Osaka tourist information

The area which now consists of Osaka city was originally called Naniwa, a name which still exists as the names of districts in central Osaka as Naniwa and Namba. Emperor Kotoku made this area his capital, and named it Naniwa-no-miya (the capital of Naniwa). It has always been a vital connection, by land and sea, between Yamato (modern day Nara Prefecture), Korea, and China. Settsu, a former province of Japan, consisted of the northern part of modern Osaka prefecture and the seaside part of Hyogo Prefecture.

Historical records seem to indicate that the Yamato people (the Japanese) first came upon the area, at the mouth of the Yodo River, in 663. They met resistance from the native people of the region, and fought them for roughly five years, before enthroning their emperor at a site called Kashiwabara. Naniwa was founded by Emperor Temmu in 683, in the location of what is now Osaka's Hoenzaka-cho District. In the seventh and eighth centuries, Naniwa served as the site of several Emperors' pleasure palaces. The city also served as one of the primary ports, providing economic and cultural contact with T'ang Dynasty China. Naniwa ceased to be the capital in 745, when the Imperial Court moved to Shigaraki no Miya and then to Heijo-kyo (now Nara). It remained a lively port for some time, but fell into decline by the 15th century.

In 1496, the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist sect set up their headquarters, the heavily fortified Ishiyama Hongan-ji temple on top of the ruins of the old Naniwa imperial palace. In 1570, Oda Nobunaga started a siege of the temple that went on to last for ten years. The monks finally surrendered in 1580, the temple was razed and Toyotomi Hideyoshi took the place for his own castle, Osaka Castle.

It is unclear when the name Osaka (written ) gained prominence over Naniwa, but the oldest usage of the name dates back to 1496 in a text written about the foundation of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji. At this time, the pronunciation was Ozaka. Over time, the "z" became voiceless, and with time the long "o" (o) turned short. The return of the long "o" is speculated to stem from how the station attendants at Osaka station would yell out "Ooosaka".

In the beginning of Meiji Era, the government changed the second kanji because of the previous one could, if the radicals were read separately, be interpreted as "(will) return to soil", which seemed a bit gloomy. This remains the official spelling today, though the old one is still in limited use.

Osaka was for a long time Japan's most important economic center with a large percentage of the population belonging to the merchant class. Over the course of the Edo period (1603-1867), Osaka grew into one of Japan's most major cities, and returned to its ancient role as a lively and important port. Its popular culture was closely related to ukiyo-e depictions of life in Edo. Developing in parallel with the urban culture of Kyoto and Edo, Osaka likewise featured bunraku and grand kabuki productions, pleasure quarters, and a lively artistic community.

The modern city was designated on September 1, 1956 by government ordinance.

Much can be said on the way the people of Osaka are perceived by people outside of Osaka, especially Tokyoites. The large bulk of these attributed features are in fact most of the time just exaggerated stereotypes, brought about by the portrayal of Osaka people by Tokyo television, and the almost extreme dominance of Osaka comedians in the manzai sphere. While the people of Osaka might embrace some of the stereotypes, and most feel a big divide between them and the Kanto Japanese, many will also be irritated how Tokyoites make fun of Osaka based only on what the Kanto produced TV programmes tell them about the city.

A clear example of this was when Tokyo-based (but Shikoku-born) comedian Saibara Rieko made a remark on a variety show warning somebody going to Osaka that the tap water in Osaka prefecture is dirty and that they should make sure they didn't drink it. What was only a remark in passing became a big deal to the Osaka Waterworks which invited Saibara to Osaka to perform a blind test and see if she could distinguish local tap water from Tokyo tap water and mineral water. The blind test was televised, but to the disappointment of Osaka Waterworks, Saibara did recognize the Osaka water. Nevertheless, an apology was stated and Saibara said the Osaka water wasn't bad at all.

Some of the common features attributed to Osaka people are being good businessmen, bustling with energy, happy and outgoing.

Osaka is also known for its food, as supported by the saying "Dress (in kimonos) till you drop in Kyoto, eat till you drop in Osaka". Osaka regional cuisine includes okonomiyaki (pan-fried batter cake), takoyaki (octopus dumplings), udon (a noodle dish), as well as regional sushi and other traditional Japanese foods. It is said that to succeed in the Osaka food service business, the food must taste above-average, have larger servings than normal, be inexpensive and fast.

Being a big, business-based city, Osakans are thought of as always being in a rush. People consider a waiting period of more than 5 minutes too long in most cases. The typical Osakan will not wait for traffic signals to cross a street if there is no traffic. They apparently also walk the fastest in Japan—at an average speed of 1.6 metres per second (surpassing even Tokyoites who also walk fast at 1.56 metres per second).