OSAKA

city and capital of Osaka fu (urban prefecture), south-central Honshu, Japan. The city, together with its neighbouring city Kobe and nearby Kyoto, are the centres of the Keihanshin Industrial Zone (q.v.), the second largest urban and industrial agglomeration in Japan. Osaka lies along Osaka Bay at the eastern end of the Inland Sea, on the delta of the Yodo River. Its metropolitan area is spread over the deltas and into the alluvial uplands of the Yodo, Yamato, and other rivers. Kobe lies on the northwestern shore of Osaka Bay, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Osaka. The climate is temperate, with cool winters and hot, humid summers; annual rainfall is about 54 inches (1,360 mm). The area is subject to typhoons in September, which occasionally are disastrous. Osaka's streets are laid out in grid fashion, the north-south axis being Mido Street and the east-west axis Chuo Odori (Central Thoroughfare). Hommachi Street runs east from the harbour to Osaka Castle, which was originally built by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 16th century. Parallel to Mido Street is the narrow Shinsaibashi Street, which contains the central shopping district. The main business district occupies the northern part of downtown, and the industrial areas are in the eastern and northeastern parts of the city and on the lower Yodo River delta. The central part of Osaka is primarily commercial. Green space is scarce, although there are several large parks in the city; the major recreational areas are in the suburbs, along the coastal beaches, and at Lake Biwa, near Kyoto. Osaka was once noted for its large textile industry, but emphasis has shifted to heavy industry. The city's principal industries include machinery, electric machinery, iron and steel, metal fabrication, textiles, chemicals, and pulp and paper; food processing and printing and publishing are also important. Osaka is one of Japan's largest financial centres. Its port, long one of the most important in the nation, has been combined administratively with that of Kobe since the early 1970s. A dense network of railways winds throughout the area, which is a junction point for the national railway network. Osaka is served by private rail companies formed from the formerly government-owned Japanese National Railways. These companies operate local and interurban rapid-transit lines and provide regional passenger trains and national Shinkansen bullet express trains. Suburban and regional commuting service is also provided by other private electric railways. Express highways link Osaka with Kobe, Kyoto, and Nagoya. Osaka has two major airports. The older one is located near suburban Itami, to the north of the city, and handles domestic air traffic. Kansai International Airport opened in 1994 to handle the city's growing international air traffic. This airport is built on a man-made island in Osaka Bay and is connected to the mainland by a highway bridge. Osaka has long been a national centre of culture. There are numerous public and private universities and colleges in the city and urban prefecture, including Osaka University and Kansai University. Traditional and modern drama, music, and bunraku (puppet theatre) are performed throughout the area, as are Western music, operas, and plays. Osaka is a national centre of the news media. Area 85 square miles (220 square km). Pop. (1993 est.) 2,588,989. fu (urban prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It is bordered by Kyoto urban prefecture (north) and by the ken (prefectures) of Hyogo (northwest), Nara (east), and Wakayama (south) and by Osaka Bay (southeast). It includes the industrial city of Osaka and numerous industrial and residential suburbs. The main industries in the urban prefecture manufacture iron and steel products, textiles, chemicals, and electrical machinery. Osaka urban prefecture does not, however, include the port of Kobe, which lies in Hyogo prefecture. Area 722 square miles (1,869 square km). Pop. (1993 est.) 8,723,000.