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Osaka City (大阪市; Osaka-shi) is the third-largest city in Japan, with a population of 2.7 million. It is located on the main island of Honshu, at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay. The city is one of Japan's major industrial centers and ports, as well as the capital of Osaka prefecture and a central part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.
Osaka city was named originally Naniwa, and appears in early Japanese historical documents. The emperor Shomu made this area his capital, and named it Naniwa-no-miya (The Capital of Naniwa). It has always been a vital connection, by land and sea, between Yamato (modern day Nara prefecture), Korea, and China. Settsu, a former province of Japan, consisted of the northern part of modern Osaka prefecture and the seaside part of Hyogo prefecture.
In 1496Events January 3 Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine. March 10 Christopher Columbus leaves Hispaniola for Spain, ending his second visit to the Western Hemisphere. July Spanish forces under Gonzalo Hernandez de Cordoba capture Atella a the Jodo ShinshuJodo Shinshu ( "True Pure Land School"), also known as Shin Buddhism, into full Buddhahood, bestowing upon him the power to make manifest his vows. Shinran's thought was also influenced by an understanding of mappo , or the decline of the Dharma (the Budd Buddhist sect set up their headquarters, the heavily fortified Ishiyama Honganji temple, in Ishiyama, today a part of Osaka. In 1576Events May 5 Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc d'Anjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). End of the Fifth War of Religion Once again, the Protestants are granted freedom of worship. October 3 The " Spanish Terror"., Oda NobunagaOda Nobunaga ( June 23, 1534 June 21, 1582) was a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. Son of Oda Nobuhide, a minor warlord with meager land holdings in Owari Province, Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest to eventu started a siege of the temple that went on to last for four years. The monks finally surrendered in 1580Events Michel de Montaigne publishes first Essay. September 26 Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe 1580- 1764 First session if Jewish Waad ( Sejm of 4 countries) in Lublin, Poland. 70 delegates of Jewish local kahals met to discuss issue of taxati, the temple was razed and Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshi (; 1536 September 18, 1598), was a Japanese general who united Japan. He succeeded his former liege, Oda Nobunaga. Later, he invaded Korea. He is known for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of th took the place for his own castle, Osaka Castle.
Osaka was called Ozaka (大坂) from the middle ages until the premodern period. In the beginning of Meiji Era the government renamed the city to Osaka, which remains its name today. In those days Osaka was the second largest city of Japan and economically the most important, because most of the important markets, rice, exchange and so on were there.
The modern city was designated on September 1, 1956 by government ordinance.