Osaka大阪市

Ōsaka-shi. The name ends in 市 (shi), the word for city.

Osaka (大阪市, Ōsaka-shi) is a city and a designated city with 24 wards in Osaka Prefecture. Population 2,752,412 (2020 census), area 225.32 km². Borders 12 places.

An ordinance-designated city (政令指定都市, seirei shitei toshi) of about 2.8 million people, and the seat of Osaka Prefecture. Designated status lets the city take over services a prefecture would normally provide, and requires it to be divided into administrative wards. Osaka has 24.

Osaka City is one municipality. Its 24 wards are internal divisions, not 24 separate governments. Voters in every ward elect the same mayor of Osaka City.

Open Osaka on the map

Facts

Japanese name

大阪市

Reading

Ōsaka-shi

Kind

City (市), designated city (政令指定都市): a local government

Prefecture

Osaka 大阪府

Region

Kansai / Kinki 関西・近畿

Population

2,752,412 (2020 census)

Change since 2015

+2.3% from 2,691,185

Area

225.32 km²

Density

12,216 people per km²

Households

1,469,718

Under 15

10.6%

65 and over

25.7%

Foreign residents

138,064 (5.0%)

Code

27100 (団体コード, the municipality code)

Website

www.city.osaka.lg.jp

Wikipedia

English / 日本語

The 24 wards of Osaka行政区

Osaka is a designated city, so it is divided into wards. Each ward has an office for counter services, and none has a mayor or an assembly. Voters in every ward elect the same city mayor.

Neighbouring municipalities

12 places share a land border with Osaka, counted through its wards. Borders across water are not counted.

• Sakai Ward堺区(Sakai)
• Kita Ward北区(Sakai)
• Toyonaka City豊中市
• Suita City吹田市
• Moriguchi City守口市
• Yao City八尾市
• Matsubara City松原市
• Daito City大東市
• Kadoma City門真市
• Settsu City摂津市
• Higashiosaka City東大阪市
• Amagasaki City尼崎市(Hyōgo)

Questions about Osaka

Is Osaka a city or a prefecture?

Osaka (大阪市) is a city (市, shi) in Osaka Prefecture. It is a municipality, the lower of Japan's two tiers of local government, and elects its own mayor and assembly. It is a designated city, divided into 24 wards. The wards are offices of the city, not governments. Osaka Prefecture (大阪府) is the larger unit around it. On its own, the name usually means the city.

Where is Osaka?

Osaka is in Osaka Prefecture (大阪府), in the Kansai region of Japan. The prefecture is a government; the region is a customary grouping of prefectures and elects nothing.

What is the population of Osaka?

2,752,412 at the 2020 census, up 2.3% from 2,691,185 in 2015. The area is 225.32 km², which is 12,216 people per km². 1,469,718 households. 25.7% of residents are 65 or older and 10.6% are under 15.

Which municipalities border Osaka?

12: Sakai Ward (堺区) of Sakai, Kita Ward (北区) of Sakai, Toyonaka City (豊中市), Suita City (吹田市), Moriguchi City (守口市), Yao City (八尾市), Matsubara City (松原市), Daito City (大東市), Kadoma City (門真市), Settsu City (摂津市), Higashiosaka City (東大阪市), and Amagasaki City (尼崎市) in Hyōgo. These are the municipalities that share a land border with Osaka in the boundary data. Borders across water are not counted.

How is Osaka written in Japanese?

大阪市, read Ōsaka-shi. The last character, 市 (shi), is the word for city, and the name is often used without it in English.

How does an address in Osaka begin?

大阪府大阪市… (Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, …). The prefecture name is written first, then the city name. Then the name of one of the 24 wards. After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.