Osaka Prefecture consists of 43 cities, towns and villages. The population of the prefecture is about 8.8 million. The GDP of the prefecture is about 40 trillion yen, producing about 8% of Japan.
Osaka is the economic and transportation center of the Kinki region, and forms a metropolitan area centered on Osaka city, which has a central function of the city.
It is located in the central part of the Kinki region and it shares borders with Kyoto prefecture, Nara prefecture, Hyogo prefecture, and Wakayama prefecture.
In the Edo period, Osaka prospered as a major commercial center of Japan, and was called "the kitchen of the world".
In June 2019, the 14th G20 Summit (G20 Osaka Summit) was held for the first time in Japan. It was the largest international conference held in Japan.
In Osaka Prefecture, commerce and manufacturing are highly developed, and the ratio of agriculture is low. In recent years, the international tourism industry has become active, and the visit rate of foreign tourists in 2019 was the highest in Japan.
In the 2021 Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI) published by a British think tank, Osaka is rated as the 32nd largest financial center in the world.
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Population
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8.8 million (Prefecture)
2.6 million (City)
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Major places to visit (in Osaka City)
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Universal Studio Japan
Osaka Castle
Namba and Dotonbori district
Kaiyukan Aquarium
Kuromon Market
Tsutenkaku Tower
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Major places to visit (outside Osaka City)
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Cup Noodle Museum Osaka Ikeda
Suntory Yamazaki Distillery
Arima Onsen (Hyogo prefecture)
Kinosaki Onsen (Hyogo prefecture)
Nanki Shirahama Onsen (Wakayama prefecture)
Awaji Island (Hyogo prefecture)
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Local specialty food
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Okonomiyaki
Takoyaki
Kushikatsu
Kintsuba
Japanese cheesecake
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Rankings
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2nd - Global Liveability Index (2021)
2nd - Condé Nast traveler 2021 Readers' Choice Awards
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Sports
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Hanshin Tigers (Baseball)
Gamba Osaka (Soccer)
Cerezo Osaka (Soccer)
Sumo Tournament (March)
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Corporation
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Panasonic, Daikin, Keyence, Kubota
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Event
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Tenjin Festival (late July)
Sumiyoshi Festival (July 30, 31 and August 1)
Kishiwada Danjiri Festival (mid September)
Osaka Marathon (late October)
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University
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Osaka University
Osaka Metropolitan University
Kwansei Gakuin University
Kansai University
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Access
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Shinkansen
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Tokyo - Shin Osaka (2hr 30min)
Hakone (Odawara) - Shin Osaka ()
Nagoya - Shin Osaka ()
Hiroshima - Shin Osaka (1hr 40min)
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Train (between cities)
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Osaka - Kyoto (30 min)
Osaka - Hiroshima (1hr 20min)
Kanazawa (Naha) - Hiroshima (1hr 45min)
Sapporo (Shin Chitose) - Hiroshima (2hr)
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Train (inside Osaka)
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Osaka station - Namba station (10 min)
Shin Osaka station - Osaka station (4 min)
Shin Osaka station - Namba station (15 min)
USJ - Osaka station (15 min by 2 trains)
USJ - Namba station (25 min by 2 trains)
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Domestic flight
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Haneda - Itami (1hr)
Narita - Itami (1hr)
Sapporo - Itami (2hr)
Naha (Okinawa) - Itami (2hr)
Sendai - Itami (1hr 20min)
Kumamoto - Itami (1hr)
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To / From Kansai International Airport (KIX)
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By Bus
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Osaka station (1hr)
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Namba station (1hr)
By Train (JR Haruka)
By Train (Nankai Line)
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To / From Itami International Airport (ITM)
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By Limousine Bus
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Osaka station (30 min)
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Namba station (30 min)
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Tennoji station (30 min)
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