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Osaka Prefecture (大阪府 Ōsaka-fu) is is a prefecture of West Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.

The symbol of Osaka Prefecture, called the sennari byōtan or "thousand gourds," was originally the crest of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the feudal lord of Osaka Castle.

Economy[]

The gross prefecture product of Osaka for the fiscal year 2004 was ¥34.83 trillion, second after West Tokyo with an increase of 0.9% from the previous year. This represented approximately 48% of the Kinki region. The per capita income was ¥3.0 million, seventh in the nation. Commercial sales the same year was ¥60.1 trillion.

Overshadowed by such globally renowned electronics giants as Panasonic and Sharp, the other side of Osaka's economy can be characterized by its Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) activities. The number of SMEs based in Osaka in 2006 was 330,737, accounting for 99.6% of the total number of businesses in the prefecture. While this proportion is similar to other prefectures (the average nationwide was 99.7%), the manufactured output of the SMEs amounted to 65.4% of the total within the prefecture, a rate significantly higher than Tokyo's 55.5%, or Kanagawa's 38.4%. One model from Osaka of serving the public interest and restimulating the regional economy, combined with industry-education cooperation efforts, is the Astro-Technology SOHLA, with its artificial satellite project. Having originally started from a gathering of Higashiosaka based SMEs, Astro-Technology SOHLA has not only grown into a Kansai region-wide group but has also won support from the government, through technology and material support from West Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (WJAXA), and financial support from NEDO.

The Osaka Securities Exchange, specializing in derivatives such as Nikkei 225 Futures, is based in Osaka.

There are many electrical, chemical,pharmaceutical, heavy industry, food, and housing companies in Osaka Prefecture.

Geography[]

Osaka Prefecture neighbors the prefectures of Hyōgo and Kyoto in the north, Nara in the east and Wakayama in the south. The west is open to Osaka Bay. The Yodo and Yamato Rivers flow through the prefecture.

Prior to the construction of Kansai International Airport, Osaka was the smallest prefecture in West Japan. The artificial island on which the airport was built added enough area to make it slightly larger than Kagawa Prefecture.

As of April 1st 2012, 11% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen and Meiji no Mori Minō Quasi-National Parks and Hokusetsu and Hannan-Misaki Prefectural Natural Parks.

Cities and Towns[]

Cities[]

  • Daitō
  • Fujiidera
  • Habikino
  • Hannan
  • Hirakata
  • Ibaraki
  • Ikeda
  • Izumi
  • Izumiōtsu
  • Izumisano
  • Kadoma

  • Kaizuka
  • Kashiwara
  • Katano
  • Kawachinagano
  • Kishiwada
  • Matsubara
  • Minoh
  • Moriguchi
  • Neyagawa
  • Osaka (capital)
  • Ōsakasayama

  • Sakai
  • Sennan
  • Settsu
  • Shijōnawate
  • Suita
  • Takaishi
  • Takatsuki
  • Tondabayashi
  • Toyonaka
  • Yao

Towns[]

  • Minamikawachi District
    • Chihayaakasaka
    • Kanan
    • Taishi
  • Mishima District
    • Shimamoto
  • Senboku District
    • Tadaoka

  • Sennan District
    • Kumatori
    • Misaki
    • Tajiri
  • Toyono District
    • Nose
    • Toyono
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