About City

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Japan. It is the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Japan and among the largest in the world with over 19 million inhabitants. Osaka is situated at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, Japan. Historically a merchant city, Osaka has also been known as the "nation's kitchen" and served as a centre for the rice trade during the Edo period.

In the 7th century, the first capital of Japan, modelled after the capital of China, was established in Osaka. Thereafter, though the capital was subsequently moved to nearby Nara and Kyoto, Osaka continued to flourish uninterruptedly, serving as the gateway of culture and trade. By the Kofun period, Osaka developed into a hub port connecting the region to the western part of Japan. The large numbers of increasingly larger tomb mounds found in the plains of Osaka are seen as evidence of political-power concentration, leading to the formation of a state. The political system in Osaka 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 Motors operated a factory called Osaka Assembly until 1941, manufacturing Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick vehicles, operated and staffed by Japanese workers and managers.In the nearby city of Ikeda in Osaka Prefecture is the headquarters office of Daihatsu, Japan's oldest automobile manufacturer.

Osaka is the second largest city in Japan by daytime population after Tokyo's 23 wards and the third largest city by nighttime population after Tokyo's 23 wards and Yokohama, serving as a major economic hub for the country.

Attractions & Landmarks

• Osaka Castle.
• Shitennō-ji Temple.
• Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
• The Tempozan Ferris Wheel.
• Twin Towers.
• The National Museum of Art.
• Tennōji Park and Zoo.
• Osaka Science Museum.
• The Umeda Sky Building.
• Universal Studios Japan.
• Dōtonbori.
• Osaka International Peace Center.
• Namba Parks.