2020-04-01_Business_Traveller_UserUpload.Net

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businesstraveller.com APRIL 2020

A

skJapanesepeopleaboutOsakaandyou’llget

similarreplies.Osakanslovetoindulgeinfood.

Theyaremoreoutgoingthantheircounterparts

elsewhereinthecountry.Andtheylovetomake

a deal.Thatreputationis reinforcedbythelocal

dialect,withwordssuchaskuidaore– eatuntil

youdrop– andthecasualOsakangreeting,

mokarimakka—areyoumakingmoney?Traditionally,

that’smetwitha cageybochibochidenna– soso.

Hometo2.7millionpeople– almostninemillionif you

counttheentireprefecture– Osakahasbusinessrunning

throughitsveins.Roughly500kmwestofTokyo,

thecitygrewasa majorcentreofcommerceinthe

Edoera(1603-1868),anddevelopedindustrially

intheMeijiera(1868-1912).Today,asa vibrant

regionalbusinesshub,Osakais hometothe

headquartersofJapanesemultinationalsincluding

PanasonicandSharp,nottomentiona slewof

lessinternationallyknownbutequallyinfluential

businesses– drinksgiantSuntory,generaltrading

companyItochuandconstructionfirmDaiwa

House,tonamea few.

Accordingtodatafromthecitygovernment-

relatedInvestOsaka,inall,OsakaCityis home

tojustunder180,000placesofbusinessand

accountsfor4 percentofJapan’sGDP.Thewider

Kansairegion,whichalsoincludesthecitiesof

Kobe(35kmwest)andKyoto(55kmnorth)buthas

Osakaatitsheart,contributes15.5percent.Intermsof

industry,manufacturingplaysa majorroleintheOsaka

andKansaieconomy– “businessesmakeeverythingfrom

toothbrushestorockets”,is howInvestOsakaputsit in

Osakaisa centreofcommercewith

a reputationforbrightlights,a sense

ofhumourandplentyofgoodfood

39

Osaka is a

merchant city

where small

business has

always thrived

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THE

REAL

DEAL

FILIPPOBACCI/ISTOCK