Osakaruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Pharmaceuticals & life sciences
Takeda, Shionogi, Ono Pharmaceutical, Sumitomo Pharma
Doshomachi in central Osaka is the historic birthplace of Japan's pharmaceutical industry, and Takeda — Japan's largest drug company — was founded there in 1781.
Electronics & manufacturing
Panasonic, Sharp, Daikin, Keyence, Omron
Panasonic and Sharp were both founded in the Osaka region, and Daikin is the world's largest air conditioning manufacturer. Keyence, in nearby Amagasaki, is one of Japan's most profitable companies.
Trading & commerce
Itochu, Sumitomo Corporation, Marubeni, Iwatani
Osaka is Japan's merchant city and several of the great sōgō shōsha trading houses were founded here, retaining substantial operations alongside their Tokyo headquarters.
Heavy industry & machinery
Kubota, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Hitachi Zosen, Kawasaki Heavy Industries
The Osaka Bay industrial belt remains one of Japan's most concentrated manufacturing regions, spanning shipbuilding, agricultural machinery and industrial plant.
Retail, food & hospitality
Nissin Foods, House Foods, Ezaki Glico, Takashimaya
Instant noodles were invented in Ikeda just outside the city, and Glico's running man sign in Dotonbori is one of Japan's most recognised images. Food is genuinely central to the local economy.
Higher education & research
Osaka University, Osaka Metropolitan University, RIKEN Osaka, Kansai University
Osaka University is one of Japan's former imperial universities and a leading research institution, with particular strengths in immunology and materials science.
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