Osaka

Japan COUNTRY

19,165,340 CITY POPULATION

Constitutional Monarchy GOVERNMENT TYPE

Introduction

Osaka is the second largest city of Japan. Moreover, with more than 20 million population, it also has one of the largest metropolitan areas of the entire country and in the world. It is considered as an economic hotspot of the country. Historically, it has served as the imperial capital for nearly 2 centuries and was also an important port. People also recognize it as the center of Japanese culture. The central part of Osaka can be divided into uptown and downtown, that is Minami and Kita, respectively. Osaka is a lot more than the historical sites it possesses. It has a number of shopping, food, and many other attractions sites.

Data and facts

It is the second largest metropolitan area in Japan and among the largest in the world with more than 20 million inhabitants.
Osaka has a city population of 2,691 million people as of 2015
It is home to a huge number of urban canals and currently it manages 760 canals.
The phenomenal cityscape of Osaka can only be surpassed by Tokyo.
It is popularly known as the nation's kitchen because of the delicacies it serves like the okonomiyaki and takoyaki.

Administration

The city is run by the Osaka city council formed under the local autonomy law. The elections take place after an interval of 4 years and the mayor along with two vice mayors are directly elected by the people. This is followed by the election of the president and vice president by the council members. There are a number of governmental offices including the courts and bureaus are located here. Moreover, Several houses of the Japanese government agencies can also be seen in Osaka.

Economy

Osaka is the 5th most competitive economy of Asia and it ranks at the 15th position at the world level. Osaka's GDP contributes to a total of 4% in the GDP of Japan. The 4% account for nearly 185 billion US dollars. It is also the economic center of the Kansai region of Japan. MasterCard presented that it was ranked in the 19th position amongst the world classified cities. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in the world economy as well. Historically, it was regarded as the center of the trade in Japan.

Business environment

It nearly has the same metropolitan area as that of Tokyo and it is apt for setting up businesses. Moreover, it is of the utmost importance when it comes to the economy of western Japan. The total production reaches up to a huge amount of 39.11 trillion yen. Nearly 421 countries have been listed in the list of stock exchange companies and these companies specifically have their headquarters at Osaka. It is also very ideal for companies who wish to invest with locals. The place provides optimum location and facilities as well.

Osaka provides an ideal location for international companies seeking to invest with experienced local partners. It is home to a range of skilled manufacturers in the electronics, pharmaceutical, machinery, device, chemical, food, and construction industries. Also well represented are members of the distribution industry — including major trading houses, specialized trading companies and department stores — as well as finance and other service industries. Rounding out this diverse economy are high-tech industries such as biotechnology, new materials, and information & communications. Unique businesses in the sports industry and game content sectors also add variety to the economy. In addition, the city has companies ranging from big enterprises that are globally famous to many small and medium-sized enterprises that have their own unique technologies and take a large share of the global market for their specific fields.

A number of companies have established offices in Osaka: Corning Japan (US) built its plant in the city; AirTAC Co. Ltd. (Taiwan) opened an Osaka head office; and TUV Rheinland Japan (Germany) established a head office to cover Asia. Case examples of overseas companies investing in Osaka are available on the Osaka Business and Investment Center (O-BIC) website.

Other than subsidies for foreign-affiliated companies expanding into the prefecture, Osaka Prefecture offers preferential treatment of local tax when companies expand into the prefecture's Special Zone and have their business plan approved and conduct new energy- and life sciences-related business, in addition to subsidies targeted at SMEs and preferential tax treatment for the industrial cluster area. Moreover, the Osaka Business and Investment Center (O-BIC) provides a one-stop service to support foreign delegations, foreign economic organizations, and foreign-affiliated companies seeking to do business located in Osaka.

Infrastructure

Kansai International airport is the largest cargo terminal site of Japan. Its location is pretty close to a lot of industries. It is also Japan’s first building for low-cost carriers. The network of railways is widespread and helps in connecting it to the various parts of the country. A few places like the Eiffel Tower of Osaka, Denden town, Osaka castle, is a must-visit for you. Omeda sky building is a twin tower with 40 stories that have a lot of offices. However, the sight of fascination is the floating garden located on the top floor.

Technology

Before the construction of the so-called “bullet trains”, it would take up to an entire day to go from Tokyo to Osaka. Now, this time has been reduced to 2 hours. There are high tech industries and multiple organizations that aim at nurturing innovative technologies. Osaka's main smart city plan is based on Knowledge Capital. This Knowledge Capital is designed to help new ideas make it to market faster. It starts in offices above the mall named the Knowledge Salon. This members-only co-working space has hot desks, lounges, and meeting rooms for 275 entrepreneurs, each of whom pays a heavily subsidised fee of just 10,000 Yen (around £60) a month. People at work in the Knowledge Salon. If a company needs room to grow, it can occupy one of 52 small dedicated offices called Collabo, or even a fully-fledged office suite, all at knock-down rates. There is also a library, accountant and lawyers on site to offer professional advice.

Social wellness and human resources

Osaka provides a home to a large population and the same goes for the number of shops. You can find a huge number of retailers and wholesalers as well. Osaka also has the longest shotengai shopping arcade. Food critics consider Osaka as the food capital of the world. A lot of people here are involved in the media world as well due to the presence of headquarters of many media companies.