553km (343 miles) W of Tokyo; 42km (26 miles) SW of Kyoto; 339km (212 miles) E of Hiroshima
Although its history stretches back almost 1,500 years, Osaka first gained prominence when Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the most powerful lord in the land, built Japan’s most magnificent castle here in the 16th century. To develop resources for his castle town, he persuaded merchants from other parts of the nation to resettle in Osaka. During the Edo Period, the city became an important distribution center as feudal lords from the surrounding region sent their rice to merchants in Osaka, who in turn sent the rice onward to Tokyo and other cities. As the merchants prospered, the town grew and such arts as Kabuki and Bunraku flourished. With money and leisure to spare, the merchants also developed a refined taste for food. (more…)

A journey to Japan and this is my n0351 Trip,one of the most developed country on our planet,must be very exciting.Japan,though in Asia geographically,is recognized to be part of so-called “western world” in economy and politics.According to the latest statistics released by recent report on world’s economic development,Japan is still in the position of the second largest economy total of 5.4 trillion US dollars of GDP that’s a figure evaluteing a nation’s development level of its economy. (more…)