Osaka Prefecture 大阪府
Prefecture
Japanese transcription(s)
• Japanese	大阪府
• Rōmaji	Ōsaka-fu
Flag Symbol
Coordinates: 34°41′11″N 135°31′12″E / 34.68639°N 135.52000°E / 34.68639; 135.52000Coordinates: 34°41′11″N 135°31′12″E / 34.68639°N 135.52000°E / 34.68639; 135.52000
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Island	Honshu
Capital	Osaka
Government
• Governor	Ichirō Matsui
Area
• Total	1,899.28 km2 (733.32 sq mi)
Area rank	46th
Population (January 1, 2012)
• Total	8,864,228
• Rank	3rd
• Density	4,700/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	JP-27
Districts	5
Municipalities	43
Flower	Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) Primrose (Primula sieboldii)
Tree	Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba)
Bird	Bull-headed shrike (Lanius bucephalus)
Website	www.pref.osaka.jp/en/index.html

Osaka Prefecture (大阪府, Ōsaka-fu) is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshu, the main island of Japan.^[1] The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.^[2] Osaka is one of the two "urban prefectures" (府, fu) of Japan, Kyoto being the other (Tokyo became a "metropolitan prefecture", or to, in 1941).

History[edit]

Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Osaka prefecture was known as Kawachi, Izumi,^[3][4] and Settsu provinces.^[5]

Osaka Prefecture was created on June 21, 1868, at the very beginning of the Meiji era.^[6] During the instigation of Fuhanken Sanchisei in 1868, the prefecture received its suffix fu, designating it as an urban prefecture.

On September 1, 1956, the city of Osaka was promoted to a city designated by government ordinance and thereby divided into 24 wards.

In 2000, Fusae Ota became Japan's first female governor when she replaced Knock Yokoyama, who resigned after prosecution for sexual harassment.^[7]

On April 1, 2006: the city of Sakai was promoted to a city designated by government ordinance and thereby divided into seven wards.

In 2008, Tōru Hashimoto, previously famous as a counselor on television, was elected at the age of 38 as the youngest governor in Japan.

06/18/2018 - 2018 Osaka earthquake.

Reform[edit]

In 2010, the Osaka Restoration Association was created with backing by Governor Tōru Hashimoto, attempting to reform Osaka Prefecture into Osaka Metropolis reducing affiliated organizations of Osaka Prefecture and the City of Osaka.

In the 2011 local elections the association was able to win the majority of the prefectural seats.

The plan was narrowly defeated in the 2015 referendum (49.62% yes and 50.38% no).

Geography[edit]

Osaka Prefecture neighbors the prefectures of Hyōgo and Kyoto in the north, Nara in the east and Wakayama in the south. The west is open to Osaka Bay. The Yodo and Yamato Rivers flow through the prefecture.

Prior to the construction of Kansai International Airport, 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.^[8][9]

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.^[10]

Cities[edit]

Map of Osaka Prefecture
     Government Ordinance Designated City      City      Town      Village

Osaka Prefectural Office

Sakai

Takatsuki

Thirty-three cities are located in Osaka Prefecture:

Towns and villages[edit]

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Mergers[edit]

Economy[edit]

Diamond district in Umeda

Herbis ENT

Osaka castle

Osaka Castle park and Osaka business park

Universal Studios Japan

Kansai International Airport

Umeda Sky Building

Famous advertisement by Glico man in Dōtonbori (middle-left)

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.^[11] Commercial sales the same year was ¥60.1 trillion.^[12]

Overshadowed by such globally renowned electronics giants as Panasonic and Sharp, 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.^[13] 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's 38.4%.^[14] 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,^[15] with its artificial satellite project.^[16] 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),^[17] and financial support from NEDO.^[18][19]

The Osaka Securities Exchange, 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.

Osaka city skyline at dusk viewed from the Umeda Sky Building

Major companies[edit]

Major factories and research institutes[edit]

Demographics[edit]

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.^[20]

As of 2013 this prefecture has about 200,000 ethnic Korean persons, the largest such population of any prefecture in Japan. Osaka City. 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 many ethnic Koreans came to the Osaka area to look for work. Many people from Jeju came to the Osaka area after a 1922 ferry line between Osaka and Jeju opened. During World War II Japanese authorities forced additional ethnic Koreans to move to the Osaka area.^[21]

Temples and shrines[edit]

• Shitennō-ji


• Kanshin-ji


• Sumiyoshi Taisha

Museums[edit]

• 
  National Museum of Ethnology, Japan [2]
  


• 
  Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses (Hattori Ryokuchi Park)


• OSTEC (Osaka Science and Technology Center) Exhibition Hall


• 
  Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Osaka [3]
  

Education[edit]

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.

Universities[edit]

• 
  Kansai Medical University (Hirakata, Osaka)


• 
  Osaka University (Toyonaka and Suita)


• former Osaka University of Foreign Studies (Minoh)


• 
  Osaka Kyoiku University (Kashiwara)


• 
  Osaka City University (Osaka city)


• 
  Osaka Prefecture University (Sakai)


• 
  Kansai University (Suita, Takatsuki, Osaka city)


• 
  Kinki University (Higashiosaka)


• 
  Kansai Gaidai University (Hirakata) (Kansai University of Foreign Studies)


• 
  Osaka International Educational University (Moriguchi)


• Osaka University of Health and Sport sciences (Kumatori)


• 
  Osaka University of Commerce (Higashiosaka)


• Osaka University of Economic and Law (Yao)


• 
  Osaka College of Music (Toyonaka)


• Osaka Electro Communication University (Neyagawa)


• 
  Osaka Gakuin University (Suita)


• 
  Otemon Gakuin University (Ibaraki)


• 
  Hannan University (Matsubara)


• 
  Setsunan University (Neyagawa)


• 
  St Andrews University (Momoyama Gakuin University) (Izumi)


• 
  Taisei Gakuin University (Mihara, Sakai)


• 
  Tezukayama Gakuin University (Ōsakasayama, Sakai)

Parks[edit]

• The Expo Commemoration Park (Suita) Expo '70 held here. About 260 ha. Includes a Japanese garden, National Museum of Art, Osaka, and the amusement park "Expoland".


• 
  Hattori Ryokuchi Park (Toyonaka) about 150 ha.


• 
  Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park (Osaka) about 100 ha. Expo '90 of horticulture held here.^[22]


• Nagai Park (Osaka) about 66 ha. The IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in 2007 at Nagai Stadium in this park.


• 
  Osaka Castle Park (Osaka) about 106 ha.


• 
  Nakanoshima Park (Osaka) - The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, public hall (1911, Renaissance Revival architecture), Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library (1904, Baroque Revival architecture), and the city hall of Osaka.

Transportation[edit]

Rail[edit]

• 
  JR Central
  
  • 
    Tokaido Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka Station)


• 
  JR West
  
  • 
    Sanyo Shinkansen (Shin-Osaka Station)
  
  
  • Osaka Loop Line
  
  
  • Osaka Higashi Line
  
  
  • 
    Tokaido Main Line
    
    • JR Kyoto Line
    
    
    • JR Kobe Line
    
    
  
  
  • Gakkentoshi Line
  
  
  • Yamatoji Line
  
  
  • Hanwa Line
  
  
  • JR Tozai Line
  
  
  • JR Yumesaki Line
  
  
  • Kansai Airport Line
  
  


• 
  Osaka Municipal Subway
  
  • Midosuji Line
  
  
  • Tanimachi Line
  
  
  • Yotsubashi Line
  
  
  • Chuo Line
  
  
  • Sennichimae Line
  
  
  • Sakaisuji Line
  
  
  • Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line
  
  
  • Imazatosuji Line
  
  


• 
  Keihan Electric Railway
  
  • Keihan Main Line
  
  
  • Keihan Nakanoshima Line
  
  
  • Keihan Katano Line
  
  


• 
  Kintetsu
  
  • Osaka Line
  
  
  • Nara Line
  
  
  • Shigi Line
  
  
  • Keihanna Line
  
  
  • Minami Osaka Line
  
  
  • Domyoji Line
  
  
  • Nagano Line
  
  


• 
  Hankyu
  
  • Hankyu Kyoto Line
  
  
  • Hankyu Senri Line
  
  
  • Hankyu Takarazuka Line
  
  
  • Hankyu Minoo Line
  
  
  • Hankyu Kobe Line
  
  


• Nose Electric Railway


• 
  Hanshin Electric Railway
  
  • Hanshin Main Line
  
  
  • Hanshin Namba Line
  
  


• 
  Nankai Electric Railway
  
  • Nankai Main Line
  
  
  • Takashinohama Line
  
  
  • Tanagawa Line
  
  
  • Airport Line
  
  
  • Koya Line
  
  


• Senboku Rapid Railway


• Mizuma Railway


• Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway

People movers[edit]

• Osaka Monorail


• Nanko Port Town Line

Road[edit]

Expressways[edit]

National highways[edit]

Airports[edit]

• 
  Osaka International Airport - Domestic flights


• 
  Kansai International Airport - International and domestic flights

Sports[edit]

The sports teams listed below are based in Osaka.

Football (soccer)[edit]

League[edit]

• Gamba Osaka


• Cerezo Osaka

Non-league[edit]

• F.C. Osaka

Baseball[edit]

• Orix Buffaloes

Basketball[edit]

• Osaka Evessa

Volleyball[edit]

• Osaka Blazers Sakai


• Suntory Sunbirds


• Panasonic Panthers

Rugby union[edit]

• Kintetsu Liners

Prefectural symbols[edit]

The symbol of Osaka Prefecture, called the sennari byōtan or "thousand gourds," was originally the crest of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the feudal lord of Osaka Castle.

See also[edit]

• Politics of Osaka


• Osaka Eco Agricultural Products


• Osaka Metropolis plan


• List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
  

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Osaka prefecture.

• Official Osaka Prefecture homepage


• Osaka Tourism & Convention Guidance homepage


• Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan