Copyright © Global financial city osaka.all Rights Reserved.
Copyright © Global financial city osaka.all Rights Reserved.
01
Features of Osaka
How ‘Osaka’ is referred.
Kitchen of the Nation
Osaka was known as the “kitchen of the nation”, influencing the Japanese economy, because of its trade in rice and special products during the Edo period, and developed as the nation’s economic centre. Osaka is still called by that name, and is Japan’s second largest city after Tokyo.
The Merchant’s Town
It has long been known as the birthplace of many well-known companies, constantly introducing new things. The Osaka merchants’ spirit of “Give it a go” is still alive and well in the spirit of the city.
Town of Principle and Humanity
The people of Osaka have traditionally been known to be righteous and humane. They are known for their friendly communication and welcomes visitors from Japan and abroad.
02
Industries in Osaka
The diverse economic background of the Osaka-Kansai region.
Osaka has a well-balanced location with a wide variety of industries and is characterized by many companies with strong supply chains, especially in the following industries.
Life Science
In 2018, The value of pharmaceutical production was
3rd in the country.1
| Company example: Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD |
Chemical Industry
In 2016, Product shipments in the chemical industry were
2nd in the country2
| Company example: SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD. Daicel Corporation |
Food Industry
The city has flourished
as a ‘foodie town’
since the Edo period and has shaped
Japan’s food culture.
as a ‘foodie town’
since the Edo period and has shaped
Japan’s food culture.
| Company example: Suntory Holdings Ltd. Asahi Breweries Ltd. (※) NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS CO., LTD. |
Renewable Energy
In 2019, National export share of lithium batteries
70.1% by value3
| Company example: Panasonic Corporation. Iwatani Corporation. |
Electrical Equipment
In 2019, the value of manufactured goods shipments of electrical machinery and equipment is
4th in the country.4
| Company example: Panasonic Corporation Sharp Corporation |
Tourist Trade
Number of foreign visitors to Osaka
2014 3.76 million5
↓
2019 12.31 million6
2014 3.76 million5
↓
2019 12.31 million6
Universal Studios Japan also contributed to the increase in tourists.
| Annotation： | ※Originates in Osaka, but currently headquartered in Tokyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Source： | 1 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Table 22: Pharmaceutical Production Value by Prefecture,” viewed 2022/8/8 2 INVEST OSAKA “Strengths of diverse industrial clusters” viewed 2022/8/30 3 Osaka Prefectural Vice Capital Promotion Bureau “Urban Analysis” 2022/1/20 |
4 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, “Preliminary Report on Industrial Statistics in 2020,” 2021/3 5 Osaka Convention & Visitors Bureau “Toward an International City of Light, Osaka” viewed 2020/1/25 6 Osaka Prefectural Tourism Statistics Survey “Number of Visitors to Japan and Osaka” viewed 2022/1/4 |
Introduction of SDGs Promoting Companies
Osaka Prefecture started “My SDGs Declaration Project” in February 2021, acknowledging many stakeholders should take action to achieve the SDGs.
In this project,stakeholders such as citizens,campanies,and organzations declare their inividual actions toward achieving the SDGs,and Osaka Prefecture supports these efforts.
In this project,stakeholders such as citizens,campanies,and organzations declare their inividual actions toward achieving the SDGs,and Osaka Prefecture supports these efforts.
03
Living Environment
Despite being a large city, Osaka has relatively low business and living costs compared to Tokyo and other major Asian cities.
In recent years, Osaka has consistently ranked high, including being ranked 10th (top in Asia) in The Economist’s “The World’s Most Liveable Cities 2022”.
The city of Osaka itself enjoys a high reputation worldwide and offers a good living environment.
9th most liveable city in the world (1st in Asia)
| Rank | City | Country | Total | Safety | Medical care | Culture & Environment | Education | Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vienna | Austria | 98.4 | 100 | 100 | 93.5 | 100 | 100 |
| 2 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 98.0 | 100 | 95.8 | 95.4 | 100 | 100 |
| 3 | Zurich | Switzerland | 97.1 | 95.0 | 100 | 96.3 | 100 | 96.4 |
| 4 | Melbourne | Australia | 97.0 | 95.0 | 100 | 95.8 | 100 | 96.4 |
| 5 | Calgary | Canada | 96.8 | 100 | 100 | 90.0 | 100 | 96.4 |
| 5 | Geneva | Switzerland | 96.8 | 95.0 | 100 | 94.9 | 100 | 96.4 |
| 7 | Sydney | Australia | 96.6 | 95.0 | 100 | 94.4 | 100 | 96.4 |
| 7 | Vancouver | Canada | 96.6 | 95.0 | 100 | 97.2 | 100 | 92.9 |
| 9 | Osaka | Japan | 96.0 | 100 | 100 | 86.8 | 100 | 96.4 |
| 9 | Auckland | New Zealand | 96.0 | 95.0 | 95.8 | 97.9 | 100 | 92.9 |
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit 2024
Cost comparison with the rest of the world.
Office rents of major domestic and international cities 1
Approximately one-third cheaper than in Hong Kong.
Wages of non-manufacturing staff (general employees) by major cities 2
Approximately 20% less than in Singapore
Consumer price index of major domestic and international cities. 3,4
Approximately 30% less than in Hong Kong
Source：
- JLL’s “Premium Office Rent Tracker” 2023
- Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO), Investment Cost Comparison
- The information was organized using the data from Statistics Bureau of Japan(SBJ), 2024
- The information was organized using the data from Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Consumer price regional difference index, 2023
04
Osaka location, basic information.
Osaka’s Location
| Population （1,000 people） |
Gross regional product （100million U.S. dollars） |
Number of offices （office） |
University （school） |
Research institution （Institution） |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka | 8,806 | 3,625 | 446,119 | 58 | 18,814 |
| Tokyo | 14,010 | 9,654 | 728,710 | 143 | 43,070 |
| Kansai | 20,439 | 7,768 | 923,036 | 152 | 37,225 |
| Japan | 125,502 | 49,548 | 5,926,804 | 807 | 232,305 |
| source： | 1 Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications 2 Osaka Prefecture, ‘Naniwa Keizai Data ’21’ 3 Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, ‘Results of the 2014 Economic Census Basic Survey’. 4 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.Basic School Survey 2022 |
|---|
Gateway to the world
Osaka serves as the gateway between Japan and the rest of the world, including Asia.
Kansai International Airport, the hub of the city, currently connects 89 cities in 25 countries and regions, and with its 24-hour operation, international cargo flights are also available.
Kansai International Airport, the hub of the city, currently connects 89 cities in 25 countries and regions, and with its 24-hour operation, international cargo flights are also available.
International air routes
2019 Winter Schedule
| North America and Hawaii | 42 | flights/week |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | 1,286 | flights/week |
| Europe | 30 | flights/week |
| Middle East & India | 11 | flights/week |
| Oceania and Guam | 40 | flights/week |
Osaka’s Extensive Transport Infrastructure.
2 Airports
Kansai International Airport (24-hour operation)
Domestic70flights per day to （17 cities.）
International1,553 flights per week（17 cities.）
Osaka International Airport
Domestic185flights per day to（26 destinations）
Railway Infrastructure
| Shinkansen Shin-Osaka Station Average number of trains per day |
378Number of trains |
|---|---|
| Conventional line | 484Stations |
| JR, Osaka Metro, Hankyu, Hanshin, Keihan, Kintetsu, Nankai, etc. | |
Road Infrastructure
| Urban motorway | Extension154.2km |
|---|---|
| General Length | Extension15,900km |
05
Economic History of Osaka
Osaka is a ‘commercial capital’ that has flourished as the commercial centre of Japan since ancient times, and has historically been a city with a strong business spirit.
While Edo (present-day Tokyo) was the political center of Japan, Osaka developed since the early modern period as a center of commerce, where rice and other commodities gathered from all over Japan and were traded.
The Dojima Rice Market was the world’s first futures trading market.
The spirit of rationalism gave rise to advanced commercial practices and culture and this culture is still alive today with many companies, technologies and services having emerged from Osaka.
Source： Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library
Main Companies Headquartered in Osaka.
| Company name | business |
|---|---|
| Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited | Life sciences |
| ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD | Life sciences |
| SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD. | Chemical industry |
| Daicel Corporation | Chemical industry |
| Suntory Holdings Limited | Food industry |
| Asahi Breweries, Ltd.* | Food industry |
| NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS CO., LTD. | Food industry |
| Panasonic Corporation | Electrical equipment, etc. |
| Iwatani Corporation | Renewable energy |
| Sharp Corporation | Electrical equipment |
※Although the company originated in Osaka, its current headquarters is in Tokyo.
Technology and Services Originating in Osaka
Conveyor belt sushi (1958)
Instant noodles (1958)
Cup ramen (1971)
Cup ramen (1971)
Automatic ticket gates (1967)
06
Tourism in Osaka and Kansai
Osaka is a world-class tourist destination
| Number of foreign visitors to Osaka | 12.31million. |
|---|---|
|
Osaka Convention and Visitors Bureau, ‘Number of foreign visitors to Osaka 2019’
|
|
Of the 31.88 million foreign visitors to Japan, about 40% visited Osaka
(Japan National Tourism Organization（JNTO）Inbound Foreign Customer Statistics 2019)
「The best cities in the world」
2nd place※CN Traveller
Osaka, the city of foodie delights – from street food to fine dining
THE MICHELIN GUIDE OSAKA 2023
restaurants listed on the web: 193 restaurants
★★★３restaurants／★★１0 restaurants／★８1 restaurants
Bib Gourmand 99 restaurants, Michelin star 3 restaurants
Bib Gourmand 99 restaurants, Michelin star 3 restaurants
※Michelin Guide Osaka 2023
Adjacent to popular tourist destinations; Kyoto, Nara and Wakayama
