Introduction /Thesis
Osaka, once known as the small fishing village of Naniwa located in modern South-Western Japan and based around the similarly named Osaka Bay and located on the delta of the Yodo River, is now, almost one thousand years later, a bustling megacity of economic prosperity, industrialization and scientific innovations. Founded by natives of the area the settlement endured many sackings and raids from rival peoples in Medieval times, being able to flourish into an adequate competitor to Tokyo, a major metropolis in East Asia; however still having the obstacles of pollution and climate change to tackle in the future.
Location and Situation
Osaka is the capital of a group of nearby districts and the surrounding metropolitan area which is known as the Osaka Prefecture. Although the Osaka Prefecture is the second smallest prefecture of Japan land-wise, it has the third largest population, and is only second in economy to Tokyo and its surrounding area. The Osaka Prefecture is located in Mid-West Japan, also faces the Osaka bay, and is surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges, which are: The Hokusetsu in the North, The Kongo-Ikoma in the east, and the Izumi-Katsuragi in the South. Important to mention is that generally the information on Osaka on this website is really for the Osaka Prefecture and not only the central city.