During the Edo period, Osaka, along with Edo and Kyoto, was one of the most populous cities in Japan. According to current research, Osaka had a population of about 220,000 in 1650 and 410,000 in 1750, and reached its peak in the Edo period in the 1760s, then declined to about 330,000 in 1850, and 476,271 in 1889, when Osaka was established as a city, and increased to 211,271 in 1920 with the enlargement of its territory. In 1920, with the expansion of the city limits, the population of Osaka increased to 2,114,804, surpassing Tokyo as Japan's largest metropolis, and in 1940, Osaka had a population of 3,250,000, reaching its highest value before the war. During World War II, the population of Osaka declined significantly due to the government's forced evacuation of people to rural areas. At the end of the war, Osaka had a population of about 1.1 million, but in 1955, the city's area was expanded again, and with the return of the post-war population to the city, Osaka's population rose to 2.55 million, and in 1965, the city's population reached 31,562,222, the highest post-war population in Osaka. After that, Osaka's population declined due to the progress of suburbanization, and by the year 2000, the city's population had dropped to 2,598,774. However, after the 2000s, there was a tendency for Osaka Prefecture to re-centralize its population within the city, and the population numbers began to rebound. in November 2014, Osaka had a population of approximately 2,687,000 people.
In 1940, Osaka had a population of 3.25 million, reaching a pre-war high. During World War II, Osaka's population declined significantly as the government forced people to evacuate to rural areas. At the end of the war, Osaka had a population of about 1.1 million, but in 1955, when the city limits were expanded again and the post-war population returned to the city, the population of Osaka rebounded to 2.55 million, and in 1965, the city's population reached 3,156,222, the highest post-war population in Osaka. After that, Osaka's population declined due to the progress of suburbanization, and by the year 2000, the city's population had dropped to 2,598,774. However, after the 2000s, Osaka Prefecture saw a trend of re-centralization of the population into Osaka City, and the population began to rebound; in 2014, Osaka had a population of approximately 2.67 million. Osaka*** has a foreign population of 115,705, with the largest number of Koreans in Japan at 72,980, followed by Chinese in Japan at 26,094.
If you look at the Keihanjin metropolitan area centered on Osaka as a city, it has a population of about 18.77 million, second only to the Tokyo-centered metropolitan area (about 36.8 million) in Japan.
Located on the shore of Osaka Bay in the southwest of Japan's Honshu Island and bordering the Seto Inland Sea, Osaka is the capital of Osaka Prefecture and the center of commerce, industry, land, and air transportation in the Kansai region.
In modern times, Osaka has developed into a commercial city called "the kitchen of the world" as the center of material flow. Osaka's merchants are characterized by their desire for freedom and their enterprising spirit. The essence of Japan's traditional arts and culture, such as Joruri and Kabuki, has been preserved to the present day, and the food culture, known as "eating poorly," has continued to develop. Osaka is divided into 26 wards, and the city is laid out in a square pattern, with the East, West, South and North wards being the city center. Government offices are concentrated in Higashi-ku and Nakanoshima; financial institutions and banks are concentrated in Imabashi, Koryo Bridge, Midosuji, etc.; companies, trading firms, and offices are concentrated in Nakanoshima and Dojima; and the three major downtowns of Umeda, Baten Tochigi, and Shinsegae centered on Tondenkaku are filled with famous theaters, cinemas, hotels, and department stores.
In the Hanshin Industrial Zone, one of Japan's four major industrial zones centered on Osaka, there are about 30 satellite towns, with the industries of machine building, chemicals, shipbuilding and petrochemicals as the mainstay, and the value of industrial output accounts for about one-fifth of Japan's national industrial output. The Port of Osaka, founded in 1897, is an important international trade port in Japan, with more than 200 berths. Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay is the most modern international airport in Japan, built after 20 years of island reclamation. Completed and opened in September 1994, the airport is designed to carry more than 30 million passengers and 1.4 million tons of cargo annually. In addition, Osaka is connected to major cities such as Tokyo, Yokohama and Nagoya by a dense network of highways and several Shinkansen railroads. As a result, Osaka is an important transportation hub and a major city for economic development in Japan. The service sector is the largest part of Osaka's economy, with commerce, finance, and information technology accounting for a large proportion of the total. Chuo Ward and Kita Ward in downtown Osaka are Osaka's central business districts, with a large number of companies, government offices and commercial facilities. Nakanoshima in Kita-ku is home to the Bank of Japan Osaka Branch, Osaka City Hall, Sumitomo Life and Kansai Electric Power, among other organizations and companies. Kitahama, on the other hand, is the largest financial district in Osaka, with the Osaka Stock Exchange and numerous banks and securities companies. These two districts are the core of Osaka's central business district. The Umeda and Namba districts, where Osaka Station is located, are the two commercial centers of Osaka, north and south, and are home to many department stores and other commercial facilities. The Midosuji line, which connects these two districts, is also a bustling commercial area with many stores.
The Umeda area in front of Osaka Station Plaza, the Baton Level in Minami Ward, and Shinsegae, centered on Totenkaku, are the three major downtown areas in Osaka. The Kitahama and Imabashi areas are the financial centers. In addition, there is Rainbow City, which has a capacity of 500,000 people, located underneath the center of Osaka City. This underground "city of night" is world-famous for its many stores and bright lights day and night. Compared to other metropolitan areas in Japan, Osaka has a relatively small number of universities and a small proportion of university students, with about 32,000 students enrolled in universities and junior colleges in 2009, the fourth lowest number of universities per capita and the last largest number of university students per capita of any metropolitan area designated by the government. There used to be many universities in Osaka City, but due to the small size of the Osaka City area and the restrictions imposed by laws such as the Workshop Act, many universities have moved to areas outside of Osaka City. However, many universities still have satellite campuses in Osaka.
There are 11 universities in Osaka, including two national public universities, Osaka University of Education (Tennoji Campus) and Osaka City University, as well as private universities such as Osaka University of Economics and Osaka Institute of Technology. Among the universities that originated in Osaka but are now located in the suburbs, Osaka University, Osaka Prefectural University, and Kansai University are the largest. Among them, Osaka University is one of the seven former imperial universities in Japan, and is still one of the universities with the highest teaching and research standards in Japan. Kansai University is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and is known as one of the "Seki Kanto" private universities. In terms of compulsory and secondary education, there are 306 elementary schools, 154 junior high schools and 94 high schools in Osaka. In ancient times, Osaka was known as Naniwa, Naniwa, or Namba, and because of its proximity to the Seto Inland Sea, it has been an important gateway to the ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto since ancient times, and it was the earliest area for the development of commerce and trade in Japan. Several generations of Japanese emperors built their capitals here between the 4th and 7th centuries AD (313-412 AD and 645-683 AD). According to Japanese history, Emperor Jimmu sailed eastward from Kyushu on a ship on a tour to the vicinity of Osaka, where the current was so strong and the waves were so rough that he called the area "Naniwa", with Naniwa or Namba having a similar meaning to "Naniwa". From the 19th century A.D., the name was changed to Osaka, because the nearby area was mountainous, and the slopes around Kamimachi-dai were vast and gentle, which was interpreted as slope in the Japanese word Risaka, and it was called ōsaka, which later evolved into Osaka. 1583, Toyotomi Hideyoshi mobilized 30,000 workers, and constructed a large construction project, and it took him three years to build the castle into a military fortress in a dangerous terrain, and the castle wall was built with huge boulders, which was up to 10 meters high at some places, and became the oldest wall in Japan. The walls were built with huge stones, some of which were as high as 10 meters, making them the tallest of all the old castle walls in Japan. Inside the city, magnificent palaces and chic houses were built, with yellow roofs and gilded beams and pillars, fully demonstrating the superior architectural art of Japan at that time. In addition, canals were dug and bridges were built in the low-lying areas in the western part of the city, which earned Osaka the titles of "Water Capital" and "Bridge Capital". Today, Osaka Castle was rebuilt and expanded by Shogun Hidetada in 1620 on the site of the original castle, and the beautiful and majestic Tenshodai was restored. Osaka, as a city with a long history, has a large number of places of interest, including the famous Shitennoji Temple, which was built in 593. There are more than 40 buildings, including the Golden Pagoda, the Five-storied Pagoda, and the Lecture Hall, and the fan of the Dharma Sutra, which is regarded as the national treasure of Japan, is housed inside the temple. The original building was destroyed by fire in the military chaos and the present building was rebuilt in its original form in 1963. The old Osaka Castle, built by General Hideyoshi in 1583, has a moat and a 12-kilometer-long wall. Inside the castle is the 56-meter-high Tenshokaku, a five-story, nine-floor building, which displays art treasures from the Momoyama Period from 1568 to 1598 A.D. The temple was built in 949 in Tenmangura. Tenmangu Shrine, built in 949, is where the Tenjin Matsuri (one of the three major festivals of Japan) is held on July 24 and 25 every year. There are also the ruins of Namba Shrine, an ancient imperial palace from the Nara Period, Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, which enshrines the ancient gods of war, song, and sea guardianship, the Daibutsuji Temple from the Heian Period, the Danju Castration from the Edo Period, and the Izumibu Kannon from the Meiji Period, all of which are ancient buildings that keep the city of Osaka's ancient elegance amidst the atmosphere of modernization.
Osaka is the popular center of the Kansai region of Japan, and is extremely rich in a variety of goods, with complete shopping facilities and well-developed distribution. Osaka people usually divide Osaka into Kitajo (North Castle) and Minami (South Castle).
The main commercial districts in Kita are Osaka Station, Umeda, Kita-Shinchi, Kyobashi, and Sakuranomiya. Among them, there are a number of high-class department stores clustered around Osaka and Umeda Stations, making them the place to shop for high-class goods, while relatively inexpensive goods can be found in the underground streets and alleys in the vicinity.
The main commercial districts in Minami City include Shinsaibashi, Namba, Sennichimae, Kuromon Market, Tennoji Temple, Nihonbashi, Nanko Tempozan area, and other bustling shopping districts. There are several large department stores near Namba station, and the Nihonbashi area near Namba is Osaka's "Akihabara," with a large concentration of electronics stores and duty-free stores.
Umeda Shopping Area
The Umeda Shopping Area is home to some of the hippest and edgiest merchandise, and on weekends, crowds of young people congregate in the aisles of the station to make their own "hippie," "jazz" or "hip-hop" music. On weekends, young people gather in the station aisles to make their own "hippie," "jazz" or "hip-hop" music, making Osaka a unique modern cultural landscape.
Namba Park
Namba Park has become the center of fun and shopping for Osaka's new generation because of its mix of parks and art.
Osaka American Village
Osaka American Village is not only unique and interesting in its environment and architecture, but also has many three-dimensional works of art, murals, and other works of art with a modern feel. Osaka has a subway system consisting of eight lines totaling 153 kilometers (not including the direct line with private railways), which is operated by the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau. The system covers Nara Prefecture and is close to Kyoto Prefecture, if direct connections with private railways are included.
The Shinkansen is one of the major means of transportation in Osaka. Shin-Osaka Station is the terminus of both the Tokaido Shinkansen and the Sanyo Shinkansen. As for rail transportation in the city, the Osaka and Umeda station areas in the north and the Namba station area in the south are the two major rail transportation hubs in Osaka. Western Japan Railway (JR-West), headquartered in Osaka, is the largest railroad company in Osaka, and its Osaka Loop Line is the main transportation artery in Osaka, and Osaka Station, where the main lines of the Osaka Loop Line, the JR Kyoto Line, and the JR Kobe Line converge, is the most heavily patronized JR-West station in Osaka.JR-West's other lines in Osaka include the Sakurajima Line, the JR Takarazuka Line, the JR Tozai Line, the Katamachi Line (Gakushu Line), and the JR Kobe Line. Tozai Line, Katamachi Line (Gakushu City Line), Osaka East Line, Kansai Main Line (Yamato Line), and Hanwa Line. All of the five major private railway companies in Kansai use Osaka as their train operation center. Umeda Station is a hub station for the Hanshin Electric Railway and Hankyu Electric Railway. Hanshin Electric Railway operates two lines in Osaka, the Hanshin Main Line and the Hanshin Namba Line, which mainly serve passengers between Osaka and Kobe, while Hankyu Electric Railway operates four lines, the Kobe Line, the Takarazuka Line, the Kyoto Line, and the Chisato Line, which cover the Hanshin Intercity Area, the northern part of Osaka Prefecture, and the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture. Keihan Electric Railway's stronghold in Osaka is Keihashi Station, which operates two lines, the Keihan Main Line and the Nakanoshima Line, and mainly serves passengers between Osaka and Kyoto. Namba Station, on the other hand, is the hub station for Kinki Nippon Railway and Nankai Electric Railway in Osaka. Kinki Nippon Railway has three lines in Osaka: the Nara Line, the Osaka Line and the Minami-Osaka Line, which mainly serve passengers between Osaka and the Nara and Tokai areas. Nankai Electric Railway, on the other hand, owns two lines in Osaka City, the Nankai Main Line and the Takano Line, which mainly serve the southern part of Osaka Prefecture and the northern part of Wakayama Prefecture. Nankai Electric Railway's subsidiary, Hansakai Electric Railway, also operates two lines in Osaka, the Hansakai Line and the Kamimachi Line, and is an important means of transportation connecting Osaka and Sakai Cities. The Osaka Municipal Subway is operated by the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau and is the main transportation artery in Osaka City. At present, the Osaka Municipal Subway consists of nine lines: Midosuji Line, Tanemachi Line, Yotsubashi Line, Chuo Line, Chihinmae Line, Sakaisuji Line, Nagahori Tsurumi Midori Line, Nanko Minato Castle Line, and Imazurijisuji Line, and the Midosuji Line has the largest number of passengers. The Japanese dialect spoken in the Osaka area is called Osaka-ben, which is one of the most widely spoken Japanese dialects in Japan and the most representative of the Kinki dialects. In the past, the dialects spoken in Osaka differed according to the occupations of the citizens, but with more frequent exchanges between different parts of the city, the dialects in Osaka have become more uniform.
The pronunciation of the Osaka dialect is characterized by the weak pronunciation of consonants and the strong pronunciation of vowels, as well as the frequent use of the ん sound. The Osaka dialect has been spreading throughout Japan through various media due to the development of Osaka culture, and has influenced the standard Japanese language, showing that the Osaka dialect is one of the more dynamic of the Japanese dialects. Tokaichiru
The Tokaichiru festival held at the present-day Miyazaki Shrine is an annual event where many people come in large groups to pray for the prosperity of their families and businesses. They buy bamboo sticks here to ensure the success of their business. Location: Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, dates: January 9th - January 11th.
Mint Cherry Blossom Passage
Cherry blossom viewing is an essential spring activity anywhere in Japan. Osaka's best example of cherry blossom viewing is the "Cherry Blossom Passage" near the Mint. The special feature of this area is that there are many different kinds of cherry blossoms - as many as 131 varieties***350 plants. Location: Osaka Mint, Date: Mid-April.
Sumiyoshi Festival
To commemorate Prince Sentoku, a memorial service is held every year at Shitennoji Temple to console the spirits of the deceased. You can enjoy experiencing the historical mood with courtly dances and music on the stone stage over the turtle pond. Location: Shitennoji Temple, Date: July-August.
Tenjin Matsuri
Tenjin Matsuri, which has a history of more than 1,050 years, is held on July 24 and 25 every year. It is one of the three major festivals in Japan, along with the Gion Festival in Kyoto and the Jinten Festival in Tokyo, and more than 100 boats of all sizes come and go on the Okawa River on the 25th. Place: Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, Date: July 24th - July 25th.
Kishiwada Float Festival
The Kishiwada Float Festival, which has a history of more than 300 years, is a festival in which the local tutelary god is worshipped and prayers are offered for a good harvest and the absence of illness. Location: Kishiwada Castle, Date: September 14th.
Autumn Eisenia Festival
In Japan, flowers of the genus Autumn Eisenia, including cosmos, are viewed in autumn as one of the symbols of the season. Manabo Memorial Park (the site of the 1970 Osaka World Expo), which has a large area of flowering plants, is one of the main viewing spots in the Kansai region. Location: Manbo Memorial Park, Dates: October 11 - November 3 Katsuoji Foliage Viewing Season
Location: Katsuoji Temple, Dates: Late October - Early December. Osaka Castle 3D Projection Super Lanterns
The Osaka Castle 3D Projection, which projects a three-dimensional image of Osaka Castle onto the Osaka Castle Tenshukaku, and the lanterns are a popular event due to its grand scale. Location: Osaka Castle Park, Dates: December 13, 2014 ~ March 1, 2015
The God of Fortune Festival
Of all the God of Fortune Festivals held in the Naniwa district of Osaka and at many shrines in Kansai and elsewhere from January 9 to 11, Imamiya Ebisu Shrine is particularly large, with a million visitors a year coming to pray for prosperous business and a happy life. On this day, people buy lucky bamboo sticks and pray to the god of wealth (Ebisu in Japanese), who is in charge of commerce, for business to prosper. Ebisu, which is affectionately called "Ebessan" in the Kansai dialect, is the god of commerce as well as the god of fisheries. Fukutake, an ornament that represents the prosperity of business, is brought home with a large number of festive items, such as small gold coins, kaji fish, and rice bags, etc. The main festival is held on the 10th day of the month. The main festival is held on the 10th day of the month, with the day before being called "Yoron" and the day after being called "Bufuku". The famous Ebisashi Bridge, which now spans the Dotonbori River, was built to make it easier for people to visit Imamiya Ebisashi Shrine, and on the 10th, the Hoe Mikoshi (portable shrine) parade is the largest, carrying more than 600 people, including famous celebrities, entertainers, and "Fukumo" (lucky ladies), who are in charge of handing out good luck charms to tourists. There are more than 600 people on the palanquin, including celebrities, entertainers, and the "Blessed Lady" who is responsible for handing out good luck charms to visitors. In order to become a "Blessed Lady", one has to be selected from more than 3,000 competitors. It is said that if you are selected as a Fukuniang, you will be inundated with suitors, so it has become a symbol of a girl's status. At 7:00 a.m. on the same day, the Asaichi, where kaji fish is sold, opens, as kaji fish is a "festive fish" that is savored on special occasions in Japan. In addition, stores selling lucky charms, such as fortune tellers and fortune cats, are lined up in the temple grounds. Specialty Concerts
Osaka's specialty concerts are especially popular during the peak travel season. Concerts basically start at 5pm.
Sumo wrestling
Sumo wrestling, known as Sukumai, originated in China during the Han Dynasty, when two Hercules warriors wrestled each other topless. It was not until the seventh century A.D. that a Chinese envoy was sent to Japan to perform a sukumo at the funeral of Emperor Yunkyo (453 A.D.), which is considered to be the first time that Chinese sumo wrestling was introduced to Japan, and it had a certain impact on the original sumo wrestling of Japan. Later, it became an international martial art, fighting sport and national sport of Japan. As a professional sport, it is known in Japan as Grand Sumo.