Osaka Metropolitan Area (大阪都市圏)
Osaka Metropolitan Area is a name used to describe the economic area centered on Osaka city, expanding to its surrounding satellite cities. The central region of the Urban Employment Area (an area where at least ten percent of the suburban population commutes to the central city) includes the cities of Osaka, Higashi-Osaka, Kadoma and Moriguchi.
Summary
The Urban Employment Area centered on Osaka City expands to include the prefectures of Nara, Hyogo, Kyoto, Wakayama, and Mie and has a population of approximately 12,120,000 (in 2000), forming the second largest metropolitan area in Japan. With an excess inflow into Osaka City of population of 1,070,000, the daytime population is 3,660,000, which is higher than the daytime population of Yokohama City.
Since the cities of Kyoto, Kobe, Himeji and Wakayama, which surround Osaka, respectively function as a center and attract commuters going to work and school so that their daytime populations exceed their nighttime populations, they are taken to individually form metropolitan areas.
Kyoto Metropolitan Area: 2,583,304 people
Kobe Metropolitan Area: 2,296,268 people
Himeji Metropolitan Area: 741,759 people
Wakayama Metropolitan Area: 573,308 people
Since Osaka City is much more advanced in terms of business facilities, however, these other cities or metropolitan areas are sometimes seen as satellite cities or metropolitan areas. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications defined these cities as a combined urban area, and established the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe (or Keihanshin) Metropolitan Area, with these cities as the central cities. The population of Keihanshin Metropolitan Area is 18,643,915 (2000 census), and is considered one of Three Major Metropolitan Areas and one of Seven Greater Urban Areas as well as one of the top ten metropolitan areas in the world (as ranked by population).
"10% Metropolitan Area" - an area where at least 10% of the population of the suburbs commute to the central city
Based on 'the number of employees and students over the age of fifteen, according to permanent residence and destination' from the 2000 national census, the population of the Urban Employment Area (an area where at least 10% of the suburban population commutes to the central city), centered on the cities of Osaka, Higashi-Osaka, Kadoma, and Moriguchi, is 12,120,000.
In those cities, the municipality with the highest commuting rate is Ikoma City of Nara Prefecture at 47.6 percent, while the lowest is Tenri City of Nara Prefecture at 10 percent. The five municipalities with the highest commuting rates are shown below.
Changes in the Urban Employment Area (an area where at least 10% of the suburban population commutes to the central city)
Changes in Urban Employment Area (an area where at least 10% of the population of the suburbs commute to the central city)
Municipalities not included in 'the areas where at least 10% of the suburban population commutes to the central city' are shown in gray with a mark ' - ' in the total column of each year.
On October 1, 1987, Sayama-cho, Minamikawachi-gun was reorganized into Osakasayama City.
On October 1, 1991, Hannan-cho, Sennan-gun was reorganized into Hannan City.
On October 1, 1991, Kashiba-cho, Kitakatsuragi-gun was reorganized into Kashiba City.
On April 1, 1999, Konda-cho, Sasayama-cho, Tannan-cho and Nishiki-cho of Taki-gun merged to become Sasayama City.
On October 1, 2004, Shinjo-cho and Taima-cho of Kitakatsuragi-gun merged to become Katsuragi City.
On November 1, 2004, Ueno City; Aoyama-cho town of Naga-gun; and Iga-cho town, Ayama-cho town, Oyamada-mura village, and Shimagahara-mura village of Ayama-gun in Mie Prefecture merged to become Iga City.
On February 1, 2005, Sakai City annexed Mihara-cho, Minamikawachi-gun.
On April 1, 2005, Nara City annexed Tsuge-mura, Yamabe-gun and Tsukigase-mura, Soekami-gun.
On October 24, 2005, Miki City annexed Yokawa-cho, Mino-gun (Hyogo Prefecture).
On January 1, 2006, the towns of Haibara-cho, Ouda-cho, Utano-cho and the village of Muro-mura of Uda-gun merged to become Uda City
On March 1, 2006, Hashimoto City, and Koyaguchi-cho town of Ito-gun were integrated to form Hashimoto City.
On March 12, 2007, the three suburbs of Kizu-cho, Kamo-cho and Yamashiro-cho in Soraku-gun (Kyoto Prefecture) merged to become Kizugawa City.