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Osaka

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Asia

   CAPTION: Osaka City
   大阪市

                 Location of Osaka City
   Osaka City's location in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
                        Location
   Country       Japan
   Region        Kansai
   Prefecture    Osaka Prefecture
                Physical characteristics
   Area          222.11 km²
   Population (as of February 2006)
        Total    2,629,252
         Density 11,838/ km²
   Location      34°41′37″N, 135°30′7″E
                         Symbols
   Tree          Sakura
   Flower        Pansy
                     Osaka City Hall
   Mayor         Junichi Seki
   Address       〒530-8201
                 Osaka-shi,Kita-ku
                 Nakanoshima 1-3-20
   Phone number  06-6208-8181
              Official website: Osaka City

   Coordinates: 34°41′37″N, 135°30′7″E

   Osaka (大阪市, Ōsaka-shi^ ?) listen  is the capital of Osaka Prefecture
   and the third-largest city in Japan, with a population of 2.7 million.
   It is located in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū, at the
   mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay.

   Osaka is the historical commercial capital of Japan and is still one of
   Japan's major industrial centers and ports, the heart of the
   Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area, which has a population of
   18,644,000 . The city's daytime (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) population is second
   in Japan after Tokyo.

History

   The area which now consists of Osaka city was originally called Naniwa
   (難波, 浪華 or 浪花), a name which still exists as the names of districts in
   central Osaka as Naniwa (浪速) and Namba (難波). Emperor Kōtoku made this
   area his capital, and named it Naniwa-no-miya (the capital of Naniwa).
   It has always been a vital connection, by land and sea, between Yamato
   (modern day Nara Prefecture), Korea, and China. Settsu, a former
   province of Japan, consisted of the northern part of modern Osaka
   prefecture and the seaside part of Hyogo Prefecture.

   Historical records seem to indicate that the Yamato people (the
   Japanese) first came upon the area, at the mouth of the Yodo River, in
   663. They met resistance from the native people of the region, and
   fought them for roughly five years, before enthroning their emperor at
   a site called Kashiwabara. Naniwa was founded by Emperor Temmu in 683,
   in the location of what is now Osaka's Hōenzaka-chō District. In the
   seventh and eighth centuries, Naniwa served as the site of several
   Emperors' pleasure palaces. The city also served as one of the primary
   ports, providing economic and cultural contact with T'ang Dynasty
   China. Naniwa ceased to be the capital in 745, when the Imperial Court
   moved to Shigaraki no Miya and then to Heijo-kyō (now Nara). It
   remained a lively port for some time, but fell into decline by the 15th
   century.

   In 1496, the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist sect set up their headquarters, the
   heavily fortified Ishiyama Hongan-ji temple on top of the ruins of the
   old Naniwa imperial palace. In 1570, Oda Nobunaga started a siege of
   the temple that went on to last for ten years. The monks finally
   surrendered in 1580, the temple was razed and Toyotomi Hideyoshi took
   the place for his own castle, Osaka Castle.
   Osaka Castle
   Enlarge
   Osaka Castle

   It is unclear when the name Ōsaka (written 大坂) gained prominence over
   Naniwa, but the oldest usage of the name dates back to 1496 in a text
   written about the foundation of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji. At this time,
   the pronunciation was Ōzaka. Over time, the "z" became voiceless.
   Osaka City
   Enlarge
   Osaka City

   In the beginning of Meiji Era, the government changed the second kanji
   坂　to 阪 because of the previous one could, if the radicals were read
   separately, be interpreted as "(will) return to soil" (土に返る), which
   seemed a bit gloomy. This remains the official spelling today, though
   the old one is still in limited use.

   Osaka was for a long time Japan's most important economic centre with a
   large percentage of the population belonging to the merchant class (see
   Four divisions of society). Over the course of the Edo period
   (1603-1867), Osaka grew into one of Japan's major cities, and returned
   to its ancient role as a lively and important port. Its popular culture
   was closely related to ukiyo-e depictions of life in Edo. Developing in
   parallel with the urban culture of Kyoto and Edo, Osaka likewise
   featured bunraku and grand kabuki productions, pleasure quarters, and a
   lively artistic community.

   The modern city was designated on September 1, 1956 by government
   ordinance.

Attractions

   Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan)
   Enlarge
   Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan)

   Central Osaka is divided into two sections: Kita (北) ( north) and
   Minami (南) ( south). The retail district of Umeda (梅田) is located in
   Kita, while the entertainment area around Dotonbori Bridge with its
   famous giant mechanical crab, Triangle Park and Amerikamura ("America
   Village") is in Minami. Minami is also home to the Shinsaibashi (心斎橋)
   and Ebisubashi shopping districts. The central business district,
   including the courts and major banks, is primarily located in
   Yodoyabashi and Honmachi (本町), between Kita and Minami. Business
   districts have also formed around the city's secondary rail termini,
   such as Tennoji Station (天王寺駅) and Kyobashi Station (京橋駅).

   Osaka is known for bunraku (traditional puppet theatre) and kabuki
   theatre, and for manzai, a more contemporary form of stand-up comedy.
   Tourist attractions include:

Amusement Parks

     * Expoland
     * Festival Gate
     * Universal Studios Japan

Entertainment and Shopping Districts

     * American Village (Ame-mura)
     * Den Den Town electrical goods shopping district
     * Dotonbori
     * Doyama-cho Gay District
     * Shin-Kabuki-za
     * Shinsekai district and Tsutenkaku Tower
     * Tobita red-light district

Historical Sites

     * Osaka Castle
     * Hiromitsu Ishida's Birthplace
     * Shitennō-ji Temple
     * Tobitashinchi

Museums and Galleries

     * Farmhouse Museum in Hattori Ryokuchi Park
     * Museum of Oriental Ceramics Founded in 1982. It houses 2000 pieces
       of ceramics, among them designated National Treasures. It also
       features a natural-light gallery for its Korean celadon pottery.
     * National Museum of Art, Osaka
     * National Museum Of Ethnology (Minpaku) with 12000 artifacts (250000
       in store) on 9,000 square meters that stretch over 5 km.
     * Osaka City Museum
     * Osaka International Peace Centre (Peace Osaka)
     * Osaka Municipal Oriental Porcelain Museum
     * Osaka Municipal Science Museum
     * Osaka Prefectural Museum of Kamigata Comedy and Performing Arts

Parks

     * Nakanoshima Park
     * Osaka Castle
     * Sumiyoshi Park
     * Tennoji Park
     * Nishinari Park

Temples and Shrines

     * Shitennō-ji Temple
     * Sumiyoshi Taisha

Other

     * Kaiyukan (海遊館) — an aquarium located in Osaka Bay, containing
       35,000 aquatic animals in 14 tanks, the largest of which is the
       world's largest aquarium tank, holding 5,400 tons of water and
       housing a variety of sea animals including whale sharks.
     * " Toilets of the World" exhibit in the International Finance Centre
       in Osaka Business Park (OBP), located just north of Osaka Castle
       park.
     * Osaka Public Nakanoshima Library
     * Osaka Central Public Hall
     * Namba Grand Kagetsu
     * Tennoji Zoo
     * Asia Pacific Trade Centre
     * Osaka WTC Building
     * Osaka Dome
     * Osaka-jo Hall
     * Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

Transport

   Kansai International Airport is the main airport: it is a rectangular
   artificial island which sits off-shore in Osaka Bay and services Osaka
   and its surrounding satellite cities of Nara, Kobe, and Kyoto. Kansai
   is the geographical term for the area of western Honshū surrounding
   Osaka. The airport is linked by a bus and train service into the centre
   of the city and major suburbs.

   Osaka International Airport in Itami and Toyonaka still houses most of
   the domestic service from the metropolitan region: its proximity to the
   Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto city centers outweighs its noise restrictions.

   Besides the Osaka Municipal Subway system there is a network of both JR
   and private lines connecting the suburbs of the city, and Osaka to its
   neighbours. Keihan and Hankyu line connect to Kyoto, Hanshin and Hankyu
   line connect to Kobe, the Kintetsu line connects to Nara and Nagoya,
   and the Nankai line to Wakayama.

Wards

   Osaka has 24 wards (ku), one more than Tokyo:
   Osaka's Umeda Sky Building
   Enlarge
   Osaka's Umeda Sky Building
     * Abeno-ku
     * Asahi-ku
     * Chūō-ku
     * Fukushima-ku
     * Higashinari-ku
     * Higashisumiyoshi-ku
     * Higashiyodogawa-ku
     * Hirano-ku
     * Ikuno-ku
     * Joto-ku
     * Kita-ku
     * Konohana-ku

                            * Minato-ku
                            * Miyakojima-ku
                            * Naniwa-ku
                            * Nishi-ku
                            * Nishinari-ku
                            * Nishiyodogawa-ku
                            * Suminoe-ku
                            * Sumiyoshi-ku
                            * Taisho-ku
                            * Tennoji-ku
                            * Tsurumi-ku
                            * Yodogawa-ku

Demographics

   A crowd in Namba
   Enlarge
   A crowd in Namba

   As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 2,640,097 and the
   density of 11,894 persons per square kilometre. The total area is
   221.30 km².

   The people of Osaka speak a dialect of standard Japanese called
   Osaka-ben, characterised, most prominently amongst other
   particularities, by the use of the suffix hen instead of nai in the
   negative of verbs.

   About 118,000 foreign residents are registered in the city. Its 91,500
   Korean residents are mainly concentrated around Ikuno Ward, where a
   famous Korean town, Tsuruhashi, is located.

Economy

   Osaka Business Park
   Enlarge
   Osaka Business Park

   Historically, Osaka was the centre of Japanese commerce, especially in
   the middle and premodern ages. Today, many major companies have moved
   their main offices to Tokyo, especially from the end of 1990s, but
   several major companies are still based in Osaka. Below are some of the
   companies based in Osaka.

Major companies based in Osaka

     * Capcom
     * Daimaru
     * Ezaki Glico
     * Hankyu Railway
     * Hanshin Electric Railway
     * ITOCHU
     * Kintetsu Corporation
     * Kurabo Industries
     * Kansai Electric Power Company
     * Keyence
     * Matsushita (Panasonic)
     * Marubeni
     * Nankai Electric Railway
     * Nissin

                                      * Nova
                                      * Osaka Gas
                                      * Resona Holdings, Inc.
                                      * Roland
                                      * Sanyo
                                      * Sharp
                                      * Sumitomo Group
                                      * Suntory
                                      * Takashimaya
                                      * Takeda Chemical Industries
                                      * Toyobo Corporation
                                      * West Japan Railway Company (JR West)

Education

   Public elementary and junior high schools in Osaka are operated by the
   Osaka City Board of Education , with public high schools being operated
   by the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education.

   Osaka city once had a large number of universities, but because of
   growing campuses many universites chose to move outwards to different
   suburbs. Osaka is still a centre of higher education in Japan,
   comparable to Kyoto or Tokyo's 23 special wards. Osaka Prefecture's
   most prestigous university, Osaka University, is however located in the
   nearby Suita.
     * Kansai University
     * Osaka City University
     * Osaka University of Economics
     * Osaka Institute of Technology
     * Osaka Jogakuin College
     * Osaka Seikei University
     * SOAI University
     * Osaka University of Arts

Culture

   Much can be said on the way the people of Osaka are perceived by people
   outside of Osaka, especially Tokyoites. The large bulk of these
   attributed features are in fact most of the time just exaggerated
   stereotypes, brought about by the portrayal of Osaka people by Tokyo
   television, and the almost extreme dominance of Osaka comedians in the
   manzai sphere. While the people of Osaka might embrace some of the
   stereotypes, and most feel a big divide between them and the Kanto
   Japanese, many will also be irritated how Tokyoites make fun of Osaka
   based only on what the Kanto produced TV programmes tell them about the
   city. A clear example of this was when Tokyo-based (but Shikoku-born)
   comedian Saibara Rieko made a remark on a variety show warning somebody
   going to Osaka that the tap water in Osaka prefecture is dirty and that
   they should make sure they didn't drink it. What was only a remark in
   passing became a big deal to the Osaka Waterworks which invited Saibara
   to Osaka to perform a blind test and see if she could distinguish local
   tap water from Tokyo tap water and mineral water. The blind test was
   televised, but to the disappointment of Osaka Waterworks, Saibara did
   recognize the Osaka water. Nevertheless, an apology was stated and
   Saibara said the Osaka water wasn't bad at all.

   Some of the common features attributed to Osaka people are being good
   businesspeople, bustling with energy, happy and outgoing.

   Osaka is also known for its food, as supported by the saying "Dress (in
   kimonos) till you drop in Kyoto, eat till you drop in Osaka"
   (京の着倒れ、大阪の食い倒れ). Osaka regional cuisine includes okonomiyaki (pan-fried
   batter cake), takoyaki ( octopus dumplings), udon (a noodle dish), as
   well as regional sushi and other traditional Japanese foods. It is said
   that to succeed in the Osaka food service business, the food must taste
   above-average, have larger servings than normal, be inexpensive and
   fast.

   Being a big, business-based city, Osakans are thought of as always
   being in a rush. People consider a waiting period of more than 5
   minutes too long in most cases. The typical Osakan will not wait for
   traffic signals to cross a street if there is no traffic.

Sister cities, Friendship and Cooperation cities, and Sister Ports

   Osaka has eight sister cities and relationships of various sorts with
   several others .

   Sister cities:
     * United States Chicago, United States
     * Germany Hamburg, Germany
     * United States San Francisco, United States
     * Brazil São Paulo, Brazil
     * People's Republic of China Shanghai, People's Republic of China
     * Australia Melbourne, Australia
     * Italy Milan, Italy
     * Russia Saint Petersburg, Russia
     * United Arab Emirates Dubai, United Arab Emirates

   Friendship and cooperation cities:
     * Hungary Budapest, Hungary
     * Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina
     * Philippines Manila, Philippines

   Osaka also has a number of sister ports, and several business partner
   cities.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
