History of Osaka in Timeline

Osaka is a major city in Japan's Kansai region, serving as the capital and most populous city of Osaka Prefecture. It's the third-largest city in Japan and a core component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, one of the world's largest urban areas with over 19 million residents. The city has a high population density, with over 12,500 people per square kilometer.

1920: Mass Migration to Osaka

Between 1920 and 1930, a mass migration to Osaka occurred due to the Great Kantō earthquake.

1925: Number of Bridges in Osaka

By 1925, Osaka had roughly 1,629 bridges.

1925: Nomura Securities Founded

In 1925, Nomura Securities, which was the first brokerage firm in Japan, was founded in Osaka.

1925: Largest Expansion

In 1925, Osaka underwent its largest expansion, adding 126.01 square kilometers to its area.

1925: Largest and Most Populous City

In 1925, Osaka was the largest and most populous city in Japan and the sixth largest in the world. Also, in 1925, Osaka experienced its largest expansion, growing by 126.01 square kilometers, and was recorded to have roughly 1,629 bridges.

1927: General Motors Factory

In 1927, General Motors operated a factory called Osaka Assembly until 1941, manufacturing Chevrolet, Cadillac, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick vehicles, operated and staffed by Japanese workers and managers.

1930: Osaka Becomes Japan's Largest City

In 1930, Osaka became Japan's largest city with a population of 2,453,573 people, outnumbering Tokyo.

1940: Peak Population

In 1940, Osaka's population peaked at 3,252,340.

1941: Closure of General Motors Factory

In 1941, General Motors' Osaka Assembly factory, which manufactured Chevrolet, Cadillac, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick vehicles, ceased operations.

March 13, 1945: Air Raid on Osaka

On March 13, 1945, Osaka was targeted in an air raid by 329 Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers of the United States Army Air Forces, resulting in the destruction of 25 square miles of the city.

June 1945: U.S. Bombing of Osaka

In June 1945, Osaka was bombed twice by the U.S. Army Air Forces as part of the air raids on Japan.

1956: Designated City Status

In 1956, Osaka became one of the first cities in Japan to obtain designated city status.

1965: Post-War Peak Population

In 1965, Osaka reached a post-war peak population of 3,156,222.

1971: Ad Council Japan Founded

The Ad Council Japan was founded in Osaka in 1971; it is now the Osaka branch.

1991: Osaka International School Founded

In 1991, Osaka International School of Kwansei Gakuin was founded in nearby Minoh, becoming the first international school in the Osaka area.

1995: APEC Summit

In 1995, Osaka hosted the APEC Summit.

1995: Decline in Demand for International Schools

The Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake of 1995 caused a decline in demand for international schools in Osaka, with the number of U.S. nationals resident in Osaka decreasing after the earthquake.

1998: Women's Volleyball World Championship

Osaka was one of the host cities of the official Women's Volleyball World Championship for its 1998 edition.

2000: Osaka's Population

The census in 2005 reported that Osaka's population had increased by 30,037 or 1.2% since 2000.

July 13, 2001: Osaka Eliminated from Olympics Bid

On July 13, 2001, Osaka was eliminated in the first round of the vote for the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics, which were awarded to Beijing.

2001: Osaka Museum of History Opened

In 2001, the Osaka Museum of History opened in a 13-story modern building, showcasing Osaka's history from pre-history to the present day.

2001: Osaka YMCA International School Established

In 2001, the city of Osaka and YMCA established the Osaka YMCA International School.

2002: Expatriate Numbers Recovering

In 2002, the numbers of expatriates in Kansai were recovering, but there was still a persistent exodus to Tokyo.

2004: Number of Shops in Osaka

In 2004, Osaka had 25,228 wholesalers and 34,707 retail shops, many of which were concentrated in the wards of Chuō and Kita.

2004: Gross City Product

In fiscal year 2004, the gross city product of Osaka was ¥21.3 trillion, an increase of 1.2% over the previous year.

2005: Osaka's population

According to the census in 2005, there were 2,628,811 residents in Osaka, an increase of 30,037 or 1.2% from 2000.

2005: Expo 2005 in Aichi Prefecture

In 2005, Aichi Prefecture held Expo 2005.

2006: Women's Volleyball World Championship

Osaka was one of the host cities of the official Women's Volleyball World Championship for its 2006 edition.

2007: Osaka Ranked Eighth Most Expensive City

In 2007, Osaka was ranked as the eighth most expensive city for expatriate employees in the world, according to Mercer.

May 2008: Toshifumi Tagaya Elected President

Since May 2008, Toshifumi Tagaya (LDP) has been the current and 104th president of the Osaka City Council.

2008: Osaka Ranked Eleventh Most Expensive City

In 2008, Osaka was ranked as the eleventh most expensive city for expatriate employees in the world, according to Mercer.

2008: Kintetsu Liners Win Promotion

In 2008, the Kintetsu Liners, a rugby union team, won promotion to the Top League.

2008: Summer Olympics

Osaka made the bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics but was eliminated in the first round of the vote on July 13, 2001, which awarded the game to Beijing.

2009: Second Most Expensive City

According to Forbes, in 2009 Osaka was the second most expensive city in the world after Tokyo.

2009: Kintetsu Liners Remain in Competition

After winning promotion in 2008-09, the Kintetsu Liners, a rugby union team, remained in the Top League competition for the 2009-10 season.

2009: Osaka Ranked Second Most Expensive City

In 2009, Osaka was ranked as the second most expensive city for expatriate employees in the world, according to Mercer.

2010: Women's Volleyball World Championship

Osaka was one of the host cities of the official Women's Volleyball World Championship for its 2010 edition.

2011: Former Public Servants Employed

At the end of the fiscal year 2011, some 69 employees of Kansai Electric Power Company were former public servants, according to the "energy strategy council" meeting on April 10, 2012.

2011: Japan Bandy Federation Creation

In 2011 the Japan Bandy Federation was created in Osaka, and bandy was introduced to the city in the form of rink bandy.

February 2012: Request to Break Dependence on Nuclear Power

In February 2012, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe jointly asked Kansai Electric Power Company to break its dependence on nuclear power.

March 2012: Series of Changes Demanded

In March 2012, the city of Osaka decided that as the largest shareholder of Kansai Electric Power Co, at the next shareholders-meeting in June 2012 it would demand a series of changes.

April 10, 2012: Energy Strategy Council Meeting

On April 10, 2012, at a meeting held by the "energy strategy council", it became clear that at the end of the fiscal year 2011 some 69 employees of Kansai Electric Power Company were former public servants, in a practice known as "Amakudari".

June 2012: Proposal to Minimize Dependence on Nuclear Power

In June 2012, Toru Hashimoto, the mayor of Osaka, announced a proposal to minimize the dependence on nuclear power for the shareholders meeting.

June 2012: Shareholders-meeting

In March 2012, the city of Osaka decided that as the largest shareholder of Kansai Electric Power Co, at the next shareholders-meeting in June 2012 it would demand a series of changes.

July 2012: First Japan Bandy Festival

In July 2012 the first Japan Bandy Festival was organized in Osaka.

July 2012: Bill Submitted to Diet

In July 2012, a joint multi-party bill was submitted to the Diet to allow for the implementation of the Osaka Metropolis plan.

2012: Keihanshin Region GDP

In 2012, the Keihanshin region had a GDP of approximately $953.9 billion.

2013: Osaka's Cost of Living Ranking

In 2013, Osaka was not ranked in the top ten most expensive cities in the world by Mercer, but was ranked the second most expensive city in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit's Cost of Living study.

March 2014: Opening of Abeno Harukas

In March 2014, the 300-meter tall Abeno Harukas opened, becoming the tallest building in Japan at the time.

2014: Abeno Harukas as Tallest Skyscraper

In 2014, the Abeno Harukas was the tallest skyscraper in the country.

May 2015: Referendum on Osaka Metropolis Plan Fails

In May 2015, a referendum for the approval of the Osaka Metropolis plan failed, leading to Tōru Hashimoto's withdrawal from politics.

2015: Keihanshin Region Population

As of 2015, the Keihanshin region had a population of 19,303,000, which is 15% of Japan's population.

2017: Osaka's Financial Competitiveness

In 2017, Osaka was ranked as having the 15th most competitive financial center in the world and the fifth most competitive in Asia.

October 2018: Sister City Relationship Ended

In October 2018, Osaka officially ended its sister city relationship with San Francisco due to a monument memorializing "comfort women".

November 2020: Second Referendum Voted Down

In November 2020, a second referendum to merge Osaka's wards was narrowly voted down.

2020: Fifth Most Expensive City

By 2020, Osaka had slipped to the 5th rank of most expensive cities in the world.

2020: COVID-19 Pandemic Delay

In 2020, the Expo 2020 in Dubai was delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Delayed Expo 2020 in Dubai

In 2021, the Expo 2020 in Dubai was held after being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022: Loss of Tallest Building Title

In 2022, the Abeno Harukas lost its title as the tallest building in Japan after the completion of the 330-meter tall Azabudai Hills Main Tower in Tokyo.

2023: Yokoyama Wins Mayoral Election

Hideyuki Yokoyama won the mayoral election in 2023 and is also expected to win the election in 2026, becoming the current mayor of Osaka.

2023: Abeno Harukas Loses Tallest Skyscraper Title

In 2023, the Abeno Harukas was no longer the tallest skyscraper in the country.

2023: Matsui to Resign

In November 2020, after a second referendum to merge Osaka's wards was voted down, Osaka mayor Ichiro Matsui announced he would resign when his term ended in 2023.

April 2025: Construction of MGM Osaka Begins

In April 2025, MGM Resorts began construction on MGM Osaka, which will be the first integrated resort in Japan.

October 1, 2025: Estimated Population

On October 1, 2025, Osaka had an estimated population of 2,816,247 and a population density of about 12,505 people per square kilometer.

October 2025: Expo 2025

Expo 2025 was held at Yumeshima Island, Konohana-ku from April to October 2025.

2026: Yokoyama Projected to Win Mayoral Election

Hideyuki Yokoyama is projected to win the mayoral election in 2026, remaining the current mayor of Osaka, having already won the election in 2023.

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