Good to know
Good to Know
- Korean residents form the largest foreign community in Osaka (39% of foreign population) with over a century of historical settlement; Korean and Chinese communities dominate foreign residential areas.
- Foreign population in Osaka is growing faster than the overall population, increasing from 4% to 6% in a decade, reflecting the city's appeal to international residents.
- Osaka's startup scene is booming as the second-largest hub in Japan; many international tech professionals and entrepreneurs choose Osaka over Tokyo due to lower competition, more available funding, and strong manufacturing heritage.
- Multiple ethnic enclaves exist with well-established support networks—Vietnamese population has been growing rapidly in recent years (now 15% of foreign residents), driven by expanding economic opportunities.
- The Kansai region economy (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe combined) rivals The Netherlands in economic output, offering diverse employment for international professionals across manufacturing, tech, pharmaceuticals, and services.
City Population
- As Of
- July 1, 2025
- Total
- 2811565
- Rank In Japan
- Third-most populous city
Ethnic Enclaves
- Ikuno Ward
- Largest concentration of foreign residents in Osaka City (~21% foreign population); home to Tsuruhashi Korea Town with approximately 120 shops.
- Nishinari Ward
- Second-highest concentration of foreign residents.
- Kawaguchi Nishi Ku
- Historical Chinese settlement dating to the Meiji Period; many Chinese businesses.
- Sakaisuji Hommachi
- Indian community concentrated in this business district; connected to textile and garment industry.
Notable Nationalities
Korean
- Percentage Of Foreign Population
- 39%
Chinese and Taiwanese
- Percentage Of Foreign Population
- 29%
Vietnamese
- Percentage Of Foreign Population
- 15%
Filipino
- Percentage Of Foreign Population
- 4%
Nepalese
- Percentage Of Foreign Population
- 2%
Indonesian
- Percentage Of Foreign Population
- 2%
American
- Percentage Of Foreign Population
- 1%
Business Tech Presence
- Sectors
- Hardware-software hybrid development, enterprise automation, B2B SaaS, manufacturing-related startups, advanced electronics, robotics, and precision engineering.
- Recent Funding
- Approximately 300 startups in Osaka's innovation ecosystem raised over $42 million in seed capital over a ~3.5 year period (recent data).
- Startup Ecosystem
- Osaka is Japan's second-largest startup hub with approximately 1,000 startups, following Tokyo's ~9,000. The city has experienced over 100% increase in startup funding activity over the past five years.
- Government Support
- Osaka City Government offers a one-year startup visa program and hosts the Osaka Startup Ecosystem Consortium with networking events, technical support, and access to coworking spaces.
Major Corporations
- Panasonic (headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, with approximately 35,000 employees globally)
- Sharp Corporation (headquartered in Sakai, Osaka)
- Suntory
- Nissin Food Products
- Sony
- Daihatsu
Foreign Born Percentage
- Osaka City
- 6% (169,392 residents as of 2023)
- Osaka Prefecture
- ~3.7% of foreign nationals in prefecture (~253,000 residents as of 2020)
Foreign Resident Trends
Growing significantly—foreign population increased from approximately 4% (2013) to 6% (2023), a 46% increase over the decade.
Metropolitan Area Population
- Name
- Keihanshin Metropolitan Area
- As Of
- 2025
- Total
- 18922000
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Osaka
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.