Osaka’s population and ethnicity

During the Edo period, Osaka, Edo and Kyoto were listed as the "Three Capitals" and were one of the most populous cities in Japan. According to current research by scholars, Osaka had a population of about 220,000 people in 1650; in 1750, it had a population of about 410,000 people. In the 1760s, Osaka's population reached its peak during the Edo period, and then declined. In 1850, Osaka's population was approximately 330,000. When Osaka was established as a city in 1889, it had a population of 476,271. In 1920, with the expansion of the city, Osaka's population increased to 2,114,804 people, surpassing Tokyo to become the largest city in Japan. In 1940, Osaka City had a population of 3.25 million, reaching its pre-war peak. During World War II, Osaka's population dropped significantly as the government forced people to evacuate to rural areas. At the end of the war, Osaka had a population of about 1.1 million. In 1955, Osaka City's urban area expanded again, and with the post-war population returning to the city, Osaka City's population rose to 2.55 million. In 1965, Osaka City's population reached 3,156,222, the highest post-war population in Osaka. Since then, the population of Osaka City has declined due to the advancement of suburbanization. In 2000, Osaka City's population dropped to 2,598,774 people. However, after the 2000s, Osaka Prefecture's population began to concentrate back into Osaka City, and the population began to rebound. In November 2014, Osaka had a population of approximately 2.687 million.

In 1940, Osaka City had a population of 3.25 million, reaching its pre-war peak. During World War II, Osaka's population dropped significantly as the government forced people to evacuate to rural areas. At the end of the war, Osaka had a population of about 1.1 million. In 1955, Osaka City's urban area expanded again, and with the post-war population returning to the city, Osaka City's population rose to 2.55 million. In 1965, Osaka City's population reached 3,156,222, the highest post-war population in Osaka. Since then, the population of Osaka City has declined due to the advancement of suburbanization. In 2000, Osaka City's population dropped to 2,598,774 people. However, after the 2000s, Osaka Prefecture's population began to concentrate back into Osaka City, and the population began to rebound. In 2014, Osaka had a population of approximately 2.67 million. Osaka *** has a foreign population of 115,705, of which the largest number are South Koreans and North Koreans in Japan, with 72,980 people, followed by the Chinese in Japan, with 26,094 people.

If the Keihanshin metropolitan area centered on Osaka is regarded as a city, it has a population of approximately 18.77 million people, second only to the metropolitan area centered on Tokyo (approximately 36.8 million people) in Japan.

Osaka City is located on the shores of Osaka Bay in the southwest of Honshu Island, Japan, on the edge of the Seto Inland Sea. It is the capital of Osaka Prefecture and the center of industry, commerce, water, land and air transportation in the Kansai region.

In modern times, as a central area for material circulation, it developed into a commercial city known as the "Kitchen of the World". The unique longing for freedom and hard-working and enterprising temperament of Osaka businessmen are a major characteristic of Osaka. The essence of traditional Japanese art and culture, such as Joruri and Kabuki, has been preserved and continues to this day. At the same time, the food culture known as "poor eating" has also continued to develop. Osaka is divided into 26 administrative districts. The urban layout is in a grid shape, with the east, west, south and north districts being the city center. Government agencies are mostly concentrated in Higashi Ward and Nakanoshima; financial institutions and banks are mostly concentrated in Imabashi, Koryobashi, Midosuji and other places; companies, trading companies, and offices are concentrated in Nakanoshima, Dojima and other places; Umeda and Patton soil layers As well as the three major downtown areas of Shinsekai with Tsutenkaku as the center, gathering famous theaters, cinemas, hotels and department stores.

In the Hanshin Industrial Zone, one of the four major industrial zones in Japan formed with Osaka as the center, there are about 30 satellite cities. The industries are mainly machine manufacturing, chemical industry, shipbuilding and petrochemical industry. The industrial output value accounts for about 10% of Japan's total. One-fifth of the country's total industrial output value. Osaka Port, founded in 1897, is an important international trade port in Japan, with more than 200 berths. Kansai International Airport in Osaka Bay is Japan's most modern international airport built after 20 years of reclamation and island construction. The airport was completed and put into operation in September 1994. It is designed to transport more than 30 million passengers and more than 1.4 million tons of cargo annually. In addition, Osaka also has a dense cobweb-like highway network and several Shinkansen railways connected to important cities such as Tokyo, Yokohama, and Nagoya. Therefore, Osaka is also an important transportation hub and a major city for economic development in Japan.

The service industry accounts for the largest proportion of Osaka's economy, among which commerce, finance, and information industries account for a larger proportion. The Chuo-ku and Kita-ku in downtown Osaka are the central business districts of Osaka, where many companies, government departments and commercial facilities are concentrated. Nakanoshima in Kita Ward is home to institutions and companies such as the Osaka Branch of the Bank of Japan, the Osaka City Government, Sumitomo Life and Kansai Electric Power. Kitahama is home to the Osaka Exchange and many banks and securities companies, making it the largest financial district in Osaka. These two areas can be said to be the core of Osaka's central business district. The Umeda area and Namba area where Osaka Station is located are the two major commercial core areas in the north and south of Osaka, with many department stores and other commercial facilities gathered together. Midosuji, which connects these two major commercial districts, has many shops and is also a bustling commercial district.

The Umeda area in front of Osaka Station Plaza, the Barton Floor in Minami Ward, and Shinsekai with Tsutenkaku as the center are the three major downtown areas in Osaka. Kitahama and Imabashi areas are financial centers. In addition, there is a "Rainbow City" underground in the center of Osaka that can accommodate 500,000 people. There are many shops here and they are brightly lit day and night. It is a world-famous underground "city that never sleeps". Compared with other large cities in Japan, Osaka City is an area with a smaller number of universities and a smaller proportion of university student population. In 2009, there were approximately 32,000 college students studying at universities and junior colleges in Osaka City. The number of colleges per capita ranked fourth from the bottom among cities designated by government decree, and the per capita number of college students ranked last. There used to be many universities in Osaka City, but due to the small area of ??Osaka city and the restrictions of factory and other regulations, many universities have moved to areas outside Osaka City. However, there are still many universities setting up satellite campuses in Osaka.

Osaka City has two public universities, Osaka University of Education (Tennoji Campus) and Osaka City University, as well as private universities such as Osaka University of Economics and Osaka Institute of Technology, totaling 11 universities. Among the universities that originated in Osaka but have now moved to the outskirts of Osaka City, Osaka University, Osaka Prefecture University, and Kansai University are the larger ones. Among them, Osaka University ranks among the seven old imperial universities in Japan and is still one of the universities with the highest teaching and research standards in Japan. Kansai University is one of the well-known "Kuan Guan Tongli" private universities. In terms of compulsory and secondary education, Osaka City now has 306 elementary schools, 154 junior high schools and 94 high schools. In ancient times, Osaka was called Naniwa, Namiwa or Namba. Because it is close to the Seto Inland Sea, it has been an important gateway to the ancient capitals Nara and Kyoto since ancient times. It is the earliest area for the development of commerce and trade in Japan. From the 4th to 7th centuries AD, several generations of Japanese emperors established their capitals here (313-412 AD, 645-683 AD). According to Japanese historical records, Emperor Jimmu took a boat to sail eastward from Kyushu on an inspection tour. When he arrived near Osaka, the water was turbulent and the waves were rolling. He called this place "Naniwa". Namiwa or Namba have similar meanings to Naniwa. Since the 19th century AD, it was renamed Osaka. The reason is that the nearby area is mountainous and the slopes around Kamimachidai are vast and gentle. Risaka means slope in Japanese. It was originally called Osaka and later evolved into Osaka. In 1583, Toyotomi Hideyoshi mobilized 30,000 migrant workers to carry out extensive construction work. It took him three years to build Osaka Castle into a military fortress on a dangerous terrain. He used huge stones to build tall and solid walls. In some places, it was as high as 10 meters, making it the tallest among all ancient city walls in Japan. of. Magnificent and gorgeous palaces and unique houses were built in the city. The yellow roofs and gilded carved beams and columns fully demonstrated Japan's superb architectural art at that time. In addition, canals were excavated and bridges were built in low-lying areas in the west, giving Osaka the titles of "Water City" and "Bridge City". Today's Osaka Castle was rebuilt and expanded by Shogun Hidetada in 1620 on the site of the original castle, and the beautiful and towering castle tower was rebuilt. As a city with a long history, Osaka has a large number of places of interest, among which the famous Shitennoji Temple was built in 593. The entire temple has more than 40 buildings such as golden pagodas, five-story pagodas, and lecture halls. The Lotus Sutra fans collected in the temple, Considered a national treasure of Japan, the original building was destroyed by fire and war, and the current building was rebuilt as it was in 1963. The ancient Osaka Castle built by General Hideyoshi in 1583 has a moat and a 12-kilometer-long city wall. The castle tower in the city is 56 meters high and is a 5-story, 9-story building. The pavilion displays fine arts from the Momoyama period from 1568 to 1598 AD. Treasure. Tenmangu Shrine, built in 949, is where the Tenjin Festival (one of the three major festivals in Japan) is held on July 24th and 25th every year.

There are also the ruins of the ancient imperial palace Nambagu in the Nara period, the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine dedicated to the ancient god of war, song, and the guardian of the sea, the Daidai Buddhist temple in the Heian period, the Danju Gon in the Edo period, and the Izumibukan in the Meiji period, etc. Ancient architecture allows Osaka City to maintain its ancient style in a modern atmosphere.

Osaka is the fashion center of the Kansai region of Japan, with an extremely rich variety of products, complete shopping facilities, and developed circulation. Osaka people usually divide Osaka into North City (KITA) and South City (MINAMI).

The main commercial areas of the North City include Osaka Station, Umeda, Kitashinchi, Kyobashi, Sakuranomiya and other places. Among them, there are many high-end department stores concentrated around Osaka Station and Umeda Station, which are the best places for shopping for high-end goods. There are relatively cheap products in nearby underground shopping malls and streets.

The main commercial areas of Nancheng include Shinsaibashi, Namba, Sennichimae, Kuromon Market, Tennoji, Nihonbashi, Nangang Tempozan area and other bustling shopping areas. Among them, there are several large department stores near Namba Station. The Nihonbashi area adjacent to Namba is Osaka's "Akihabara", where many electronics stores and duty-free shops are concentrated.

Umeda Shopping District

Umeda Shopping District brings together the latest and most avant-garde products. On weekends, a large number of young people gather in the station aisle here to make homemade "hippie" and " "Jazz" or "hip-hop" has become Osaka's unique modern cultural landscape.

Namba Park

Namba Park integrates parks, art, etc., and has become a base for fun and shopping for new people in Osaka.

Osaka American Village

Osaka American Village not only has a unique and interesting environment and architecture, but also has many three-dimensional artworks, murals and other highly modern art works. Osaka has a subway system with 8 lines with a total length of 153 kilometers (excluding direct sections with private railways), which is operated by the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau. If the direct section with private railways is included, the coverage of this system has reached Nara Prefecture and is close to Kyoto Prefecture.

The Shinkansen is one of the main means of transportation in Osaka City. Shin-Osaka Station is both the terminus of the Tokaido Shinkansen and the starting point of the Sanyo Shinkansen. In terms of urban rail transportation, the Osaka Station-Umeda Station area in the north and the Namba Station area in the south are the two major railway transportation hub areas in Osaka City. West Japan Railway (JR-West) is headquartered in Osaka and is the largest railway company in Osaka. JR West's Osaka Loop Line is the transportation artery of Osaka, and Osaka Station, where major lines such as the Osaka Loop Line, JR Kyoto Line, and JR Kobe Line gather together, is the station with the largest passenger flow of JR West in Osaka. JR West's other railway lines in Osaka include the Sakurajima Line, JR Takarazuka Line, JR Tozai Line, Katamachi Line (Gakken City Line), Osaka East Line, Kansai Main Line (Yamato Line), and Hanwa Line. The five major private railway companies in Kansai all use Osaka as their train operation center. Umeda Station is a hub station for Hanshin Electric Railway and Hankyu Electric Railway. Hanshin Electric Railway operates two lines in Osaka, the Hanshin Main Line and the Hanshin Namba Line, mainly serving passengers between Osaka and Kobe; Hankyu Electric Railway operates four lines: the Kobe Line, Takarazuka Line, Kyoto Line, and Senri Line. Coverage includes the Hanshin area, northern Osaka Prefecture, and southern Kyoto Prefecture. Keihan Electric Railway's base in Osaka is Kyobashi Station. It operates two lines, the Keihan Main Line and the Nakanoshima Line, mainly serving passengers between Osaka and Kyoto. Namba Station is the hub station of Kinki Japan Railway and Nankai Electric Railway in Osaka. Kinki Japan Railway has three lines in Osaka City: the Nara Line, the Osaka Line, and the Minami-Osaka Line, which mainly serve passengers between Osaka and Nara and Tokai areas. Nankai Electric Railway has two lines, Nankai Main Line and Koya Line, in Osaka City. Its main service areas are southern Osaka Prefecture and northern Wakayama Prefecture. Nankai's subsidiary Hankai Electric Railway also owns two lines in Osaka, the Hankai Line and the Uemachi Line, which are important transportation modes connecting Osaka City and Sakai City. The Osaka Municipal Subway is operated by the Osaka City Transportation Bureau and is the transportation artery of Osaka City. Osaka Municipal Subway currently includes nine lines, including the Midosuji Line, Tanimachi Line, Yotsubashi Line, Chuo Line, Sennichimae Line, Sakaisuji Line, Nagahori Tsurumi Ryokuchi Line, Nanko Port City Line, and Imazatosuji Line. Among them, the Midosuji Line The largest number of passengers. The Japanese dialect in the Osaka area is called Osaka Benz. It is one of the most spoken Japanese dialects in Japan and the most representative dialect among the Kinki dialects. In the past, the dialects in Osaka were different depending on the occupations of the citizens. However, with the frequent exchanges between various parts of the city, the dialects in Osaka have become unified.

The pronunciation characteristics of Osaka dialect include weaker pronunciation of consonants and stronger pronunciation of vowels; more use of plucked sounds (ん), etc. Due to the developed culture of Osaka, the Osaka dialect has spread throughout Japan through various media and has had an impact on standard Japanese, showing that the Osaka dialect is the most dynamic dialect among Japanese dialects. Tokayō

The "Tokayō" held by Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, every year, many people come in groups to pray for family fortune and business prosperity. They buy bamboo branches here to ensure success in their business. Location: Imamiya Ebisu Shrine, Date: January 9th - January 11th.

Mint Cherry Blossom Passage

Cherry blossom viewing is an essential spring activity anywhere in Japan. The most typical cherry blossom viewing activity and place in Osaka is the "Sakura Passage" near the Mint. The special thing here is the collection of various types of cherry blossoms - as many as 131 varieties and 350 trees. Location: Osaka Mint, Date: Mid-April.

Sumiyoshi Festival

To commemorate Prince Shotoku, commemorative activities are held every year at Shitennoji Temple to comfort the souls of the deceased. On the stone stage on the turtle pond, the palace dance and music allow you to fully experience the historical interest. Location: Shitennoji Temple, Date: July-August.

Tenjin Festival

The Tenjin Festival with a history of more than 1,050 years is held every year on July 24th and 25th. It is known as the three major festivals in Japan, along with the Gion Festival in Kyoto and the Jinten Festival in Tokyo. On the 25th, there were more than 100 large and small ships traveling on Dachuan. Location: Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, Date: July 24th to July 25th.

Kishiwada Float Festival

The Kishiwada Float Festival has a history of more than 300 years. It is a sacrificial festival to worship the local patron saint and pray for a good harvest and good health and disaster relief. Location: Kishiwada Castle, Date: September 14th.

Akiboshi Flower Festival

In Japan, Akiboshi flowers, including cosmos, are viewed in autumn as one of the symbols of the season. The Expo Commemorative Park (the site of the 1970 Osaka World Expo), with its large fields of flowers and grass, is one of the main viewing spots in the Kansai region. Location: Expo Commemorative Park, Date: October 11th - November 3rd. Katsuoji Temple’s red leaf viewing season

Location: Katsuoji Temple, date: late October to early December. Osaka Castle 3D Mapping Super Illumination

An event that has become a hot topic due to its grand scale - "Osaka Castle 3D Stereoscopic Projection" and illuminations that project three-dimensional images on the Osaka Castle Castle Tower. Location: Osaka Castle Park, Date: December 13, 2014 ~ March 1, 2015.

The God of Wealth Festival

From January 9 to 11, the God of Wealth Festival is held in Naniwa Ward, Osaka City and many shrines in Kansai and other places, with the scale of Imamiya Ebisu Shrine. It is particularly grand, with 1 million pilgrims coming every year to pray for prosperous business and happy life. On this day, people buy lucky thin bamboos and pray to the God of Wealth (called "Ebisu" in Japanese) for business prosperity. "Ebisu", affectionately called "EBESSAN" in the dialect of the Kansai region, is both the god of commerce and the god of fishing. On the God of Wealth Festival, people like to take home the "lucky bamboo", an ornament that represents prosperous business. The "lucky bamboo" is decorated with a large number of festive items such as small gold coins, gargi fish, and rice bags. The 10th is the main festival. The day before is called "Xiaorong" and the day after is called "Canfu". The famous Ebisu Bridge that spans the Dotonbori River today was originally built to make it easier for people to visit Imamiya Ebisu Shrine. On the 10th, the "Baohui Sedan" parade was the grandest, with more than 600 people riding on the sedan, including celebrities, entertainers and "lucky ladies" who were responsible for distributing mascots to tourists. To become a "lucky girl", you need to stand out from more than 3,000 competitors. It is said that if you are chosen to be a lucky girl, there will be an endless stream of suitors, so it has also become a symbol of a girl's status. At 7 a.m. that day, the "morning market" selling gaki will also open, because in Japan gaki is a "celebration fish" that is eaten on special days. In addition, there are rows of shops selling lucky mascots such as tumblers and lucky cats in the temple. Special Concerts

Osaka’s special concerts will be held more often during the peak travel season every year. The concert will basically start at 5 p.m.

Sumo competition

Sumo, also known as Suwu in ancient times, originated in the Han Dynasty of China. It consisted of two strongmen wrestling with each other bare-chested.

Until the seventh century AD, at the funeral of Emperor Yunkō (AD 453), China sent a special envoy to Japan to perform a plain dance to pay tribute. This was considered to be the first time that Chinese sumo was introduced to Japan, and it had a great impact on Japan's original sumo wrestling. cause certain impact. Japan's international martial arts, fighting and sports later became Japan's national sport. As a professional competitive event, it is called Grand Sumo in Japan.