * Osaka Electro Communication University ( Neyagawa) *

Osaka Gakuin University Osaka Gakuin University (大阪学院大学, ''Ōsaka Gakuin Daigaku''), also known as Osaka Graduate University (OGU), is a mid-sized, mid-level private liberal arts university located in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The university focuses o ...

(Suita) *

Otemon Gakuin University is a private university at Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan, founded in 1966. (Otemon Gakuin was founded in 1888. It has its origins in the elementary school attached to Osaka Kaikosha, whose foundation was proposed by Tomonosuke Takashima.) Alumni * Te ...

( Ibaraki) * Hannan University ( Matsubara) * Setsunan University (Neyagawa) *

St Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

(Momoyama Gakuin University) ( Izumi) * Taisei Gakuin University (Mihara, Sakai) * Tezukayama Gakuin University (

Ōsakasayama 260px, Sayama Pond is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 158,465 in 26128 households and a population density of 4900 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Ōsakasayama is locate ...

, Sakai)

Parks

* The

Expo Commemoration Park or Expo '70 Commemorative Park is a park in Suita, Japan. It is north of Osaka (about 15 km from Umeda). The park is the former site of Expo '70, a World's Fair held between March 15 and September 13, 1970. It is about 264 ha of lawn and ...

(Suita) held the

Expo '70 The or Expo 70 was a world's fair held in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. Its theme was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese, Expo '70 is often referred to as . It was the first world's fair ...

. It is about 260 ha and includes a

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desi ...

National Museum of Art, Osaka is a subterranean Japanese art museum located on the island of Nakanoshima, located between the Dōjima River and the Tosabori River, about 10 minutes west of Higobashi Station in central Osaka. The official Japanese title of the museum tran ...

, and the amusement park " Expoland". *

(Toyonaka), about 150 ha. * Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park (Osaka), about 100 ha. The horticulture exposition of

Expo '90 or The International Garden and Greenery Exposition, organized as a part of the International Expositions Convention, was the first large-scale international gardening exposition in Asia and focused on the theme of the "Harmonious Coexistence of ...

was held here.財団法人国際花と緑の博覧会記念協会：English：Expo'90 Foundation
* Nagai Park (Osaka), about 66 ha. The IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in 2007 at

Nagai Stadium , known as the Yanmar Stadium Nagai ( ja, ヤンマースタジアム長居) for sponsorship reasons, is a stadium in Osaka, Japan. It is the home ground of J. League club Cerezo Osaka. The stadium has a seating capacity of 47,000. History When ...

in this park. *

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Layout The main tower ...

Park (Osaka), about 106 ha. *

Nakanoshima Park The Nakanoshima Park (中之島公園 ''Nakanoshima kōen'') is the first public park opened by Osaka in 1891, after its foundation as a city. It is located in Kita ward, on the Nakanoshima (中之島) sandbank, lying between Dōjima and Tosabo ...

(Osaka), housing the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, public hall,

Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library is a major library in the Nakanoshima section of Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1904; and is today one of two libraries which are supported by the Osaka Prefectural government. History of the building The Neo-baroque ...

, and the city hall of Osaka. * Yamadaike Park (Osaka), about 73.7 ha. * Osaka Prefectural Park (Hirakata), operated by Osaka Prefecture.

Transportation

Rail

* JR Central **

Tokaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the Sanyo Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opened in 196 ...

( Shin-Osaka Station) *

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, an ...

Sanyo Shinkansen , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded by ...

(Shin-Osaka Station) **

Osaka Loop Line The is a railway loop line in Japan operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It encircles central Osaka. Part of a second, proposed outer loop line, the Osaka Higashi Line, from Hanaten to Kyuhoji was opened on March 15, 2008, an ...

** Osaka Higashi Line ** Tokaido Main Line ***

JR Kyoto Line The is a commuter rail line in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The name applies to the section of the Tōkaidō Main Line between Kyōto Station and Ōsaka Station. The Kyot ...

***

JR Kobe Line The is the nickname of portions of the Tokaido Main Line and the Sanyo Main Line, between Osaka Station in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture and Himeji Station in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture. The line, along with the JR Kyoto Line and the Biwako Line, ...

Gakkentoshi Line The , officially nicknamed the , is a commuter rail line and service in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area of Japan, owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Kizu Station in Kyoto Prefecture and Kyōb ...

Yamatoji Line The is the common name of the western portion of the Kansai Main Line. The line is owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), and starts at Kamo Station in Kyoto Prefecture and ends at JR Namba Station in Naniwa-ku, Osaka. Op ...

Hanwa Line The is a commuter rail line in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The 61.3 km (38.1 mi) line runs between Osaka and Wakayama, Japan and has a 1.7 km branchline in a southern Os ...

JR Tozai Line JR, J. R. or Jr. may refer to: * Jr. or Junior (suffix), a name suffix Arts and entertainment * ''J.R.'' (album), an album by Jim Bob * '' J R'', a 1975 novel written by William Gaddis * "Jr.", a song by Codeine on the album ''Barely Real'' * J. ...

JR Yumesaki Line The is a railway line in Osaka, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Nishikujō Station to Sakurajima Station. It is also referred to as the . The entire line is within Konohana-ku, Osaka, and connects the Osaka L ...

** Kansai Airport Line * Osaka Metro ** Midosuji Line **

Tanimachi Line The is a rapid transit line of Osaka Metro, running from Dainichi Station in Moriguchi to Yaominami Station in Yao through Osaka. Its official name is , while the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau refers to it as , and in MLIT publicat ...

Yotsubashi Line The is an underground rapid transit line in Osaka, Japan, operated by Osaka Metro. The line connects Umeda, Hommachi, Yotsubashi, Namba, Daikokuchō and Suminoe, and runs parallel to the Midōsuji Line from Daikokuchō to Nishi-Umeda. Its offic ...

** Chuo Line **

Sennichimae Line is an underground rapid transit line in Osaka, Japan. It is one of the lines of Osaka Metro. It links the northwestern district of Fukushima-ku and the southeastern district of Ikuno-ku with the central commercial and entertainment district ...

** Sakaisuji Line ** Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line **

Imazatosuji Line The is a rapid transit line of Osaka Metro, running from Itakano Station in Higashiyodogawa-ku to Imazato Station in Higashinari-ku, all within Osaka city. Its official name is , and in MLIT publications, it is written as . Station number ...

Keihan Electric Railway , known colloquially as the , , or simply , is a major Japanese private railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. The transit network includes seven lines; four main lines with heavy rolling stock, two interurban lines, and a funic ...

Keihan Main Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by Keihan Electric Railway. The line runs between Sanjō Station in Kyoto and Yodoyabashi Station in Osaka. There are through services to the Keihan Ōtō Line and the Keihan Nakanoshima Line. Trains fro ...

Keihan Nakanoshima Line The is a railway line operated by the Keihan Electric Railway in Osaka, Japan. It opened on October 19, 2008, and has a ruling grade of 1 in 25 (4%). Services The following services operate on the Nakanoshima line, with through-running to/from t ...

Keihan Katano Line } The is a 6.9 km railway line in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway company Keihan Electric Railway. It connects Hirakatashi Station on the Keihan Main Line with Kisaichi Station. Operation All trains stop ...

Kintetsu ''Kintetsu'' is the abbreviation of , or Kintetsu Railway, a Japanese railway corporation. It may also refer to: Companies * Kintetsu Group Holdings, the holding corporation of the Kintetsu Railway ** Kintetsu Bus, a bus company and a subsidiary ...

Osaka Line is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2.7 ...

Nara Line The is a commuter rail line in the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan area, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Its official termini are Kizu Station in Kizugawa and Kyōto Station in Kyoto, within Kyoto Prefecture; however ...

Shigi Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Kintetsu Railway. The line connects Kawachi-Yamamoto Station and Shigisanguchi Station. The entire line is located in the city of Yao, and is 2.8 km long. At Kawachi-Y ...

Keihanna Line The is a railway line operated by Kintetsu Railway. There are through trains to the Chūō Line of Osaka Municipal Subway. The line name derives from a kanji acronym formed from , , and , but the name is written in hiragana. The line is the ...

Minami Osaka Line is a railway line operated by Kintetsu Railway connecting in Osaka and in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture via Osaka's southern suburb cities of Matsubara, Fujiidera and Habikino in Osaka Prefecture, and Katsuragi and Yamato-Takada in Nara Pref ...

Domyoji Line The is a single-tracked, 2.2 km short railway line operated by Kintetsu Railway, connecting Dōmyōji Station in the city of Fujiidera and Kashiwara Station in Kashiwara, both in Osaka Prefecture. History The line is the oldest in the K ...

** Nagano Line *

Hankyu , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region and is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Grou ...

Hankyu Kyoto Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Hankyu Railway. It connects Osaka-umeda Station in Osaka and Kyoto-kawaramachi Station in Kyoto. Definition The Kyoto Main Line is often called the for short, and in a b ...

Hankyu Senri Line The is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by Hankyu Railway. It commenced operation in 1921 and was completed on March 1, 1967. Through trains operate to and from the Hankyu Kyoto Line and the Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji ...

** Hankyu Takarazuka Line **

Hankyu Minoo Line , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region and is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Gro ...

Hankyu Kobe Line , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region and is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group ...

Nose Electric Railway The , occasionally abbreviated as Nose Railway or , is a Japanese private railway company headquartered in Kawanishi, Hyogo, which links several areas in the mountainous Nose, Osaka, area to Kawanishi-noseguchi Station in Kawanishi, where one can ...

Hanshin Electric Railway is a Japanese private railway company of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group that links Osaka and Kobe. It also owns the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. The first character for Kobe (神戸) and the second character for Osaka (大阪) combine to form the ...

Hanshin Main Line {{BS-map , title=Route map , title-bg=orangered , title-color=white , collapsible=yes , collapse=yes , map= {{BS, , , Lines are of Hanshin unless noted, } {{BS5, , hBHF, , , tBHF, , , {{STN, Osaka/{{STN, Kitashinchi} {{BS5, , hSTR, exKBHFa, tKACC ...

Hanshin Namba Line The is a railway line operated by the private railway operator Hanshin Electric Railway connecting Amagasaki Station in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, and Ōsaka Namba Station in Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. History The , the pre ...

Nankai Electric Railway is a private railway in Japan, founded in 1884. The name ''Nankai'' (which means "South Sea") comes from the company's routes along the Nankaidō, the old highway that ran south from the old capital, Kyoto, along the sea coast. Nankai predates a ...

** Nankai Main Line **

Takashinohama Line is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by Nankai Electric Railway. This line connects to the Nankai Main Line. History The line was opened in 1918 and 1919, electrified at 1500 VDC. The maximum speed of the line is 45 ...

Tanagawa Line is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, owned by Nankai Electric Railway. This line connects to the Nankai Main Line. History The line opened in 1944, electrified at 1500 VDC, to serve the Kawasaki Heavy Industries shipbuilding yard. In 19 ...

** Airport Line **

Koya Line The is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the Nankai Electric Railway, a private railway operator. It connects Osaka and Koyasan, the capital of the Japanese Buddhist sect Shingon, via the ...

* Senboku Rapid Railway *

Mizuma Railway The is a Japanese railway line between Mizuma Kannon Station and Kaizuka Station, all within Kaizuka, Ōsaka. This is the only railway line of a private railway company operates. The company also operates bus services. The company or the l ...

Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway is a railway operator in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Its sole line, officially named the , operates as an extension of the Midōsuji Line of the Osaka Metro. The , established on 11 December 1967, is majorly owned by Hankyu. ''Kitakyu'', as it is ...

People movers

Osaka Monorail The is a monorail system in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by . At long, it is the second longest monorail system in the world after the Chongqing Monorail and the longest monorail system in Japan. It links the three campuses o ...

* Nanko Port Town Line

Road

Expressways

* Meishin Expressway * Chugoku Expressway *

Hanshin Expressway The is a network of expressways surrounding Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto, Japan. Operated by , it opened in 1962. Portions of the Hanshin Expressway about east of Fukae Station collapsed during the Kobe earthquake on 17 January 1995. These sectio ...

Nishi-Meihan Expressway is a national expressway in the Kinki region of Japan. It is owned and operated by West Nippon Expressway Company. Naming Meihan is a kanji acronym of two characters. The first character represents Nagoya (名古屋) and the second characte ...

* Second Keihan Highway * Hanwa Expressway * Second Hanna Highway * Minami Hanna Highway

National highways

* National Route 1 * National Route 2 * National Route 25 * National Route 26 * National Route 43 * National Route 163 * National Route 165 * National Route 166 * National Route 168 * National Route 170 *

National Route 171 Route 171, or Highway 171, may refer to: Canada * Prince Edward Island Route 171 * Quebec Route 171 Costa Rica * National Route 171 (Costa Rica), National Route 171 Ireland * R171 road (Ireland), R171 road Israel * Route 171 (Israel) Japan * ...

* National Route 173 * National Route 176 * National Route 307 * National Route 308 * National Route 309 * National Route 310 * National Route 371 * National Route 423 * National Route 477 * National Route 479 * National Route 480 * National Route 481

Airports

* Osaka International Airport - Domestic flights *

- International and domestic flights

Sports

The sports teams listed below are based in Osaka.

Football (soccer)

League

Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Gamba'' comes from the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to s ...

* Cerezo Osaka

Non-league

* F.C. Osaka

Baseball

* Orix Buffaloes *

Hanshin Tigers The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railwa ...

Basketball

Osaka Evessa is a professional basketball team playing in the B.League, the top-tier professional basketball league of Japan. The team is operated by the Human Group Sports Entertainment Company. The team is named after Ebisu. In July 2015 it was announced ...

Volleyball

Osaka Blazers Sakai Osaka Blazers Sakai is a men's professional volleyball team based in Sakai city, Osaka, Japan. It plays in the V.Premier League. The club was founded in 1939 as part of the Kitakyushu, Fukuoka is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Ja ...

* Suntory Sunbirds *

Panasonic Panthers is a men's volleyball team based in Hirakata city, Osaka, Japan. It plays in V.League Division 1. The club was founded in 1951. The owner of the club is Panasonic Corporation. Team Current roster Notable players * Takahiro Yamamoto ...

Rugby union

* Red Hurricanes Osaka * Hanazono Liners

Prefectural symbols

The symbol of Osaka Prefecture, called the ''sennari byōtan'' or "thousand gourds," was originally the crest of

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

, the feudal lord of

Notes

References

* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005)
''Japan encyclopedia.''
Cambridge:

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...

.
OCLC 58053128

External links

Osaka Tourism & Convention Guidance homepage

Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan
{{Authority control * Kansai region Prefectures of Japan