History of Osaka

History of Osaka

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.
Check out more Overview »

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.