Japan's second largest city sits in the Kansai region of Honshu on Osaka Bay and is an industrial powerhouse and the original commercial capital. Despite its rich history, Osaka is not really one for the historian, focusing more on its shopping and futuristic side, though it does boast important shrines and landmarks.

The city is very densely packed and seems at first glance to be all about business, with its massive skyscrapers, a multitude of rail tracks and busy port, yet there is plenty to see for the inquisitive tourist in a range of buzzing districts.

Most of the sightseeing and shopping is in the northern districts, with the likes of Shinsaibashi and Umeda having shopping malls, hotels and restaurants galore. There are several large towers to take in neighboring districts and miles of riverbanks to stroll in peace and escape the madness. 

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 ÅŒsaka Bay, about 20 miles (30 km) west of ÅŒsaka. 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 Midō Street and the east-west axis Chou Dori (“Central Thoroughfare”). Hommachi Street runs east from the harbour to ÅŒsaka 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 ÅŒsaka 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 Kyōto.

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.