Prefecture/City:	Osaka Prefecture
Capital/Prefecture:	Osaka City
Governor/Mayor:	Ichiro Matsui
Area:	1,899 square km (733 square miles)
Population:	8.86 million as of December 2013
Flower:	Primrose, Japanese apricot
Tree:	Ginkgo
Bird:	Shrike

Business & Industry:

Osaka is the largest city in western Japan and the foothold for doing business in half of the country. Just like Tokyo, lots of foreign companies are based in Osaka and the headquarters of major Japanese companies, such as Panasonic Corp. and Sharp Corp., are located here as well.

Tourism & Culture:

Often referred to as “a town to make you eat yourself out of house and home,” Osaka has plenty of inexpensive pubs and restaurants offering tasty local foods. The prefecture was once called “the kitchen of Japan.” For entertainment, Universal Studio Japan may be a must-see.

Famous for:

Takoyaki, Osaka’s representative low-priced local food. The small ball-shaped pastry containing chopped octopus comes in many different versions.