【Challenge from Editorial Department】How many questions can you answer correctly? 4 choices FUN! QUIZ ~Osaka edition~

The popular FUN! QUIZ is back!

Based on the comments received in the Tokyo Edition, the main theme of the 2nd FUN! QUIZ is Osaka, which was selected as one of the top 10 "most liveable cities in the world (*1)". How much do you know about Osaka, a prefecture which will host the World Expo 2025?

The FUN! JAPAN Quiz Tournament (Osaka Edition), where you will have the opportunity to learn about a side of Osaka you never knew before, shall now begin!

*1: From the “The Global Liveability Index 2022” announced by the “Economist Intelligence Unit”, the research division of the British economic magazine “The Economist”.

First, let's learn the basic information of Osaka!

Q1: What is Osaka Prefecture's population ranking in Japan?

1. 1st place
2. 2nd place
3. 3rd place
4. 4th place

When most people think of Japan's two largest cities, Tokyo and Osaka come to mind. But do you know where Osaka ranks in terms of population?

Q2: How many airports are there in Osaka?

1. None
2. One
3. Two
4. Three

Many foreign tourists might have heard of "that" airport, which is the gateway to Kansai trip. In fact, there might be more in Osaka that you still don't know about...

Q3: How many world heritage sites are there in Osaka as of July 2022?

1. None
2. One
3. Two
4. Three

Even among the FUN! JAPAN staff living in Tokyo who read the previous Tokyo Edition, there are staff who didn't know that Tokyo has two World Heritage Sites (giggles).

About classic tourist spots and popular shops with long queues

Q4: As of July 2022, what is the height of "Abeno Harukas", which is known as "the tallest building in Japan"?

1. 250m
2. 300m
3. 350m
4. 400m

Hint: It's about the same height as Tokyo Tower. If you read the Tokyo Edition, this question isn't really that difficult!

Q5: About Osaka's specialty gourmet - What is the number attached to the name of the Chinese restaurant famous for pork buns?

1. 99
2. 100
3. 551
4. 888

A super famous store that is always listed in travel guides. It's so popoular that every Japanese people should have heard that name at least once!

Q6: What is the current version number of the design of the Glico sign in Dotonbori, a landmark in Osaka?

1. 1st version
2. 3rd version
3. 6th version
4. 10th version

Did you know that the design of the Glico sign, which depicts a person running with outstretched hands, has changed little by little after it was first installed?

2 Rankings That Surprise Even Osaka Residents

Q7: Speaking of gourmet food in Osaka, takoyaki is the first thing in mind, but what is Osaka's ranking in term of number of registered takoyaki restaurants (per 100,000 population) nationwide?

1. 1st place
2. 3rd place
3. 5th place
4. 10th place

Q8: Continuing from Q7, okonomiyaki is also a specialty of Osaka Prefecture along with takoyaki, but what about ranking in term of number of registered okonomiyaki restaurants (per 100,000 population) nationwide?

1. 1st place
2. 3rd place
3. 5th place
4. 10th place

Takoyaki shops and okonomiyaki shops can be found here and there as you walk through the streets of Osaka. They are both standard gourmet food that are immovably popular, but did you know that there's a surprising difference in the density of shops...! ?

Time for Anwers! Read from here for explanations

Q1: What is Osaka Prefecture's population ranking in Japan?

Correct answer: 3rd place

According to the 2020 Population Census released by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the population of Osaka is about 8.83 million, ranked 3rd after Tokyo (about 14.04 million) and Kanagawa Prefecture (about 9.23 million). It can be seen that 7% of the population of Japan is concentrated in Osaka. (By the way, Osaka Prefecture is the second smallest prefecture in Japan!)

• Related article: 【47 Prefecture's of Japan: Kanagawa edition】The number of Japanese who escape Tokyo and move to Kanagawa is increasing rapidly!

Q2: How many airports are there in Osaka?

Correct answer: Three

Osaka Prefecture has three airports: Kansai International Airport (KIX), which is always used by tourists visiting Japan when traveling to Kansai, Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport), and Yao Airport.

Although Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport) has the word "international" on it, it has only operated domestic flights ever since Kansai International Airport opened. That's why foreign tourists traveling by bullet train or bus may not be familiar with it.

The other airport, Yao Airport, is the least known of the three airports because it does not have regular flights and is used mainly for aerial advertising, photogrammetry, or by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, firefighting and police air forces.

• Related article: Fly into Osaka’s Itami Airport in Japan

Q3: How many world heritage sites are there in Osaka as of July 2022?

Correct answer: One

In July 2019, Sakai City's "Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group" were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, giving birth to Osaka's first World Heritage Site.

The Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group is a group of burial mounds that spreads over an area of about 4 kilometers from east to west and north to south in Sakai City. The Nintoku-tenno-ryo Kofun (Oyama Kofun) in the middle is said to be one of the world's largest tombs, along with the Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in China.

Q4: As of July 2022, what is the height of "Abeno Harukas", which is known as "the tallest building in Japan"?

Correct answer: 300m

Abeno Harukas, a skyscraper complex that opened in March 2014, is 300 meters high (with 5 floors underground and 60 floors above ground), surpassing the Yokohama Landmark Tower (296 meters), which was the tallest building in Japan at the time, and have become "the tallest building in Japan".

However, in 2023, a skyscraper that is as tall as Tokyo Tower (330 meters) will be built in Minato Ward, Tokyo. Once completed, the record of "Japan's tallest building" will be updated once again...

Note: "Building" by definition does not include non-building structures such as Tokyo Tower.

• Related article: Japan’s Tallest Building - Osaka's Abeno Harukas in details

Q5: About Osaka's specialty gourmet - What is the number attached to the name of the Chinese restaurant famous for pork buns?

Correct answer: 551

551 Horai is famous for its take-out sales of steamed pork buns. It is so popular that it sells up to 13,000 buns in one day, and has been selected by a TV program as "a store worth waiting in line to eat".

There are about 60 stores in Kansai. They also open stores for a limited time in department stores around Japan.

Q6: What is the current version number of the design of the Glico sign in Dotonbori, a landmark in Osaka?

Correct answer: 6th version

Glico Sign was built in Dotonbori in 1935. The current design is the 6th version that was renewed in 2014 and uses about 140,000 LEDs.

If you are interested in the design of each version, please visit Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd.'s Glico Museum (Ezaki Kinenkan) in Nishiyodogawa Ward, Osaka City. Over the past years, the design of the Glico Sign has also changed a lot, such as adding a special stage at the bottom of the neon tower and even blowing out 12 tons of water from the center of the neon tower. You can take a commemorative photo in front of the diorama that faithfully reproduces the details of the first to fifth version of Glico signs.

Glico Museum (Ezaki Kinenkan)

• Address: 4-6-5 Utajima, Nishiyodogawa Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
• Access: About 16 minutes on foot from JR Tsukamoto Station
• Homepage: https://www.glico.com/jp/enjoy/experience/ezakikinenkan/

Q7: Speaking of gourmet food in Osaka, takoyaki is the first thing in mind, but what is Osaka's ranking in term of number of registered takoyaki restaurants (per 100,000 population) nationwide?

Correct answer: 1st place

According to the occupational classification of "Takoyaki shops" registered in the "Townpage Database" (NTT East Japan, NTT West Japan), the number of Takoyaki shops per 100,000 people in 2021 was 4.59, making Osaka the prefecture hosting the most Takoyaki shops in Japan. As expected from the holy land of octopus balls!

By the way, the second place is Oita Prefecture (4.14 shops per 100,000 population) and the third place is Ishikawa Prefecture (4.13 shops per 100,000 population). Both prefectures don't have much image of Takoyaki, so it might be a little surprising.

• Related articles:
  Being good at making takoyaki is cool! - A look into Japan’s takoyaki culture.
  The Onomatopoeia-Loving & Takoyaki Eating Osaka! 47 Interesting & Unique Prefectures of Japan Vol.4

Q8: Continuing from Q7, okonomiyaki is also a specialty of Osaka Prefecture along with takoyaki, but what about ranking in term of number of registered okonomiyaki restaurants (per 100,000 population) nationwide?

Correct answer: 10th place

Also announced by the "Townpage Database" (NTT East, NTT West), in terms of the number of registered "okonomiyaki restaurants" per 100,000 people in 2021, Hiroshima Prefecture, which is famous for its Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, is ranked first with 39.6. Tokushima Prefecture (16.9 restaurants per 100,000 population) and Ehime Prefecture (14.8 restaurants per 100,000 population) are ranked next.

In terms of the number of restaurants, Osaka has 894 restaurants, which is by no means a small number, but the surprising result of 10th place comes from the fact that it has only 10.1 restaurants per 100,000 population.

• Related articles:
  What is Hiroshima's Comfort Food Okonomiyaki? 3 Recommended Stores Included!
  What style do you like? Tokyo style?, Osaka style? or Hiroshima Style?

How many questions did you get right? Please log in and let us know in the comments.

There are other articles introducing Osaka Prefecture. Take this opportunity to explode your love for Kansai!