Osaka Prefecture

Osaka Prefecture (大阪府 Ōsaka-fu^?) is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshu, the main island of Japan.^[1]

The capital is the city of Osaka.
It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.^[2]


Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Osaka prefecture was known as Kawachi, Izumi and Settsu provinces.^[3] Osaka Prefecture was created in 1868, at the very beginning of the Meiji era.[4]

Osaka Prefecture neighbors the prefectures of Hyōgo and Kyoto in the north, Nara in the east and Wakayama in the south. The west is open to Osaka Bay. The Yodo and Yamato Rivers flow through the prefecture.

Prior to the construction of Kansai International Airport, Osaka was the smallest prefecture in Japan. The artificial island on which the airport was built added enough area to make it slightly larger than Kagawa Prefecture.^[6][7]

There are many electrical, chemical,pharmaceutical, heavy industry, food, and housing companies in Osaka Prefecture.

Osaka Prefecture has three airports (Kansai International Airport, Osaka International Airport, and Yao Airport).

 The first conveyor belt sushi originated in Higashiosaka in Osaka Prefecture.^[21][unreliable source?]

Keihanshin (京阪神^?, "Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe") is a Japanese metropolitan region encompassing the metropolitan areas of the cities of Osaka in Osaka prefecture, Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture, and Kyoto in Kyoto prefecture.