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). The World Expo 2025 took place on Yumeshima Island in Ôsaka.