Osaka’s history and significance to Japan are at least as defining as those of imperial Kyoto or modern Tokyo, but their character is completely different. While other cities were built on politics or religion, Osaka has always been a stronghold of commerce, pragmatism and entertainment.
Osaka’s history began with the ancient port of Naniwa. It was an important gateway to the Asian continent as early as the 7th century, and even served as the capital of Japan for a short time. However, its real rise came in the 16th century, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the unifiers of Japan, had the massive Osaka Castle built. Hideyoshi’s goal was to make the city the economic center of the empire, and to do so, he attracted merchants from all over the country.
During the Edo period, Osaka began to be referred to as the nation’s kitchen (tenka no daidokoro). This not only indicated the gastronomic diversity, but also the fact that it was the most important rice market in the country. The merchant class created not only money here, but also its own culture: the bunraku puppet show and many forms of kabuki theater were born here, which presented fast-paced, urban life instead of rigid court rituals.
After the Meiji Restoration, Osaka became the forefront of industrialization, so much so that it was called the Manchester of the East because of its smoking factory chimneys. Although the bombings of World War II caused severe damage to the city, the residents quickly rebuilt the metropolis with their famous vitality and business acumen.
Today, Osaka is the third most populous city in Japan and the engine of the Kansai region. In addition to its economic importance, it is now a center for tourism and technology. The city is famous for being much more open, loud and friendly than the restrained Tokyo. The locals have a philosophy of life called kuidaore, which loosely translates to: eat until you drop.
While in Tokyo people stand on the left side of the escalator, in Osaka they stand on the right. This has been the case since the 1970 World Expo, to conform to international customs.
This is where Momofuku Ando invented instant noodles in 1958, which has since taken the world by storm. The city even has a museum dedicated to noodles.
The city’s entertainment district, Dotonbori, is one of the most intense food streets in the world, where you can find Michelin-starred street food among the giant, moving crab figures and neon signs (like the famous Glico running man).
