Osaka Prefecture 大阪府 | |
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Japanese transcription(s) | |
• Japanese | 大阪府 |
• Rōmaji | Ōsaka-fu |
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Coordinates: 34°41′11″N135°31′12″E / 34.68639°N 135.52000°E Coordinates: 34°41′11″N135°31′12″E / 34.68639°N 135.52000°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Region | Kansai |
Island | Honshu |
Capital | Osaka |
Subdivisions | Districts: 5, Municipalities: 43 |
Government | |
• Governor | Hirofumi Yoshimura |
Area | |
• Total | 1,905.14 km2 (735.58 sq mi) |
• Rank | 46th |
Population (1 July 2019) | |
• Total | 8,823,358 |
• Rank | 3rd |
• Density | 4,600/km2 (12,000/sq mi) |
ISO 3166 code | JP-27 |
Website | pref.osaka.lg.jp.e.agb.hp.transer.com |
SymbolsofJapan | |
Bird | Bull-headed shrike (Lanius bucephalus) |
Flower | Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) Primrose ( Primula sieboldii ) |
Tree | Ginkgo tree ( Ginkgo biloba ) |
Osaka Prefecture (大阪府, Ōsaka-fu, pronounced [oːsaka ɸɯ] ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. [1] Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 (as of 1 April 2022 [update] ) and has a geographic area of 1,905 square kilometres (736 sq mi ). Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara Prefecture to the southeast, and Wakayama Prefecture to the south.
Osaka is the capital and largest city of Osaka Prefecture, and the third-largest city in Japan, with other major cities including Sakai, Higashiōsaka, and Hirakata. [2] Osaka Prefecture is the third-most-populous prefecture, but by geographic area the second-smallest; at 4,600 inhabitants per square kilometre (12,000/sq mi) it is the second-most densely populated, below only Tokyo. Osaka Prefecture is one of Japan's two "urban prefectures" using the designation fu (府) rather than the standard ken 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 and one of the world's most productive regions by GDP.
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1890 | 1,324,216 | — |
1903 | 1,823,456 | +2.49% |
1913 | 2,461,067 | +3.04% |
1920 | 2,587,847 | +0.72% |
1925 | 3,059,502 | +3.41% |
1930 | 3,540,017 | +2.96% |
1935 | 4,297,174 | +3.95% |
1940 | 4,792,966 | +2.21% |
1945 | 2,800,958 | −10.19% |
1950 | 3,857,047 | +6.61% |
1955 | 4,618,308 | +3.67% |
1960 | 5,504,746 | +3.57% |
1965 | 6,657,189 | +3.87% |
1970 | 7,620,480 | +2.74% |
1975 | 8,278,925 | +1.67% |
1980 | 8,473,446 | +0.47% |
1985 | 8,668,095 | +0.46% |
1990 | 8,734,516 | +0.15% |
1995 | 8,797,268 | +0.14% |
2000 | 8,805,081 | +0.02% |
2005 | 8,817,166 | +0.03% |
2010 | 8,865,245 | +0.11% |
2015 | 8,838,908 | −0.06% |
source: [3] |
Prior to the Meiji Restoration, the modern-day area of Osaka Prefecture was split between Kawachi, Izumi, [4] [5] and Settsu provinces. [6]
Osaka Prefecture was created on June 21, 1868, at the very beginning of the Meiji era. [7] During the instigation of Fuhanken Sanchisei in 1868, the prefecture received its suffix fu , designating it as a prefecture.
On September 1, 1956, the city of Osaka was promoted to a city designated by government ordinance and thereby divided into 24 wards. Sakai 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 became Japan's first female governor when she replaced Knock Yokoyama, who resigned after prosecution for sexual harassment. [8] Tōru Hashimoto, previously famous as a counselor on television, was elected in 2008 at the age of 38, becoming the youngest governor in Japan. [9]
On June 18, 2018, an earthquake struck the northern region of the prefecture. It killed 4 people and caused minor damage across Greater Osaka. [10]
In 2010, the Osaka Restoration Association 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. [9] 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 on the issue was held in 2015 and was defeated with 50.38% of voters opposed to the plan. [9] A second referendum in 2020 was rejected by 50.6% of voters. [11]
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. [12] [13]
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. [14]
Since 2005, Osaka consists of 43 municipalities: 33 cities, nine towns and one village. As of 2021, the 33 cities include two designated major cities, seven core cities and two (transitional) special case cities (after legal abolition in 2015, to be replaced with the core city system in the 2020s).
Flag, name w/o suffix | Full name | District (-gun) | Area (km2) | Population | Map | LPE code (w/o pref. [27...], checksum [-x]) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japanese | transcription | translation | ||||||
![]() | 大東市 | Daitō-shi | Daitō City | – | 18.27 | 119,329 | ![]() | 218 |
![]() | 藤井寺市 | Fujidera-shi | Fujidera City | – | 8.89 | 65,075 | ![]() | 226 |
![]() | 羽曳野市 | Habikino-shi | Habikino City | – | 26.44 | 113,256 | ![]() | 222 |
![]() | 阪南市 | Hannan-shi | Hannan City | – | 36.1 | 55,798 | ![]() | 232 |
![]() | 東大阪市 | Higashi-Ōsaka-shi | Higashi-Osaka City (East Osaka City) | – | 61.78 | 495,011 | ![]() | 227 |
![]() | 枚方市 | Hirakata-shi | Hirakata City | – | 65.08 | 401,449 | ![]() | 210 |
![]() | 茨木市 | Ibaraki-shi | Ibaraki City | – | 76.52 | 280,562 | ![]() | 211 |
![]() | 池田市 | Ikeda-shi | Ikeda City | – | 22.09 | 103,028 | ![]() | 204 |
![]() | 和泉市 | Izumi-shi | Izumi City | – | 84.98 | 186,370 | ![]() | 219 |
![]() | 泉大津市 | Izumi-Ōtsu-shi | Izumi-Ōtsu City (as opposed to Ōtsu City in Ōmi Province) | – | 13.36 | 75,398 | ![]() | 206 |
![]() | 泉佐野市 | Izumi-Sano-shi | Izumi-Sano City (as opposed to Sano City in Shimotsuke Province) | – | 55.03 | 100,649 | ![]() | 213 |
![]() | 門真市 | Kadoma-shi | Kadoma City | – | 12.28 | 124,516 | ![]() | 223 |
![]() | 貝塚市 | Kaizuka-shi | Kaizuka City | – | 43.99 | 88,345 | ![]() | 208 |
![]() | 柏原市 | Kashiwara-shi | Kashiwara City | – | 25.39 | 76,383 | ![]() | 221 |
![]() | 交野市 | Katano-shi | Katano City | – | 25.55 | 76,383 | ![]() | 230 |
![]() | 河内長野市 | Kawachi-Nagano-shi | Kawachi-Nagano City (as opposed to Nagano City in Shinano Province) | – | 109.61 | 105,872 | ![]() | 216 |
![]() | 岸和田市 | Kishiwada-shi | Kishiwada City | – | 72.68 | 197,629 | ![]() | 202 |
![]() | 松原市 | Matsubarashi | Matsubara City | – | 16.66 | 121,125 | ![]() | 217 |
![]() | 箕面市 | Minoo-shi | Minoo City | – | 47.84 | 134,435 | ![]() | 220 |
![]() | 守口市 | Moriguchi-shi | Moriguchi City | – | 12.73 | 143,877 | ![]() | 209 |
![]() | 寝屋川市 | Neyagawa-shi | Neyagawa City | – | 24.73 | 236,758 | ![]() | 215 |
![]() | 大阪市 | Ōsaka-shi | Osaka City | – | 225.21 | 2,668,586 | ![]() | 100 |
![]() | 大阪狭山市 | Ōsaka-Sayama-shi | Osaka-Sayama City (as opposed to Sayama City in Saitama) | – | 11.86 | 57,993 | ![]() | 231 |
![]() | 堺市 | Sakai-shi | Sakai City | – | 149.82 | 828,741 | ![]() | 140 |
![]() | 泉南市 | Sennan-shi | Sennan City (Sen[shū] South City) (after Sennan District) | – | 48.48 | 62,076 | ![]() | 228 |
![]() | 摂津市 | Settsu-shi | Settsu City | – | 14.88 | 85,290 | ![]() | 224 |
![]() | 四條畷市 | Shijōnawate-shi | Shijōnawate City | – | 18.74 | 55,832 | ![]() | 229 |
![]() | 吹田市 | Suita-shi | Suita City | – | 36.11 | 378,322 | ![]() | 205 |
![]() | 高石市 | Takaishi-shi | Takaishi City | – | 11.35 | 56,583 | ![]() | 225 |
![]() | 高槻市 | Takatsuki-shi | Takatsuki City | – | 105.31 | 350,914 | ![]() | 207 |
![]() | 富田林市 | Tondabayashi-shi | Tondabayashi City | – | 39.66 | 112,993 | ![]() | 214 |
![]() | 豊中市 | Toyonaka-shi | Toyonaka City | – | 36.38 | 396,014 | ![]() | 203 |
![]() | 八尾市 | Yaoshi | Yao City | – | 41.71 | 268,013 | ![]() | 212 |
![]() | 千早赤阪村 | Chihaya-Akasaka-mura | Chihaya-Akasaka Village | Minami- (=South) Kawachi | 37.38 | 5,467 | ![]() | 383 |
![]() | 河南町 | Kanan-chō | Kanan Town | 25.26 | 16,027 | ![]() | 382 | |
| 太子町 | Taishi-chō | Taishi Town | 14.17 | 13,634 | ![]() | 381 | |
![]() | 熊取町 | Kumatori-chō | Kumatori Town | Sennan (=Sen[shū] South) | 17.23 | 43,988 | ![]() | 361 |
![]() | 岬町 | Misakichō | Misaki Town | 49.08 | 16,267 | ![]() | 366 | |
![]() | 田尻町 | Tajiri-chō | Tajiri Town | 4.96 | 8,377 | ![]() | 362 | |
| 能勢町 | Nose-chō | Nose Town | Toyono | 98.68 | 9,971 | ![]() | 322 |
| 豊能町 | Toyono-chō | Toyono Town | 34.37 | 19,519 | ![]() | 321 | |
| 島本町 | Shimamoto-chō | Shimamoto Town | Mishima | 16.78 | 29,970 | ![]() | 301 |
| 忠岡町 | Tadaoka-chō | Tadaoka Town | Senboku (=Sen[shū] North) | 4.03 | 17,187 | ![]() | 341 |
![]() | 大阪府 | Ōsaka-fu | Osaka Prefecture | – | 1,905.14 | 8,823,358 | ![]() | 000 ISO: JP-27 |
After the modern reactivation of districts in 1878/79, Osaka, including Sakai 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 Nara Prefecture 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 [rural] 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.
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. [15] Commercial sales the same year was ¥60.1 trillion. [16]
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. [17] 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%. [18] 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, [19] with its artificial satellite project. [20] 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), [21] and financial support from NEDO. [22] [23]
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.
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. [24]
As of 2020 this prefecture has about 99,000 ethnic Korean persons, the largest such population of any prefecture in Japan. [25] 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. [26]
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.
The sports teams listed below are based in Osaka.
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.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)Hankyu Corporation (阪急電鉄株式会社, Hankyū Dentetsu kabushiki gaisha, lit. 'Hankyu Electric Railway Stock Company'), trading as Hankyu Railway (阪急電鉄, Hankyū Dentetsu, lit. 'Hankyu Electric Railway'), 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 (which includes H2O Retailing Corporation and Toho Co., the creator of Godzilla). The railway's main terminal is at Umeda Station in Osaka. The signature color of Hankyu cars is maroon.
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.
Takatsuki is a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is located in northern Osaka's Hokusetsu region.
Hirakata is a city in northeastern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 December 2021, the city had an estimated population of 397,681 in 183075 households and a population density of 6100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is 65.12 square kilometres (25.14 sq mi).
Higashiōsaka is a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 January 2022, 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 61.78 square kilometres (23.85 sq mi). The city is known as one of the industrial cities of Japan and "the rugby football town".
The Osaka Metro is a major rapid transit system in the Osaka Metropolitan Area of Japan, operated by the Osaka Metro Company, Ltd. It serves the city of Osaka and the adjacent municipalities of Higashiosaka, Kadoma, Moriguchi, Sakai, Suita, and Yao. Osaka Metro forms an integral part of the extensive mass transit system of Greater Osaka, having 123 out of the 1,108 rail stations (2007) in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto region. In 2010, the greater Osaka region had 13 million rail passengers daily of which the Osaka Municipal Subway accounted for 2.29 million.
Umeda is a major commercial, business, shopping and entertainment district in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, and the city's main northern railway terminus. The district's name means "plum field".
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 kofun, keyhole-shaped burial mounds dating from the fifth century. The kofun in Sakai include the largest grave in the world by area, Daisen Kofun. Once known for swords, Sakai is now famous for the quality of its cutlery. As of 1 January 2022, the city had an estimated population of 819,965, making it the fourteenth most populous city in Japan.
Keihanshin is a metropolitan region in the Kansai region of Japan encompassing the metropolitan areas of the cities of Kyoto in Kyoto Prefecture, Osaka in Osaka Prefecture and Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture. The entire region has a population of 19,302,746 over an area of 13,228 km2 (5,107 sq mi). It is the second-most-populated urban region in Japan, containing approximately 15% of Japan's population.
Taishō is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. As of October 1, 2006, the ward has an estimated population of 72,742 and the total area is 9.43 km². Taisho is surrounded by canals and it is named after the Taisho bridge, a main bridge built in Taishō period. One fourth of residents has their roots in Okinawa Prefecture, and there are many stores associated with Okinawan culture and Okinawan cuisine in Taisho.
Kansai Science City is an unincorporated city located in the Keihanna Hills, a border region between Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara Prefectures in Kansai region, Japan. The name is commonly shortened to Keihanna Science City or Gakken-toshi (学研都市). The name Keihanna is constructed by extracting a representative kanji from Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. It is about 25 kilometers (16 mi) south of the city of Kyoto and 30 kilometers (19 mi) east of the city of Osaka. The city was constructed to help the advancement of creative arts, sciences, and research, as well as to spur the creation of new industries and cultures.
The Hankyu Senri Line 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 Line.
Makino Station is a passenger railway station in located in the city of Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway company Keihan Electric Railway.
Goten-yama Station is a passenger railway station in located in the city of Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway company Keihan Electric Railway.
Hirakatashi Station is an interchange passenger railway station in located in the city of Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, operated by the private railway operator, Keihan Electric Railway. It is numbered "KH21".
Hirakata-kōen Station is a passenger railway station in located in the city of Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway company Keihan Electric Railway.
Kōzenji Station is a passenger railway station in located in the city of Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway company Keihan Electric Railway.
Osaka International Airport, often referred to as Itami Airport is the primary regional airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Classified as a first class airport, it is the airport closest to Kyoto, 36 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of Kyoto Station.
The Sakai Route, signed as Route 15, is one of the tolled routes of the Hanshin Expressway system serving the Keihanshin area in Kansai, Japan. It travels in a north to south direction from the Chūō ward of Osaka, beginning at a junction with Sennichi-mae-dōri, to National Route 26 in the city of Sakai. The expressway has a total length of 13.4 kilometers (8.3 mi).
The Higashi-Osaka Route, signed as Route 13, is one of the tolled routes of the Hanshin Expressway system serving the Keihanshin area in Kansai, Japan. It travels in a west to east direction from the Chūō ward of Osaka, beginning at a junction with the Loop Route and Ōsakakō Route, to the Daini Hanna Road in the city of Higashiōsaka. The expressway has a total length of 12.5 kilometers (7.8 mi).