is one of 24

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...

which make up the city of

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, and is located in the southeast of the city. It is the largest Osaka ward in population and the only ward to have over 200,000 residents.

Geography

The north-west side of Hirano-ku is on the southern part of the Uemachi Plateau, but the overall terrain is mostly flat. The

Yamato River The is a river which flows through Nara Prefecture and Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is designated Class A by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT). The river flows via towns: *Nara Prefecture ** Yamatokōriyama *Os ...

flows through the south of the ward, and the Uriwari Cemetery is located inside the ward.

History

The name ''Hirano'' probably goes back to the end of the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

, and was formally known as Hirano-shou in Sumiyoshi-gun (district) of the

Settsu province was a province of Japan, which today comprises the southeastern part of Hyōgo Prefecture and the northern part of Osaka Prefecture. It was also referred to as or . Osaka and Osaka Castle were the main center of the province. Most of Settsu's ...

. The second son of

Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was a court noble, general and ''shōgun'' of the early Heian period of Japan. He served as Dainagon, Minister of War and ''Ukon'e no Taisho'' (Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards). He held the ''kabane'' of Ōsukune and ...

, Sakanoue no Hirono, was the feudal lord in charge of the development of Hirano and was called ''Hirano-tono'' (''tono'' being the title given to noblemen). There are a couple of theories as to the origin of the name ''Hirano''. One is that it is a corruption or mispronunciation of the word ''kouya'' (広野). Another theory is that it comes from the time when many lakes and marshes were reclaimed and the fields (野) were widened (平らになった) making the kanji combination 平野.

Transportation

Train

;

West Japan Railway Company , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

(JR West) *

Kansai Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), with the boundary between both comp ...

: Kami Station - Hirano Station *

Osaka Higashi Line The (Literally: Osaka East Line) is a railway line in Osaka, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR-West). The line connects Shin-Osaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the norther ...

: Shin-Kami Station ;

Osaka Metro The is a major rapid transit system in the Osaka Metropolitan Area of Japan, operated by the Osaka Metro Company, Ltd. It serves the city of Osaka and the adjacent municipalities of Higashiosaka, Kadoma, Moriguchi, Sakai, Suita, and Yao. O ...

Tanimachi Line The is a rapid transit line of Osaka Metro, running from Dainichi Station in Moriguchi to Yaominami Station in Yao through Osaka. Its official name is , while the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau refers to it as , and in MLIT publicati ...

: Hirano Station -

Kire-Uriwari Station is a metro station on the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line located in Hirano-ku, Osaka, Hirano-ku, Osaka, Japan. Layout This station has an island platform serving two tracks under Nagai-koen-dori Street, and a returning track in the east of the pla ...

- Deto Station - Nagahara Station

Education

Universities and colleges

Tokiwakai Gakuen University is a private university with the campus in Hirano-ku, Osaka, Osaka, Japan. It is located next to Tokiwakai College is a private junior college in Hirano-ku, Osaka, Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japa ...

Tokiwakai College is a private junior college in Hirano-ku, Osaka, Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, followi ...

Religion

Dainenbutsu-ji Dainenbutsu-ji (大念仏寺) is a Buddhist temple in Hirano-ku, Osaka, Japan. It was founded in 1127. See also * Thirteen Buddhist Sites of Osaka * List of National Treasures of Japan (writings: Chinese books) External links Official web ...

Senkō-ji Senkō-ji (全興寺) is a Buddhist temple in Hirano-ku, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. See also * Thirteen Buddhist Sites of Osaka External links Official website Buddhist temples in Osaka Hirano-ku, Osaka Kōyasan Shingon temples Prin ...

Notable people

* Akihiro Yano, Professional baseball player *

Daishōmaru Shōgo is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Hirano-ku, Osaka. He made his debut in March 2014 at an elevated rank known as ''makushita tsukedashi'' and wrestles for Oitekaze stable. Early life and sumo experience Shōgo Kawabata began part ...

sumo wrestler A , or, more colloquially, , is a professional sumo wrestler. follow and live by the centuries-old rules of the sumo profession, with most coming from Japan, the only country where sumo is practiced professionally. Participation in official ...

Shōfukutei Tsurube II , born , is a Japanese rakugo comedian and actor. Filmography Film *''Tokyo Heaven'' (1990) *'' Moving'' (1993) *'' Wait and See'' (1998) *'' Kabei: Our Mother'' (2008) - Senkichi *'' Dear Doctor'' (2009) - Dr. Osamu Ino *'' About Her Brothe ...

rakugo is a form of ''yose'', which is itself a form of Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on a raised platform, a . Using only a and a as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long ...

comedian and actor *

Satoshi Matsuda is a Japanese actor who has appeared in a number of feature films and television series. He is affiliated with Sun Music Production. In December 9, 2016, he apprehended a voyeur criminal whose taking photographs of his wife's skirt using a smart ...

, actor *

Yuki Matsuoka is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. She graduated from Otemae Women's University in Nishinomiya. She is affiliated with Production Baobab. Her notable roles include Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga in ''Azumanga Daioh'', Orihime Inoue in '' ...

, voice actress *

Masami Hisamoto , (July 9, 1958 – ) is a Japanese comedian, actress, singer and tarento from Higashisumiyoshi Ward (now Hirano Ward), Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, belonging to the Wahaha talent agency. She is also, as of 2007, the head of the fine arts department ...

, Talent *

Lee Myung-bak Lee Myung-bak (; ; ; born 19 December 1941) is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the 10th president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and the ma ...

President of South Korea The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (often abbreviated to POTROK or POSK; ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president leads the State Council, and is ...

ManaKana and (born February 23, 1986) are Japanese identical twin sister actresses. They are mostly collectively referred to as . They were born in Osaka, Osaka. Mana is the older one, born 7 minutes before Kana. History *They debuted at the age of 5, ap ...

, twin actresses *

Ai Haruna is a Japanese transgender TV personality and singer. In October 2009, Haruna won the "Miss International Queen 2009" transgender beauty pageant held in Pattaya, Thailand, becoming the first Japanese contestant to win the title. Discography ...

Transsexual Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignment ...

television actor

External links

Official website of Hirano
Wards of Osaka {{Osaka-geo-stub