Osaka
| Osaka 大阪 |
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| — Designated city — | |||
| 大阪市 · Osaka City | |||
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 Osaka
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| Coordinates: 34°41′38″N 135°30′8″E / 34.69389°N 135.50222°ECoordinates: 34°41′38″N 135°30′8″E / 34.69389°N 135.50222°E | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Kansai | ||
| Prefecture | Osaka | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Toru Hashimoto in office since December 19, 2011 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 223.00 km2 (86.10 sq mi) | ||
| Population (January 1, 2012) | |||
| • Total | 2,871,680 | ||
| • Density | 12,877.49/km2 (33,352.5/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
| City Symbols | |||
| - Tree | Sakura | ||
| - Flower | Pansy | ||
| Phone number | 06-6208-8181 | ||
| Address | 1-3-20 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Ōsaka-shi, Ōsaka-fu 530-8201 |
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| Website | www.city.osaka.lg.jp/contents/wdu020/english | ||
Osaka (大阪) is the capital city of Osaka Prefecture[1] which faces Osaka Bay and the Seto Inland Sea.[2]
Osaka is in the Kansai region. It is the economic and cultural center of the Kansai region.
Since 1980 it had been the second largest city in Japan.
It is a city designated by government ordinance in Japan.[3]
Contents |
History [change]
Sometimes it is called by its historical name Naniwa.
Because it is by the sea, it is good for transportation. That is why an ancient emperor made Osaka the capital city. In the early part of the 8th century Naniwa was one of capitals of Japan. In the middle of the 16th century Toyotomi Hideyoshi founded Osaka castle and governed Japan in Osaka. The basis of development of Osaka was prepared in those times. Osaka castle was destroyed once by Tokugawa Ieyasu but Ieyasu choose Osaka as one of the political centers in the Western Japan. He made Osaka a direct dominion of the shogun. During the Edo period Osaka was a center of commerce, finance, pharmacy and other products. It was a center for literature and theater. Kabuki in Osaka is as famous as Kabuki in Edo and Kyoto. It is also known for bunraku (a traditional puppet theater) and manzai (a kind of stand-up comedy).
Traditional Osaka food dishes include okonomiyaki (pan-fried batter cake) and takoyaki (octopus dumplings).
In this region, many people speak a dialect called Osaka-Ben (e.g. "ookini"="thank you").
After the Meiji restoration Osaka was modernized and industrialized. It was a center of Japanese industry. After the World War II its economical importance was relatively less because Tokyo grew as an international city and many companies moved their headquarters to Tokyo. But Osaka is still a large, important city.
Entertainment [change]
The most famous theme park in Osaka is UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN. It is called USJ. There are shows, popular characters and musicals. So, everyone can enjoy from adult to children.
Football clubs in Osaka [change]
References [change]
- ↑ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Ōsaka" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 759.
- ↑ Nussbaum, "Ōsaka-fu" at p. 759.
- ↑ Buhnik, Sophie. "From Shrinking Cities to Toshi no Shukushō: Identifying Patterns of Urban Shrinkage in the Osaka Metropolitan Area," Berkeley Planning Journal, Vol. 23, No. 1 (2001), p. 135 [PDF 4 of 24]; retrieved 2012-12-2.
