Osaka: The Heart of West Japan The city of Osaka is the capital of Osaka Prefecture in Honshu's Kansai region. It's the third largest city in Japan, behind Tokyo and Yokohama, with a population of nearly 2.5 million. Osaka, the biggest city and the industrial center of western Japan, is often compared to Tokyo in the east. It's an old city that has traditionally been home to many merchants and artists, and even today it is considered to be more vibrant and bustling than Tokyo. Osaka grew in importance in the late 1500s when Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a feudal lord who unified Japan, constructed Osaka Castle. Although his rival, Tokugawa Ieyasu, moved the government to Edo (today's Tokyo) after Hideyoshi's death, Osaka remained a key commercial city. During the Edo period (1600-1868), Osaka was used as the depot for rice and other products for the entire nation, and was called Japan's "kitchen." Even today there is an emphasis on food in the city--people from Osaka have a reputation as great eaters. There are countless restaurants in town, and the region has many famous specialties, including takoyaki (octopus dumplings) and okonomi-yaki (a kind of pancake filled with meat and vegetables). Wealthy merchants in Osaka have always supported many poets, writers, scholars, and artists. To this day, a great number of artists come from Osaka. Many of the most popular comedians on television are famous for their thick Osaka accents. Osaka is an international city, boasting the only 24-hour airport in Japan (built on an artificial island in Osaka Bay). It was the site of the 1970 International Exposition, and this year it became a candidate to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

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