Osaka is located in the Kansai region of the Honshu island. It is situated at the confluence of river and sea routes. It is the second largest city in Japan and is a major industrial, port, and economic centre. Its industries include iron, steel, shipbuilding, chemicals, and textiles. This city is a major centre for higher education, with various universities and colleges that includes Osaka University and Kansai University.
Osaka combines a few historical and cultural attractions with all the delights of a modern Japanese city. The city has the most successful comedians speaking Osaka dialect which is entertaining to listen to in an Eddie Murphy/Jerry Seinfeld kind of way that amuses the audiences with their quickfire banter popular all over the country. It is also known for theatres, shopping malls and restaurants. Besides the paintings of monuments and shrines, Osaka is a treasure of scenic beauty. It has been a major trading centre for China and Korea from 17th century; latter during the 19th century, Osaka developed as the centre of large industrial region and was well known for its cotton textiles industry. During 1945, the city was rigorously damaged by the US air raids; although the city rapidly rebuilt and recovered the loss of trade. The city gradually grew into a flourishing economic center and became the gateway to Japan for travelers and traders from all over Asia. However, Osaka continues to operate as the centre of the second-largest industrial region of Japan, and is now the administrative and cultural capital of Honshu.