Osaka

Osaka Prefecture sits in west-central Honshū at the heart of the Kansai region. It faces Osaka Bay to the west and borders Hyōgo (northwest), Kyoto (north–northeast), Nara (east), and Wakayama (south). Most of the area is the Osaka Plain, with the Yodo River flowing across the city toward the bay. Osaka City and Sakai anchor the urban core, framed by the Hokusetsu Hills to the north and the Ikoma–Kongō ranges to the east, giving a basin-like landscape. As the hub of the Kyoto–Osaka–Kobe metro, it’s a key transport node; on artificial islands along the bay you’ll find major ports and Kansai International Airport (KIX).