Osaka大阪府

Ōsaka-fu, おおさかふ. The name ends in 府 (fu), urban prefecture.

Osaka is the second of the two 府 (fu) and the smallest prefecture by area after Kagawa. Osaka City and Sakai City are both designated cities.

Only Osaka and Kyoto use 府. Both were imperial and administrative centres. A 府 governor has the same office under the same law as a 県 governor. The suffix is a historical label, not a rank.

Open Osaka on the map

Facts

Japanese name

大阪府

Reading

Ōsaka-fu / おおさかふ

Region

Kansai / Kinki 関西・近畿

Capital

Osaka 大阪市

Population

8,837,685 (2020 census)

Area

1,905 km²

Density

4,639 people per km²

Municipalities

43: 33 cities, 9 towns, and 1 village

Designated cities

Osaka City and Sakai City

Districts (郡)

5

Codes

JIS 27, ISO 3166-2 JP-27

Website

www.pref.osaka.lg.jp

Tree

ginkgo イチョウ

Flower

Japanese plum and Japanese primrose ウメ、サクラソウ

Bird

bull-headed shrike モズ

The tree, flower, and bird are the prefectural symbols, chosen by ordinance. Every prefecture has all three.

The most populous municipalities

2020 census. Share is the municipality's part of the prefecture's population. The other 33 are listed below.

How an address here begins

The prefecture name is written first, then the municipality name, then the name of one of Osaka's 24 wards. The guide explains the rest of the address, and the map finds any address you paste into it.

Neighbouring prefectures

• Kyoto京都府
• Hyōgo兵庫県
• Nara奈良県
• Wakayama和歌山県

Questions about Osaka

Is Osaka a city or a prefecture?

Osaka (大阪府) is a prefecture, one of Japan's 47. Osaka City (大阪市) is a municipality inside it and its capital. On its own, the name usually means the city. With 府 on the end it means the prefecture.

What is the capital of Osaka?

Osaka City (大阪市). The prefectural office is there. It is also the largest municipality in the prefecture. It is a designated city, divided into wards.

What does 府 mean in 大阪府?

府 (fu) means urban prefecture. Only Osaka and Kyoto use it, because both were imperial and administrative centres. A 府 governor has the same office under the same law as a 県 governor. The suffix is a historical label, not a rank.

How many municipalities are in Osaka?

43: 33 cities, 9 towns, and 1 village. Each is a local government with its own mayor and assembly. Two of them are designated cities, divided into wards: Osaka City (24 wards) and Sakai City (7 wards). The wards are offices of the city, not governments. The towns and villages are grouped into five districts (郡), names used in addresses, not governments.

What is the population of Osaka?

8,837,685 at the 2020 census, on 1,905 km², which is 4,639 people per km². Osaka is the 3rd most populous of the 47 prefectures and the 46th largest by area.

Which prefectures border Osaka?

Four prefectures: Kyoto (京都府), Hyōgo (兵庫県), Nara (奈良県), and Wakayama (和歌山県). Borders across water are not counted.

What region is Osaka in?

Kansai / Kinki (関西・近畿). A region is a customary grouping of prefectures, not a government, so Osaka elects a governor and an assembly but the region elects nothing.

How is Osaka written in Japanese?

大阪府, read Ōsaka-fu and written おおさかふ in hiragana. The last character, 府, is the word for prefecture, and the name is often used without it in English.

How does an address in Osaka begin?

With the prefecture name, then the municipality name: 大阪府大阪市… (Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, …). In Osaka the ward name is written after the city name, since it is a designated city. After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.

What is the largest city in Osaka?

Osaka City (大阪市), with 2,752,412 people at the 2020 census. It is also the capital. The three most populous municipalities are Osaka City (大阪市, 2,752,412), Sakai City (堺市, 826,161), and Higashiosaka City (東大阪市, 493,940).

What are the symbols of Osaka?

The prefectural tree is the ginkgo (イチョウ), the flower the Japanese plum and Japanese primrose (ウメ、サクラソウ), and the bird the bull-headed shrike (モズ). Osaka chose them by ordinance, as every prefecture has.