Osaka

Osaka’s western edge opens onto Osaka Bay while the rest of the municipality is encircled by more than ten satellite cities, the largest expansion having added 126 square kilometres in 1925. The city spreads across 222.30 square kilometres, its highest point in Tsurumi‑ku reaching 37.5 metres above sea level and its lowest point in Nishiyodogawa‑ku dipping 2.2 metres below the reference datum. Situated at latitude 34.67°, the climate is humid subtropical, offering mild winters with average January highs of 9.7 °C and hot, humid summers that peak at 33.7 °C in August; the rainy season (tsuyu) runs from early June to late July.

Visitors encounter a dense concentration of historic and modern sites. The Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine, designated a national treasure, sits beside the Osaka City Central Public Hall and the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library, both listed as Important Cultural Properties. Around the castle grounds, the former Osaka City Museum and the Old Mint Foundry Front Entrance carry the status of registered tangible cultural properties. Dōtonbori’s neon‑lit canals, the towering Tsūtenkaku in Shinsekai, and the expansive Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan provide vivid urban experiences, while Tennōji Park, Abeno Harukas, and Shitennō‑ji—one of Japan’s oldest Buddhist temples—offer cultural depth. The city also hosts the Osaka Exchange and headquarters of multinational electronics firms such as Panasonic and Sharp, underscoring its role as a financial and industrial hub.

Osaka’s blend of a historic castle that once commanded the nation’s politics and a contemporary skyline of commerce and culture makes it uniquely memorable.