Osaka Prefecture

prefecture of Japan

Osaka Prefecture (大阪府, Ōsaka-fu) is a prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan on the island of Honshu.[1] The capital city is Osaka.[2]

Osaka
大阪府
Japanese transcription(s)
 • RomajiŌsaka-fu
Flag of Osaka
Official seal of Osaka
Location of Osaka in Japan
Location of Osaka in Japan
Country Japan
RegionKansai
IslandHonshu
CapitalOsaka
Government
 • GovernorHirofumi Yoshimura
Area
 • Total1,905.14 km2 (735.58 sq mi)
Area rank46th
Population
 (April 1, 2018)
 • Total8,819,416
 • Rank3rd
 • Density4,600/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeJP-27
Prefectural flowerJapanese apricot (Prunus mume)
Primrose (Primula sieboldii)
Prefectural treeGinkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba)
Prefectural birdBull-headed shrike (Lanius bucephalus)
Number of districts5
Number of municipalities43
Websitewww.pref.osaka.jp/en/index.html
Flag of Osaka Prefecture.svg

HistoryEdit

Osaka prefecture was created by merging the area of Kawachi Province, Izumi Province and Settsu Province.[3]

In 1994, the Kansai International Airport opened. This is one of the main international airport hubs of Japan.[4]

GeographyEdit

Osaka Prefecture has borders with Hyōgo Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture in the north. Nara is east of Osaka. Wakayama Prefecture shares the prefecture's southern border. The west faces Osaka Bay.

The Yodo River (淀川, Yodo-gawa) flows through the prefecture.[5]

CitiesEdit

 
Map of Osaka Prefecture.
 
Osaka Pref. Head Office

Thirty-three cities are located in Osaka Prefecture:

National ParksEdit

National Parks are established in about 11% of the total land area of the prefecture.[6]

Shrines and TemplesEdit

Hiraoka jinja, Ōtori jina, and Sumiyoshi taisha are the chief Shinto shrines (ichinomiya) in the prefecture.[7]

Related pagesEdit

Osaka based organizationsEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Osaka-fu" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 759; "Kansai" at p. 477.
  2. Nussbaum, "Osaka" at p. 759.
  3. Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780.
  4. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MLIT), Kansai International Airport; retrieved 2012-1-20.
  5. Nussbaum, "Yodo-gawa" at p. 1053.
  6. Japan Ministry of the Environment, "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture"; retrieved 2012-3-13.
  7. "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 2 Archived 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-3-13.

Other websitesEdit

  Media related to Osaka prefecture at Wikimedia Commons