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is a major commercial, business, shopping and entertainment district in Kita-ku,
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, where the city's main northern railway termini (
ÅŒsaka Station is a major railway station in the Umeda district of Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It forms as one of the city's main railway terminals to the north, the other being Shin-ÅŒsaka Station, Shin-ÅŒsaka. Al ...
,
Umeda Station is a major railway station in Kita-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku in the northern commercial center of Osaka, Japan. It is the busiest station in western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005. Umeda Station is served by the following railways: ...
) are located. The district's name means "plum field".


History

Umeda was historically called Umeda Haka (Umeda Grave), because it was one of the seven largest cemeteries of Osaka from the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
(1603–1868) until the first twenty years of the
Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
(1868–1912). In 2020, survey teams for the Umekita redevelopment project discovered ancient burial remains of over 1,500 people. Experts say these remains were of commoners, not the aristocracy. They used several burial styles, both cremated as well as buried with enclosed wooden caskets, barrel-shaped open containers and earthenware coffins called kameganbo (turtle caskets). They found burial items such as pipes, clay dolls, rokusenmon (a set of six coins to pay passage across the Sanzu River which separates the world of the living and the afterlife) and juzudama (rosary-style prayer beads). A stone wall separated a mass grave with skeletons that were only covered by soil. These are suspected to have died in a plague. Until the 1870s, the area which is now Umeda was agricultural land. The area was reclaimed and filled in by the prefectural government in the 1870s to support the creation of the first Osaka Station. The word "Umeda" was previously written with different
kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...
characters; 埋田 (English: "buried field") to reflect this history. The name was changed to 梅田 (English: "plum field") without altering the pronunciation, likely due to negative connotations with the previous characters. The original Osaka Station, a two-story red brick building, was opened in 1874, along with the first railway connecting Osaka and Kobe cities, and in 1876 an additional line to Kyoto. This was essentially the establishment of Umeda as a district. As industry in the area increased at the turn of the century, the station required expansion, so in 1901 the first station was demolished, and a larger station was built in the location where Osaka Station exists in a different form today. Hanshin Umeda station was constructed in 1906, followed by Hankyu Umeda Station in 1910, the Umeda subway station and Midosuji subway line in 1933 and Kitashinchi station in 1997. The current incarnation of Osaka Station was built in 1979, and underwent extensive renovation and reconstruction between 2005 and 2011, including the addition of the North Gate Building, a glass roof covering the tracks, and vast additional retail space providing shops, restaurants, sports centers and movie theatres to the area. For the 2011 re-opening, the station was re-branded Osaka Station City. The construction of
Umeda Sky Building The is a two-tower mixed-use skyscraper in Osaka, Japan. Located on the outskirts of the Umeda business district in Kita-ku, Osaka, the Umeda Sky Building consists of two 40-story towers interconnected at their two uppermost stories via glass ...
in 1993 and the re-branding of Osaka Station City in 2011 transformed the Umeda area from a business district to a retail and tourist attraction.


Politics and government

Umeda makes up a large part of the Kita Ward of Osaka city. Before 2019, the Kita Ward Electorate could elect three representatives to the Osaka Municipal Assembly. In 2018, the Kita electoral district was represented by Takayama Mia from the
Osaka Restoration Association The , also referred to as One Osaka, is a regional political party in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 2010 by then-Governor (Japan), Governor TÅru Hashimoto, its main platform is pursuing the Osaka Metropolis plan of merging the prefecture a ...
, Maeda Kazuhiko from the
Liberal Democratic Party Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
and Yamamoto Tomoko from
Komeito , formerly New Komeito (NKP) and commonly referred to as simply Komei, is a political party in Japan founded by the leader of Soka Gakkai, Daisaku Ikeda, in 1964. It is generally considered centrist and socially conservative. Since 2012, i ...
. The number of representatives from Kita was increased to four prior to the April
2019 Japanese unified local elections The first stage of the in Japan took place on April 7, 2019, with the second following on 21 April 2019. Results Governors Prefectural assemblies Mayors of designated cities Designated city assemblies See also * 2015 Japanese ...
. The 2019 election saw all three incumbent representatives re-elected, along with
Osaka Restoration Association The , also referred to as One Osaka, is a regional political party in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 2010 by then-Governor (Japan), Governor TÅru Hashimoto, its main platform is pursuing the Osaka Metropolis plan of merging the prefecture a ...
newcomer Kuramoto Takayuki.


Geography

Umeda officially only covers
JR West , 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, ...
Osaka Station 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 the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population ...
and the immediate area to its south and west, although "Umeda" is often used to describe much of the surrounding area, and is commonly used as a catch-all to refer to the downtown area of northern Osaka City. In addition to JR Osaka Station, Kitashinchi Station,
Hankyu Umeda Station is a major railway station in Kita-ku in the northern commercial center of Osaka, Japan. It is the busiest station in western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005. Umeda Station is served by the following railways: *Hankyu Railwa ...
and Hanshin Umeda Station are located in this area.
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. ...
's Higashi-Umeda Station and
Nishi-Umeda Station is the terminus railway station of the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, close to Herbis OSAKA and Herbis ENT operated by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and the two Hilton Plazas. Connecting lines f ...
provide subway services to and from Umeda, making it a key transportation hub for the greater Osaka area. Underneath the main roads is an
underground city An underground city is a series of linked subterranea (geography), subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausoleum, mausolea; wine or storage cellars; cisterns or dra ...
which connects most of the local train stations and provides retailers, eateries and access to the area's department stores and the Dojima area of Kita ward. Official districts of Umeda: *Umeda 1-chome: Diamond District,
Hanshin Department Store is a Japanese department store chain owned by , a subsidiary of H2O Retailing, H2O Retailing Corporation. Stores ;Hanshin Umeda :*13-13, Umeda Itchome, Kita-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan :*Access ::*Hanshin Electric Railway Hanshin Main L ...
,
Hilton Hotels & Resorts Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton Worldwide. The original company was founded by Conrad Hi ...
Osaka. *Umeda 2-chome: Osaka Garden City, Herbis Osaka *Umeda 3-chome:
Osaka Station 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 the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population ...
, Osaka Garden City, Nishi Umeda Square The area commonly referred to as Umeda, though outside of Umeda-proper, includes: *Shibata *Chayamachi *Tsuruno *Toyosaki 2-chome *Kakuda *Nakazaki 2-chome, 4-chome *Komatsubara * Doyama *Banzai *Taiyuji *Togano *Sonezaki *Sonezaki Shinchi *Dojima *Dojimahama *Nishitenma *Oyodo-Naka 1-chome *Oyodo-Minami 1-chome *Ofukacho *Nakatsu 1-chome, 5-chome These areas are not officially part of the Umeda district, but may use "Umeda" on their buildings, business names, and in their advertising, and are commonly referred to unofficially as the Umeda area. An example of this is the
Umeda Sky Building The is a two-tower mixed-use skyscraper in Osaka, Japan. Located on the outskirts of the Umeda business district in Kita-ku, Osaka, the Umeda Sky Building consists of two 40-story towers interconnected at their two uppermost stories via glass ...
, one of Osaka's most recognizable landmarks, which resides not in Umeda but in Oyodo-Naka.


Districts


Osaka Station City

Osaka Station City refers to the immediate area around
Osaka Station 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 the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population ...
, above and below ground. JR Osaka Station boasts the largest number of passengers in and out of any station in the
JR West , 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, ...
network, so Osaka Station City is the central hub of Umeda. *South Gate Building **
Daimaru is a Japanese department store chain, principally located in the Kansai region of Japan. The chain is operated by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, a subsidiary of J. Front Retailing. At one time Daimaru was an independent company, , hea ...
Umeda **Hotel Granvia Osaka *North Gate Building **Luqua **Luqua 1100 **Osaka Station Cinema **Osaka Station JR Express Bus Terminal


Diamond District

Umeda 1-chome Diamond District refers to the area of Umeda 1-chome north of Hanshin Umeda Station and south of Osaka Station. A pentagonal section of Umeda 1-chome surrounded by the Midosuji and Sonezaki Dori roads, which resembles a diamond on the map. The price of land within this area is among the highest in Osaka, so it has come to be known as the "Diamond District". The area contains some of the largest skyscrapers in Osaka, department stores and recognizable buildings. The Osaka Maru Building has become a symbol of Umeda, due to its early construction and unique cylindrical shape. *Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South *
Hanshin Department Store is a Japanese department store chain owned by , a subsidiary of H2O Retailing, H2O Retailing Corporation. Stores ;Hanshin Umeda :*13-13, Umeda Itchome, Kita-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan :*Access ::*Hanshin Electric Railway Hanshin Main L ...
* Hilton Plaza Osaka *Osaka Maru Building *Osaka Station 1st Building *Osaka Station 2nd Building *Osaka Station 3rd Building *Osaka Station 4th Building


Nishi-Umeda

Umeda 2-chome / Umeda 3-chome / Osaka Garden City Nishi-Umeda refers to the area of Osaka Garden City in Umeda 2-chome and 3-chome. The Nishi-Umeda district is the main business center of the Umeda area. Nishi-Umeda hosts the facilities of the Ritz Carlton Osaka,
Mainichi Shimbun The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English-language news website called , and publishes a bilin ...
main office and many corporate headquarters for western Japan, it is easily accessible underground via Hanshin Umeda Station and serviced by the
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. ...
subway system. The comparatively high concentration of tall buildings in Nishi-Umeda (and neighboring Dojima and
Nakanoshima is a 3 km long and 50 hectares narrow sandbank in Kita-ku, Osaka city, Japan, that divides the KyÅ«-Yodo into the Tosabori and DÅjima rivers. Many governmental and commercial offices (including the city hall of Osaka), museums and oth ...
) form a prominent
skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
district. *Nishi-Umeda Square (event space, former location of Osaka Central Post Office) *Herbis Osaka ** The Ritz-Carlton Osaka ** TBS Kansai Branch Office **
Hankyu Corporation , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region. It is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Gr ...
Head Office *Herbis ENT ** Osaka Shiki Theater **
Mitsubishi Corporation is a Japanese general trading company ( ''sogo shosha'') and a core member of the Mitsubishi Group. For much of the post-war period, Mitsubishi Corporation has been the largest of the five great ''sogo shosha'' (Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Itochu, S ...
Kansai Branch Office *
Hilton Hotels & Resorts Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton Worldwide. The original company was founded by Conrad Hi ...
Plaza Osaka (Hilton Plaza West) *
Mainichi Shimbun The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English-language news website called , and publishes a bilin ...
Building *
Daiwa House is Japan's largest homebuilder, specializing in prefabricated houses. The company is also engaged in the construction of factories, shopping centers, health care facilities, the management and operation of resort hotels, golf courses and fitn ...
Osaka Building * Osaka Central Hospital * Hotel Monterey Osaka * Hearton Hotel Nishi Umeda *Breeze Tower ** Nippon Ham Head Office **
Bayer Bayer AG (English: , commonly pronounced ; ) is a German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company and is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies and biomedical companies in the world. Headquartered in Leverkusen, Bayer' ...
Japan Corporate Headquarters **
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a Japanese airline headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. ANA operates services to both domestic and international destinations and is Japan's largest airline, ahead of its main rival flag carrier Japan Airlines. the airline has approximate ...
Osaka Branch **
Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the KantÅ region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...
Kansai Branch Office **
Yahoo! Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, and its a ...
Osaka Branch Office


Hankyu Umeda/Kita-Umeda

Shibata 1-chome, Kakuda, Chayamachi, Tsuruno, Nishi-Nakazaki 2-chome The Hankyu Umeda/Kita-Umeda district is the area of Umeda immediately surrounding
Hankyu Umeda Station is a major railway station in Kita-ku in the northern commercial center of Osaka, Japan. It is the busiest station in western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005. Umeda Station is served by the following railways: *Hankyu Railwa ...
, the largest terminal of the Hankyu Corporation. The area extending to the east and north of the station hosts many buildings owned or funded by the Hankyu Corporation, so it is colloquially referred to as Hankyu-mura (lit:Hankyu village). Buildings such as the
HEP Five HEP is a major shopping mall and entertainment center in the Umeda commercial district of Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan. It is a shopping mall consisting of a HEP Five and HEP Navio. HEP stands for "Hankyu Entertainment Park". The building is operate ...
building and Ferris wheel, Hankyu Mens department store,
TOHO Cinemas is a Japanese movie theater company. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Toho Co., Ltd, it is the second-largest cinema chain in Japan by number of screens (after Aeon Cinema). Overview Virgin Cinemas Japan Ltd. was founded by Japanese-American ...
, the Hankyu Grand Building, Hankyu Sanbangai shopping street, a string of antique book and art sellers, and the main branch of Hankyu Department Store, a 187 meter, 41-story building. The west side of Hankyu station hosts hotels, restaurants, fitness clubs, and the Hankyu Corporation's headquarters. The area to the northeast of the station has been rapidly developing since the 1990s. The Chayamachi area, in particular, is growing quickly since the construction of NU Chayamachi shopping mall. *
Hankyu Umeda Station is a major railway station in Kita-ku in the northern commercial center of Osaka, Japan. It is the busiest station in western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005. Umeda Station is served by the following railways: *Hankyu Railwa ...
**Hankyu Sanbangai ** Kinokuniya Bookstore Umeda Main Store *Umeda Hankyu Building ** Hankyu Department Store Umeda Main Store **
Toshiba is a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, elevators and escalators, electronic components, semiconductors ...
Kansai Branch Office *Hankyu Terminal Building *Hankyu Grand Building *Osaka New Hankyu Hotel *HEP NAVIO **Hankyu Men's Osaka **
TOHO Cinemas is a Japanese movie theater company. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Toho Co., Ltd, it is the second-largest cinema chain in Japan by number of screens (after Aeon Cinema). Overview Virgin Cinemas Japan Ltd. was founded by Japanese-American ...
Umeda *
HEP Five HEP is a major shopping mall and entertainment center in the Umeda commercial district of Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan. It is a shopping mall consisting of a HEP Five and HEP Navio. HEP stands for "Hankyu Entertainment Park". The building is operate ...
*
Yanmar is a Japanese diesel engine, heavy machinery and agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1912. Yanmar manufactures and sells engines used in a wide range of applications, including seagoing vessels, pleasure boats, cons ...
Flying Y Building **
UNIQLO ( ; ) is a Japanese casual wear designer and retailer. The company is a subsidiary of Fast Retailing, Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Clare Waight Keller is the creative director. History Men's Shop OS was founded in Ube, Yamaguchi. It was rebrand ...
Osaka *NU Chayamachi *
Hankyu Corporation , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region. It is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Gr ...
Head Office *Maruzen/ Junkudo book store


Osaka Station North

Ofukacho, Shibata 2-chome The area to the north of JR Osaka Station. This area hosts the Seiseikai Nakatsu Hospital, JR West Japan Headquarters, and JR Umeda Freight Station. Since large-scale redevelopment is being undertaken in the area, land prices have been rising, and now Obukacho 4-chome has become the site with the highest land prices in West Japan. The area's rise has been attributed to the opening of the large
Yodobashi Camera is a major Japanese retail chain specializing in electronics, PCs, cameras and photographic equipment. Yodobashi Camera's sales rank fourth among consumer electronics mass retailers in Japan, after Yamada Denki, Bic Camera, and K's Holdin ...
electronics department store in 2001, and since then other large developments such as Grand Front Osaka and a satellite campus of Osaka University have been completed. It is commonly called "Umekita". *Grand Front Osaka ** Kirin Osaka Branch **
Mitsubishi Electric is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1921 as a spin-off from the electrical machinery manufacturing d ...
Kansai Branch Office ** Fuji Electric Kansai Branch Office **
Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...
Osaka Office **
Intercontinental Hotel InterContinental Hotels & Resorts by IHG is a British-American luxury hotel brand created in 1946 by Pan Am founder Juan Trippe. It has been part of UK-based InterContinental Hotels Group since 1998. As of January 2023, there were 208 InterCont ...
Osaka *
Yodobashi Camera is a major Japanese retail chain specializing in electronics, PCs, cameras and photographic equipment. Yodobashi Camera's sales rank fourth among consumer electronics mass retailers in Japan, after Yamada Denki, Bic Camera, and K's Holdin ...
Umeda *JR West Headquarters *Seiseikai Nakatsu Hospital


Higashi-Umeda

Komatsubara, Hoyama, Sonezaki, Taiyuji, Togano, Doyama-cho Located to the east of JR Osaka Station, it is a less-developed area of Umeda, with fewer skyscrapers, and generally far smaller buildings. Higashi-Umeda is known for its low-cost retailers in the covered Hankyu Higashidori and Sonezaki Ohatsutenjin shopping streets. The area boasts a bustling nightlife, with Japanese
izakaya An () is a type of informal Japanese Bar (establishment), bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks. are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to a pub, a Spanish tapas bar, or an American saloon or tavern. Etymology The word e ...
bars, restaurants, arcades, sex shops,
love hotel A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world operated primarily for the purpose of allowing guests privacy for sex. The name originates from "Hotel Love" in Osaka, Japan. Although love hotels exist all over the world, the ...
s and
pachinko is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Gambling in Japan, Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of l ...
parlors. The area hosts the Tsuyu-no-Tenjinsha
shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
shrine. Doyama-cho is one of Japan's few LGBT districts, and known to be the home to one of the largest
homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...
communities in west Japan. *
NAMCO was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company founded in 1955. It operated video arcades and amusement parks globally, and produced video games, films, toys, and arcade cabinets. Namco was one of the most influential c ...
Umeda Store *
TOHO Cinemas is a Japanese movie theater company. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Toho Co., Ltd, it is the second-largest cinema chain in Japan by number of screens (after Aeon Cinema). Overview Virgin Cinemas Japan Ltd. was founded by Japanese-American ...
*
Don Quijote Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, G ...
Umeda Main Store * Round One Game Center *Hankyu Higashidori Shopping Street *Sonezaki Ohatsutenjin Shopping Street *Tsuyu-no-Tenjinsha Shrine


Kitashinchi

Kitashinchi was a high-class
entertainment district An entertainment district is a type of arts district with a high concentration of movie theaters, theatres or other entertainment venues. Such areas may be officially designated by local governments with functional zoning regulations, as well as ...
of Osaka until the end of the bubble era, at which point its reputation decreased. It has been known as a
red light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...
since the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
. The area hosts restaurants,
karaoke is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone. Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...
,
hostess clubs A hostess club is a type of night club found primarily in Japan which employs mostly female staff and caters to men seeking drinks and attentive conversation. Host clubs are a similar type of establishment where mostly male staff attend to women. ...
,
snack bar A snack bar usually refers to an inexpensive food counter that is part of a permanent structure where snack foods and light meals are sold. Description A beach snack bar is often a small building situated high on the sand. Besides soft drink ...
s,
brothel A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...
s, and
pole dance Pole dance combines dance and acrobatics centered around a vertical pole. This performance art form takes place not only in gentleman's clubs as a form of erotic dance, but also as a mainstream form of fitness, practiced in gyms and dedicated ...
bars. The area is famous for its
kushikatsu , also known as , is a Japanese dish of deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables. In Japanese, refers to the skewers used while ''katsu'' means a deep-fried cutlet of meat. Ingredients Kushikatsu can be made with chicken, pork, seafood, and ...
restaurants. TÅru Hashimoto, former mayor of
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
and Governor of
Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders HyÅgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Nara ...
, while working as a lawyer in the Tobitashinchi red light district in the south of Osaka, was revealed to have had an affair with hostesses in Kitashinchi before entering politics, a scandal that led to heavy criticism during political campaigns, along with allegations of ties to
yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...
.


Underground City

The Osaka Underground City was completed in 1942 as a station underpass but has been dramatically expanded since. The total underground area extends from Chayamachi in the north to Dojima in the south, and Doyamacho in the east to Osaka Garden City in the west. The area connects the shopping malls of Whity Umeda and Diamor Osaka with the basements of Hankyu Sanbangai, Hankyu Department Store, Hanshin Department Store, JR Osaka Station, Osaka Ekimae Building, Osaka Toukoku Life Building, New Hankyu Building, and Herbis Osaka. More expansions to the underground city are planned to be completed by the end of 2022. *Whity Umeda *Diamor Osaka *Dojima Underground Center


University campuses

Many university satellite campuses and research centers opened in Umeda in the 2010s due to the convenience of public transport and proximity to the business district. *
Osaka University The , abbreviated as UOsaka or , is a List of national universities in Japan, national research university in Osaka, Japan. The university traces its roots back to Edo period, Edo-era institutions Tekijuku (1838) and KaitokudÅ, Kaitokudo (1724), ...
Umeda Satellite/Cultural Exchange Center * Osaka Institute of Technology Umeda Campus * Osaka Sangyo University Umeda Satellite Campus *
Kansai University , abbreviated as or , is a Private school, private non-sectarian and coeducational university with its main campus in Suita, Osaka, Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, Japan and two sub-campuses in Sakai, Osaka, Sakai and Takatsuki, Osaka. Founded as ...
Umeda Campus *
Kwansei Gakuin University , colloquially known as , is a private, non-denominational Christian coeducational university in Japan. The university offers Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees to around 25,000 students in almost 40 different disciplines across 11 underg ...
Osaka Umeda Campus * Kyoto University of Art & Design Osaka Satellite Campus *
Keio University , abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally established as a school for Rangaku, Western studies in 1858 in Edo. It was granted university status in 1920, becomi ...
Keio Osaka City Campus *
Kobe University , also known in the Kansai region as , is a public research university located in Kobe, HyÅgo, Japan. The university was established in 1949, but the academic origins of Kobe University trace back to the establishment of Kobe Higher Commercia ...
Umeda Intelligent Laboratory *
Sophia University Sophia University (Japanese language, Japanese: 上智大学, ''JÅchi Daigaku''; Latin: ''Universitas Sedis Sapientiae'') is a private List of Jesuit educational institutions, Jesuit research university in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1913 by ...
Osaka Satellite Campus * Takarazuka University Osaka Umeda Campus *
Doshisha University , also referred to as , is a private university in Kyoto, Japan. Established in 1875, it is one of Japan's oldest private institutions of higher learning, and has approximately 30,000 students enrolled on four campuses in Kyoto. It is one of Japa ...
Osaka Satellite Campus * Nagoya University of Commerce & Business Osaka Umekita Campus *
Ritsumeikan University is a private university in Kyoto, Japan, that traces its origin to 1869. In addition to its main campus in Kyoto, the university also has satellite campuses in Ibaraki, Osaka and Kusatsu, Shiga. Today, Ritsumeikan University is known as one o ...
Osaka Umeda Campus * Ryukoku University Osaka Umeda Campus


Transportation


Rail

*
JR West , 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, ...
**
Osaka Station 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 the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population ...
: Tokaido Main Line (
JR Kyoto Line JR, J. R. or Jr. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' J R'', a 1975 novel by William Gaddis * J. R. Ewing, a ''Dallas'' television character * JR Chandler, an ''All My Children'' television character * '' Jornal da Record'', a Brazilian new ...
,
JR Kobe Line JR, J. R. or Jr. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' J R'', a 1975 novel by William Gaddis * J. R. Ewing, a ''Dallas'' television character * JR Chandler, an ''All My Children'' television character * '' Jornal da Record'', a Brazilian ne ...
),
Fukuchiyama Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Osaka and Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Fukuchiyama, Japan. Within JR West's "Urban Network" covering the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan region, the line from Osaka to S ...
(
JR Takarazuka Line The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Osaka and Fukuchiyama, Japan. Within JR West's "Urban Network" covering the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan region, the line from Osaka to Sasayamaguchi is also ...
),
Osaka Loop Line The is a railway Circle route, loop line in Japan operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It encircles central Osaka. Part of a second, outer loop line, the Osaka Higashi Line, from Hanaten Station, Hanaten to Kyuhoji Station, Kyuh ...
** Kitashinchi Station: JR Tozai Line *
Hankyu Railway , trading as , is a Japanese private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region. It is one of the flagship properties of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., in turn part of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Gr ...
**
Umeda Station is a major railway station in Kita-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku in the northern commercial center of Osaka, Japan. It is the busiest station in western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005. Umeda Station is served by the following railways: ...
: Kobe Main Line, Takarazuka Main Line, Kyoto Main Line *
Hanshin Electric Railway is a Japanese private railway company owned by Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group that links Osaka and Kobe. It also owns the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. The first character for Kobe (神戸) and the second character for Osaka (大阪) combine to form ...
**
Umeda Station is a major railway station in Kita-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku in the northern commercial center of Osaka, Japan. It is the busiest station in western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005. Umeda Station is served by the following railways: ...
:
Hanshin Main Line The is a railway line operated by the private railway company Hanshin Electric Railway in Japan. It connects the two cities of Osaka and Kobe, between and stations respectively. Outline The Main Line of Hanshin is the southernmost railw ...
*
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. ...
**
Umeda Station is a major railway station in Kita-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku in the northern commercial center of Osaka, Japan. It is the busiest station in western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005. Umeda Station is served by the following railways: ...
: Midosuji Line ** Higashi-Umeda Station: Tanimachi Line **
Nishi-Umeda Station is the terminus railway station of the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, close to Herbis OSAKA and Herbis ENT operated by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and the two Hilton Plazas. Connecting lines f ...
:
Yotsubashi Line The is an underground rapid transit line in Osaka, Japan, operated by Osaka Metro. The line connects Umeda, Hommachi, Yotsubashi, Namba, DaikokuchÅ and Suminoe, and runs parallel to the MidÅsuji Line from DaikokuchÅ to Nishi-Umeda. Despite b ...


Roads and Highways

*
Hanshin Expressway The is a network of expressways surrounding Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto, Japan. History Operated by , it opened in 1962. Portions of the Hanshin Expressway about east of Fukae Station collapsed during the Kobe earthquake on 17 January 1995 ...
Route 11 Ikeda Line * Midosuji * * * * * * * *


See also

*
Namba Namba (, ) is a district in ChūŠand Naniwa wards of Osaka, Japan. It is regarded as the center of Osaka's ''Minami'' ( :ja:ミナミ, "South") region. Its name came from a variation of '' Naniwa'', the former name of Osaka. Namba hosts som ...
*
Tourism in Japan Tourism in Japan is a major industry and contributor to the Japanese economy. In 2024, the total number of domestic tourists in Japan, including day trips, reached 540 million, while the number of international tourists visiting Japan was 36.87 ...


References


External links


Osaka InfoGuide
{{Authority control Tourist attractions in Osaka Prefecture Shopping districts and streets in Japan Central business districts