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Kansai region - Osaka
Osaka Castle with a five-layer donjon - Bustling Umeda Underground Mall
and Namba, a popular business and shopping quarter
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Osaka prefecture located in the center of Kinki region in the Midwest
Japan covers the smallest prefecture land area in Japan, but boasts
of largest population and highest population density second only
after the capital, Tokyo. Mountains surround three sides of the
prefecture and the west faces the arc-shaped Osaka Bay.
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Since it is close to former capitals of Japan Kyoto and Nara, it prospered
as an important point for land and water transportation as well as a commercial
city.
In the Osaka City is the Osaka Castle with a five-layer donjon as its
core, on a lawn park that stretches for about 60,000 square meters. During
the cherry blossom season in the spring, this park is especially crowded
with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) crowd. Osaka's north gate, Umeda,
has a gigantic stretch of underground mall that houses many restaurants,
fashion and sundry goods stores.
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In contrast to Kita with Umeda as its core, Minami
is an area with core cities Namba, a popular business and shopping
district, and Dotonbori with many restaurants on both sides of Dotonbori-gawa
River. Minami is known as a town of public entertainment and has
many theaters and cinemas.
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In recent years, the development of Osaka's new showplace, the waterfront,
is taking place. Tenpo-zan Harbor Village, which has a 112 meter-high
Ferris wheel, shopping mall and Suntory Museum, a complex of cultural
facilities, and ATC(Asia Pacific Trade Center), Japan's largest outlet
mall, are also popular.
Getting to Osaka
About 2 hours 30 minutes from Tokyo Station to Shin Osaka Station by
JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line.
previous: Japan regions - Kansai
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