A capital of commerce during the Edo era, Osaka flourished as one of Japan’s leading industrial cities from the Meiji period onward and today has developed into an economic center for the Kansai region and greater Japan.
Maintaining an economic reach second only to Tokyo, Osaka has withstood the collapse of Japan’s economic bubble, the Lehman shock, and various demographic changes and continues to offer economic activities in keeping with the times.
Set against this backdrop are the merchants and entrepreneurs whose free and easy attitude and enterprising spirit were cultivated in Osaka and who were the first in the world to begin futures trading. Through innovative ideas and creation of new products, they have brought a richness and abundance to the lives of ordinary people.
This entrepreneurial spirit still survives unchanged in the corporations of modern-day Osaka and has given rise to a succession of numerous products and services. Using advanced design and manufacturing technology, Osaka businesses make everything from toothbrushes to rockets and manufacture not only parts and materials but the finished product made from these as well. However, with slowing domestic market growth due to Japan’s declining population, it is essential to ensure sustainable development by incorporating the momentum of overseas markets beginning with the robust Asian market.
Osaka is a city of high potential, with numerous businesses related to the environment, energy, IoT, robot technologies, and health and medical services. Centered on industries with the promise for expanding future markets and assisting related corporations in transmitting their new products and innovations throughout the world, the city is advancing an infrastructure to help create new businesses while promoting R&D and the aggregation of domestic and international corporations.
As foreign businesses continue to enter and invest in the Japanese market, it is important to create urban bases with the power to attract even more business and talent.
For this purpose, Osaka is currently carrying out large-scale urban development projects in multiple areas around the city. Moving forward, Osaka will continue its transformation into a city offering sustainable growth and overflowing with new business opportunities and innovation that will attract people, products, and investments from around the world.