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Osaka
Osaka
is the third largest Japanese city
and the most important city of the
Kansai region with a population of
about 2.5 million people.
The
old name of Osaka is Naniwa.
The
main industrial and commercial
city of western Japan, Osaka is
bidding to be the host city for
the 2008 Olympics. Japan's
second-largest city, its people
have a reputation for being
friendly, down-to earth and
direct. The several rivers running
through Osaka give it a different
atmosphere to other Japanese
cities, and its prosperity is
reflected in the large business,
commercial, shopping and
entertainment areas, the main
example being Dotonbori, an area
housing cinemas, theatres,
restaurants and shops. The new
CosmoSquare offers additional
shopping and entertainment, plus a
museum and aquarium, while
Nakanoshima Island offers a
respite from the crowded streets.
Osaka is a convenient base from
which to explore the Kansai region
in general, and is also only 30
minutes by train from Kobe,
another World Cup venue.
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