Living in Osaka - INVEST OSAKA

The living environment of Osaka

The successive cities Osaka, Kyoto and Nara located in the region of Kansai were once the last destination of the famous ‘Silk Road’, prospered as the center of Japanese politics, culture and economy.

Representing Japan since, Kansai boasts its cultural heritage (Buddhist temples and shrines) and Entertainments (Kabuki, Noh and etc.) still succeeding to this date. Kansai is a location where many new businesses and new products are born and in the heart of this place is the capital Osaka, serving as the second biggest economic scale in Japan, next to Tokyo.

Osaka is a megacity where the traditional culture and modern charm co-exist. Osaka has been ranked 9th in ‘World’s most livable cities’ survey in 2024, held by the Economic Intelligence Unit in England, making it the top Asian city to make the list.

Employment and labor consultation for foreigners

As part of the Kansai National Strategic Special Zone’s initiatives, free counseling services are available to companies within this Special Zone (Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo prefectures) that have just set up a new business or are a non-Japanese company looking to establish a business. These services will be provided by licensed social insurance consultants and lawyers to ensure that Japanese employment regulations related to hiring and labor contracts are properly understood and that the company’s business development progresses smoothly.

Kansai National Strategic Special Zone Employment Counseling Center

Room K827, Knowledge Capital 8F,
Grand Front Osaka North Building,
3-1 Ofuka-cho, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0011 Japan
TEL +81-6-6136-3194　Email:info@kecc.jp
Supported languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday 11:00 to 20:00 (Excluding Public Holidays and New Year Period.
URL:http://www.kecc.jp/en/

Services for Foreigners Residents

In Osaka, there are many facilities and organizations whichi provide multilingual services to foreigners residing in Osaka. The services range from legal consultation, information on everyday life and administration.

Osaka International House foundation (iHouse)

Uehonmachi, Tennoji-ku Osaka City, 8-2-6 Japan
General Information TEL +81-6-6773-8989
Supported languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino
URL:https://www.ih-osaka.or.jp/english/

Osaka Foundation of International Exchange (OFIX) Osaka Information Service for Foreign Residents

Mydome Osaka 5F Honmachibashi 2-5, Chuo Ward, Osaka City
TEL +81-6-6941-2297
Email:jouhou-c@ofix.or.jp
Supported languages：Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Filipino, Siamese, Indonesian, Nepali.
*Email service is only offered in English and Japanese.
URL: https://ofix.or.jp/english/

Educational institutions for foreigners

In Kansai region (including Osaka), there are numerous International schools accredited by international educational evaluation organization ( WASC, CIS, ACSI, IB) which offer high quality education programs for foreign residents.

Main international schools located in Kansai centering on Osaka

School	Location	International Accreditation	Website
Osaka YMCA International	Osaka City	IB、WASC	https://oyis.org/
Umeda International School	Osaka City	ACSI	http://www.umeda-international-school.com/ (only Japanese Website available)
Osaka International School of Kwansei Gakuin	Minoh City	IB、WASC、CIS	https://sois.kwansei.ac.jp/osaka-international-school
Osaka Chinese school	Osaka City	-	http://www.ocs.ed.jp/ (only Japanese Website available)
Canadian Academy	Kobe City	IB、WASC、CIS	https://www.canacad.ac.jp/
Marist Brothers International School	Kobe City	WASC	https://marist.ac.jp/
St. Michaels International School	Kobe City	WASC、CIS	https://smis.org/
Deutsche Schule Kobe	Kobe City	IB	https://dskobe.org/en/
Kobe Chinese school	Kobe City	-	https://www.tongwen.ed.jp/
Kyoto International School	Kyoto City	IB、WASC	https://www.kis.ac.jp/
KIU Kyoto International University Academy	Kyotanabe City	ACSI	https://www.kiua.kyotoiu.ac.jp/en
Kansai Christian School	Ikoma	ACSI	https://www.kansaichristianschool.com/
Abroad International School Osaka	Osaka City	IB	https://osaka.abroadschools.jp/
One World International School Osaka	Osaka City	IB	https://owis.org/jp/osaka/

※IB(International Baccalaureate), WASC(Western Association of Schools and College ), CIS(Council of International Schools), ACSI(Association of Christian Schools International)

Asian Gateway, Osaka

Please look at the following videos on the living environments of Osaka.

Global city: Osaka

Osaka has gained the title of being a ‘Global City’ by cultivating global talents, progressively servicing environments to appeal to foreigners. Every year, the management consultant company, A.T. Kearny announces the Global Cities Index, with Osaka ranking 49th in the world in 2024, making Osaka one of the most comfortable places to live in the world for foreigners.