History of Osaka

Directly translating to "Big Hill", this port city is filled with historical wonders and colorful new inventions. Osaka was first developed in the 5th century as the foreign port for other countries to enter into Japan and trade. This was how Buddhism spread through Japan. In the 14th century most of Osaka was destroyed by wars, shortly after Obu Nobunaga took over Osaka and turned it into his fortress for decades.  After that, Nobunaga's successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi took over and built Osaka Castle. Until 1926 Osaka was the most populous city in Japan, now Tokyo holds that title.

Additionally, people in Osaka pride themselves in being different from the Tokyoaites. They are known for extremely different slang and dialect terms, as well as louder and more energetic people compared to the business people of Tokyo. In Osaka everyone stands on the right of escalators, the opposite of Tokyo and the rest of the country. They are often dubbed as the "Texans of Japan".