For quite a while, Osaka was not only the capital of Japan from a cultural standpoint, but it was also considered to be the commercial center of Japan. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1920s that Osaka began to relinquish this title, giving it up to Tokyo after World War II. With more than 2.5 million residents, Osaka is the third-largest city in Japan (behind Tokyo and Yokohama). In fact, if you take into consideration the outside areas of the city, this population rises to 10.5 million people making it the 13th-largest city in the world and a central hub of entertainment and activity for anyone lucky enough to visit this historic city by taking a tour of Osaka. Check out some historic facts about this amazing city below:

• Human skeletons, sea oysters and shell mounds have been found in the Osaka region dating back to the 5th-6th century BC. A large concentration of tomb mounds found in the era show that Osaka was a huge concentration of population in this time range.

• The ratio of population of Osaka between daytime and nighttime is 141%, the highest in Japan, highlighting its status as an economic center.

• In 645, Emperor Kotoku built his palace in Osaka, making it the capital of Japan. At this time, the city was called Naniwa, a name that is still in use for districts in central Osaka such as Naniwa.

• In 1496, the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist sect set up their headquarters in the heavily fortified Ishiyama Hongan-ji on the site of the old Naniwa imperial palace. Later in 1570, Oda Nobunaga started a siege of the temple. A decade later, the monks surrendered it and the temple was razed. Toyotomi Hideyoshi constructed Osaka Castle was built in its place.

• In 1837, Oshio Heihachiro, a low-ranking samurai, led a peasant insurrection to protest the city’s treatment of its lower class. Around 25% of the city was razed before shogunal officials put down the rebellion. Oshio killed himself shortly thereafter.

• “Osaka” mean “large hill” or “large slope” and dates back to 1496 text.

• The area of Osaka includes ten smaller cities and is known collectively as the Osaka Prefecture.

• Osaka has nine sister cities including San Francisco, Chicago and Shanghai.

The rich history that can be viewed on tours of Osaka and the economic importance of this city makes this an ideal place to visit. Sightseeing tours of Osaka are extremely popular to anyone wanting to take a glimpse at the importance of this city to the entire country of Japan. Make sure to book your sightseeing tour of Osaka with AsiaImpressions today!