OSAKA IS JAPAN’S THIRD LARGEST CITY AND, TOGETHER WITH THE NEIGHBOURING CITY OF KOBE, IS ITS SECOND LARGEST COMMERCIAL AND
INDUSTRIAL CENTRE. IT IS LOCATED IN SOUTH HONSHU ON OSAKA BAY, FACING JAPAN’S INLAND SEA. OSAKA WITH KOBE RANKS AS JAPAN’S MAJOR SEAPORT. THE REGION ENJOYS A TEMPERATE CLIMATE, BUT IT OFTEN SNOWS IN WINTER, AND TYPHOONS HAVE STRUCK THE AREA CAUSING TERRIBLE DAMAGE.
THE CITY WAS ONCE AN IMPORTANT TEXTILE CENTRE, BUT MACHINERY MANUFACTURE HAS BECOME ITS LEADING INDUSTRY. OSAKA IS ALSO NOTED FOR SHIPBUILDING, STEEL, ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT, FOOD PROCESSING, PRINTING, TEXTILES, CHEMICALS, CEMENT, AND CLOTHING. THE CITY IS THE CENTRE OF AN INDUSTRIAL BELT THAT EXTENDS FOR MORE THAN 30 KM (20 MILES) ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF OSAKA BAY. AT THE WESTERN END OF THIS CLUSTER OF INDUSTRIAL CITIES IS THE PORT CITY OF KOBE.
OSAKA ALSO SERVES AS THE FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CAPITAL OF WESTERN JAPAN AND IS NOTED FOR ITS MANY LARGE BANKS, TRADING FIRMS, DEPARTMENT STORES, AND WHOLESALE OUTLETS. THE MODERN DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT HAS WIDE STREETS LINED WITH TALL WESTERN-STYLE OFFICE BUILDINGS AND LARGE DEPARTMENT STORES. LYING ON A RIVER DELTA, THE CITY IS CRISSCROSSED WITH CANALS. THE CANALS ARE USED FOR BARGE TRAFFIC AND THEY ARE CROSSED BY MANY BRIDGES. OSAKA IS A MAJOR JUNCTION POINT FOR THE RAILWAYS, AND THE FAMOUS HIGH SPEED “ BULLET ” TRAINS (SHINKASEN) PASS THROUGH IT. OSAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LINKS IT WITH OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN JAPAN AND OVERSEAS.
A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT UNIVERSITIES ARE LOCATED IN THE CITY, INCLUDING KANSAI AND OSAKA UNIVERSITIES. THE CITY IS A CENTRE FOR THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS, PARTICULARLY FOR PUPPET SHOWS (BUNRAKU). IN THE 16TH CENTURY THE SHOGUN (WARLORD) TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI SET UP HIS HEADQUARTERS AT OSAKA, AND THE CITY’S IMPORTANCE AS A COMMERCIAL CENTRE DATES FROM THAT TIME. THE CITY WAS HEAVILY BOMBED DURING WORLD WAR II, BUT IT HAS BEEN LARGELY REBUILT. OSAKA WAS RATHER SLOW IN RE-ESTABLISHING ITS PREWAR COMMERCIAL GREATNESS BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF CHINA AS A TRADING PARTNER AFTER WORLD WAR II, SINCE CHINA HAD BEEN A MAJOR CUSTOMER FOR OSAKA’S PRODUCTS. THE RISE OF THE TOKYO-YOKOHAMA AREA AS AN ECONOMIC COMPETITOR ALSO WEAKENED OSAKA’S INDUSTRIAL IMPORTANCE. THE POPULATION OF THE CITY WAS 2,634,000 IN 1985.