Osaka Prefecture

Osaka Prefecture is a major administrative division in Japan. It is located in the Kansai region on Honshu island. The prefecture sits on the western coast of the Kii Peninsula. Its western edge opens into Osaka Bay.

Several other prefectures border this area. Hyōgo and Kyoto sit to the north. Nara is to the east. Wakayama is to the south. Osaka is a key part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area. This is the second-most-populated urban region in Japan. It is also one of the most productive regions globally by Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Osaka is a very crowded place to live. It is the second-most densely populated prefecture in Japan. Only Tokyo has a higher population density. The prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 people.

Osaka City is the capital and the largest city. It is also the third-largest city in Japan. Other major cities include Sakai, Higashiōsaka, and Hirakata.

The prefecture is divided into 43 municipalities. These include 33 cities, nine towns, and one village. Some cities are very large. For example, Osaka City has 2,668,586 residents. Sakai is another major city that was promoted to a designated city in 2006.

The geography of Osaka has changed over time. It was once the smallest prefecture in Japan. This changed with the construction of Kansai International Airport. This airport sits on an artificial island. This new land made Osaka slightly larger than Kagawa Prefecture.

Natural areas are also important here. About 11% of the land is designated as Natural Parks. These include the Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen and Meiji no Mori Minō Quasi-National Parks. The Yodo and Yamato Rivers flow through the prefecture, providing important water sources.

History shows how the region has evolved. Before the Meiji Restoration, the area was split into three provinces. These were Kawachi, Izumi, and Settsu. Osaka Prefecture was officially created on June 21, 1868. This happened at the very start of the Meiji era. It was created earlier than many other Japanese prefectures. In 1889, the area had many small villages and towns. Over many years, these merged. By 1953, there were 149 municipalities. By 1961, that number dropped to 47. The current count of 43 was reached during the Great Heisei mergers in 2005.

Leadership in Osaka has seen historic moments. In 2000, Fusae Ota became Japan's first female governor. She replaced Knock Yokoyama, who had resigned. In 2008, Tōru Hashimoto was elected as governor. He was 38 years old at the time. This made him the youngest governor in Japan. There have also been political movements for change. The Osaka Restoration Association was created in 2010. They wanted to merge the City of Osaka with the prefecture to create the Osaka Metropolis. However, voters rejected this plan in two different referendums. The first was in 2015, and the second was in 2020.

The economy of Osaka is very strong. In 2004, the gross prefecture product was ¥38.7 trillion. This was about 48% of the entire Kinki region's economy. While huge companies like Panasonic and Sharp are famous, most businesses are smaller. In 2006, there were 330,737 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). These SMEs make up 99.6% of all businesses in the prefecture. They are very important for manufacturing. Their output accounts for 65.4% of the total manufactured goods in Osaka. This is much higher than the rates in Tokyo or Kanagawa.

Osaka is also a center for high technology. One interesting example is Astro-Technology SOHLA. This is a group of small businesses from Higashiōsaka. They work on an artificial satellite project. This project receives support from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The area is also home to the Osaka Securities Exchange. This exchange specializes in derivatives like Nikkei 225 Futures. Many different industries thrive here, including chemicals, food, and pharmaceuticals.

Even ancient history is visible through sites like the Daisenryo Kofun tombs.