Osaka Prefecture (大阪府, Ōsaka-fu) is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area. Osaka Prefecture is one of the two urban prefectures of Japan, Kyoto Prefecture being the other (Tokyo is considered a "metropolitan prefecture" rather than an urban prefecture).
History
Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Osaka prefecture was known as Kawachi, Izumi, and Settsu provinces.
Osaka Prefecture was created on June 21, 1868, at the very beginning of the Meiji era. 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.
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, TÅru Hashimoto, previously famous as a counselor on television, was elected at the age of 38 as the youngest governor in Japan.
Reform
In 2010, the Osaka Restoration Association was created with backing by Governor TÅru 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.
Geography
Osaka Prefecture neighbors the prefectures of HyÅgo 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.
As of 1 April 2012, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely KongÅ-Ikoma-Kisen and Meiji no Mori MinÅ Quasi-National Parks and Hokusetsu and Hannan-Misaki Prefectural Natural Parks.
Cities
Thirty-three cities are located in Osaka Prefecture:
Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages in each district:
Mergers
Economy
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. Commercial sales the same year was ¥60.1 trillion.
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. 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%. 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, with its artificial satellite project. 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), and financial support from NEDO.
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.
Major companies
Major factories and research institutes
Demographics
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.
Culture
Temples and Shrines
- ShitennÅ-ji
- Kanshin-ji
- Sumiyoshi Taisha
Museums
- National Museum of Ethnology, Japan [1]
- Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses (Hattori Ryokuchi Park)
- OSTEC (Osaka Science and Technology Center) Exhibition Hall
- Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Osaka [2]
Education
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
- 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 (ÅŒsakasayama, Sakai)
Parks
- 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.
- 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
Rail
- 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
- Kintetsu Osaka Line
- Kintetsu Nara Line
- Kintetsu Shigi Line
- Kintetsu Keihanna Line
- Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line
- Kintetsu Domyoji Line
- Kintetsu 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
- Nankai Takashinohama Line
- Nankai Tanagawa Line
- Nankai Airport Line
- Nankai Koya Line
- Senboku Rapid Railway
- Mizuma Railway
- Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway
People movers
- Osaka Monorail
- Nanko Port Town Line
Road
Expressways
National highways
Airports
- Osaka International Airport - Domestic flights
- Kansai International Airport - International and domestic flights
Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Osaka.
Football (soccer)
League
- Gamba Osaka
- Cerezo Osaka
Non-league
- F.C. Osaka
Baseball
- Orix Buffaloes
Basketball
- Osaka Evessa
Volleyball
- Osaka Blazers Sakai
- Suntory Sunbirds
- Panasonic Panthers
Rugby union
- Kintetsu Liners
Prefectural symbols
The symbol of Osaka Prefecture, called the sennari byÅtan or "thousand gourds," was originally the crest of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the feudal lord of Osaka Castle.
Miscellanea
- Osaka and Akita are the only unlandlocked prefectures that do not have any natural islands.
- The first conveyor belt sushi originated in Higashiosaka in Osaka Prefecture.
See also
- Politics of Osaka
- Osaka Metropolis plan
- List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan
Notes
References
- Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 10-ISBN 0-674-01753-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128
External links
- Official Osaka Prefecture homepage
- Osaka Tourism & Convention Guidance homepage
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