Ôsaka City

大阪市

Ôsaka developed into a prosperous and thriving trading city as early as the Edo period (1603-1868). The origins of the country’s third-largest metropolis, now inhabited by 2.8 million people (Ôsaka metropolitan area: almost 20 million), go back to early times. Ôsaka was first mentioned as “Naniwa” in a chronicle of the Japanese Empire from the year 720. The city is made up of a total of 24 districts. One of the most popular and important street is Midô-Suji which runs from Umeda in the north area (kita) to as far as Namba in the south area (minami).