Osaka is the capital city of Japan’s Osaka prefecture and after Tokyo, has the second greatest population of any city in the country. The city is a focal point for Japanese industry and shipping and is also noted as the country’s historical commercial capital. Within the Kansai region, Osaka is situated at the entrance to the Yodo River where it meets Osaka Bay. Visitors to the city will find a bustling metropolis that puts little stock in reminiscing in its past and much more significance on the importance of its present and future.

The city’s commitment to technology can be witnessed at the Osaka Science and Technology Museum, an interesting attraction with a wide range of hands-on exhibits and displays that focus on the most fascinating examples of 21st century advancements. If something a little less educational and a little more pleasure oriented is your thing, then the city has a large selection of amusement parks including the high profile Universal Studios Japan and smaller venues such as Rinku Park and Hirakata Park. Opportunities for enjoying thrill rides, themed shows, hi-tech video games and popular fairground rides are greater here than in any other city in the country.

For historical and cultural sights; the city offers a variety of interesting religious structures, monuments and landmarks such as shrines dedicated to various Japanese deities and Shinto and Buddhist temples. The Mitami Shrine, the Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine and the Shitenno-ji Buddhist temple list among some of the more popular sites in this category. Meanwhile, find Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, the Museum of Oriental Ceramics and the Osaka City Museum as the offer greater insights into the city’s cultural intricacies.

The city is famous for its fantastic cuisine which is hailed as among the best in the country. Visitors will find popular Japanese dishes on restaurant menus as well as other that are peculiar to the city only. Local delicacies include the noodle dish known as udon, octopus dumplings known as takoyaki and a pan-fried batter cake known as okonomiyaki.

Tourists will find the city perhaps more relaxed and accessible than Tokyo and with residents presenting diversely different attitudes to Tokyoites. Osakans are energetic and outgoing types with a sense of amiability that is extended to Japanese and international visitors alike. The city also has a good tourist infrastructure which includes an excellent selection of accommodations. Popular international chains provide their usual high standards of hotel facilities and include the following: Novotel Koshien Osaka Hotel, Hilton Osaka Hotel, Radisson Miyako Osaka Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Osaka, Hyatt Regency Osaka, The Western Osaka and several branches of the Holiday Inn.

The earliest known history of the region dates as far back as the stone-age as archaeologists over the years have discovered a wealth of tangible evidence including stone tools and ancient dwellings, which are still available to be seen in the prefecture today.

Much later, circa 500 AD, the region experienced growth when the whole country received an injection of continental culture from the Korean Peninsula and Osaka became its political and cultural centre. In the 7th century, the region was named Naniwa and Emperor Kotoku established the city of Naniwa-no-miya, which he established as its capital.

The city continued to grow but suffered a serious setback during the 14th century when a series of wars devastated it. A new era of growth however was heralded by the building of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple in 1496, which saw Osaka developed as a temple town or Jinai-cho as it was otherwise known. The temple was later destroyed during a ten-year long conflict with Nobunaga Oda and after this, construction began on the Osaka Castle and Osaka was subsequently developed as a castle town from which the city of today has evolved.

Under the command and watchful eye of the Shogunate in Edo, excavation of the canals and the reconstruction of the town’s urban districts were undertaken, leading to an era of growth and economic prosperity. The exploitation of the city’s waterways was a key factor in its rapid growth and saw the city become a thriving commercial and financial centre during the Edo period (1603-1867).

In the late 19th century, from the end of the Tokugawa regime up until the Meiji Period, a programme of intense reform led to an impeding of Osaka’s economic progress, however the great efforts of pioneers during this time assisted the city in becoming a modern centre for industry and commerce. Osaka City was officially established as a municipality in 1889 and underwent a large scale urban improvement programme which included modernisations of the water supply and the drains and construction of the harbour and streetcar transportation system.

The 20th century saw steady progress in areas such as streets, parks, subways and utilisation of land space. The building of a modern infrastructure and the establishment of a sound local government made Osaka a model for other Japanese cities looking to develop along the same lines.

Osaka experiences a largely temperate climate in which there are hot summers and relatively high volumes of precipitation. A rainy season occurs from June to early July while a typhoon season occurs from September through until early October; it’s during these two seasons that the majority of the year’s rain is likely to fall.

The summers are hot and steamy and temperatures in the mid 30s are not uncommon. August is the hottest month and September is still hot but gets gradually cooler until October arrives and daily highs are down to around 22ºC. Winters are invariably dry and can be quite chilly although by no means as cold as those of a European winter season, with temperatures rarely dropping significantly below 10ºC.

When you choose to visit Osaka depends on what kind of weather you are acclimatised to and what you are hoping to see and do. The city’s trees feature their famous cherry blossom known as hanami in the months of April and May, so visitors with a liking for the beauty of nature might want to schedule a trip for them. The months of June and September are favourable times as far as temperatures go, however rainfall is likely so visitors would need to pack a waterproof jacket if planning a trip then.