About Osaka in Japan

Located on the northeastern coast of Osaka Bay, Osaka is a seaport and Japan's third largest city, after Tokyo, Yokohama. Osaka is one of the oldest cities in Japan, with a 2000 years old history. Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. It is now a leading financial, heavy industrial, media, cultural and educational centre of Japan. It has a population of around 2.6 million. Osaka has four distinct seasons, hot and muggy in summer, cold and dry in winter.

Osaka is widely known for traditional puppet theatre and kabuki theatre. The city of Osaka also has many historical sites and nature beauty to offer visitors. Osaka Castle, which is a museum that documents Toyotomi Hideyoshi's life and the history of the castle, now is one of Japan's most famous castles. Taiyuji Temple is historic Osaka temple, having a history of about 1200 years. The Osaka Museum of Natural History displays collections, which are concerned with our living nature and the history of the living things and the earth. Founded in 1982. the Museum of Oriental Ceramics houses about two thousand pieces of ceramics. Built in 1891, the Nakanoshima Park with its large rose garden in European-style, is the oldest park in Osaka, in Osaka. Other main attractions include National Museum of Art, Shitennoji Temple, Hiromitsu Ishida's Birthplace, and Universal Studios Japan.