Editing Osaka (section)

===21st century to present===
The plan to reorganize Osaka and its province into a metropolis like Tokyo met with stiff opposition in some municipalities, particularly the highly populated [[Sakai]]. He{{Who|date=May 2024}} then fell back on a project that included the suppression of the 24 wards of Osaka, thus dividing the city into 5 new special districts with a status similar to that of the 23 [[Special wards of Tokyo]]. It was introduced by former mayor [[Tōru Hashimoto]], leader of the reform party [[Osaka Restoration Association]] which he founded. The referendum of May 17, 2015 called in Osaka for the approval of this project saw the narrow victory of no, and consequently Hashimoto announced his withdrawal from politics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/17/national/politics-diplomacy/osaka-referendum-rejects-merger-plan-possibly-ending-hashimotos-political-career/ |title=Hashimoto announces exit from politics after Osaka rejects merger plan in referendum |date=May 19, 2017|language= en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127212535/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/17/national/politics-diplomacy/osaka-referendum-rejects-merger-plan-possibly-ending-hashimotos-political-career/ |archive-date=November 27, 2020}}</ref> A second referendum for a merger into 4 semi-autonomous wards was narrowly voted down by 692,996 (50.6%).<ref name="metropolis-2020"/>

According to the [[Forbes]] list of ''The World's Most Expensive Places To Live 2009'', Osaka was the second most expensive in the world after [[Tokyo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/06/most-expensive-cities-lifestyle-real-estate-daily-costs_slide_20.html|title=In Depth: World's Most Expensive Cities To Live |website=Forbes|date=July 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304131736/http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/06/most-expensive-cities-lifestyle-real-estate-daily-costs_slide_20.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=August 20, 2016}}</ref> By 2020 it slipped to 5th rank of most expensive cities.<ref name="forbes-2020"/>

On 7 March 2014, the 300-metre tall [[Abeno Harukas]] opened, which became the tallest building in Japan (surpassing the [[Yokohama Landmark Tower]] in [[Yokohama]]), until it was in turn surpassed by the 330-metre tall [[Azabudai Hills|Azabudai Hills Main Tower]] in [[Tokyo]] following its completion in 2022.<ref name="Tallest high-rise nears completion">{{cite news | url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/23/business/tallest-high-rise-nears-completion/#.UnoXmb-lf-k | title=Tallest high-rise nears completion | work=[[The Japan Times]] | date=October 23, 2013 | access-date=November 6, 2013 | archive-date=April 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428022114/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/23/business/tallest-high-rise-nears-completion/#.UnoXmb-lf-k | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Expo 2025]] is being held at [[Yumeshima]] Island, [[Konohana-ku, Osaka|Konohana-ku]]. Osaka is the third city to host the [[World Expo]] twice, previously hosting [[Expo '70]]. It is also the fourth [[World’s Fair]] held in Japan following [[Expo '90]] and [[Expo 2005]] in [[Aichi Prefecture]]. The event will return to its traditional 5-year scheduling cycle after the [[Expo 2020]] in [[Dubai]] was delayed to 2021 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://japan-forward.com/osaka-is-world-expo-2025-host/|title=Osaka Is World Expo 2025 Host {{!}} JAPAN Forward|date=23 November 2018|work=Japan Forward|access-date=23 November 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> The projected visitor count is approximately 28 million.<ref name="about">{{cite web |title=Overview |url=https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/overview/ |work=Osaka Kansai Expo 2025 |access-date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811164533/https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/overview/ |archive-date=11 August 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[MGM Resorts]] began construction on [[MGM Osaka]] in April 2025. MGM Osaka will be the first [[integrated resort]] in Japan. It will include 2,300 hotel rooms, a casino, shopping and dining options, convention space and a 3,500-seat theatre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.casino.org/news/mgm-osaka-to-begin-construction-main-resort-april-2025/|title=MGM Osaka To Begin Construction on Resort in April 2025|first=Devin|last=O'Connor|date=December 26, 2024|website=Casino.org|accessdate=February 23, 2025}}</ref><ref>[https://www.casino.org/news/mgm-osaka-breaks-ground-9-billion-resort-japan/ MGM Osaka Breaks Ground on $8.9 Billion Resort, Japan’s First Casino]</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" style="text-align: center;" heights="130" perrow="3" caption="Gallery">
File:Osaka Umeda Sky Building Panoramablick 05.jpg|Skyscrapers in [[Umeda]] district
File:Sennichimae Osaka ca1916.JPG|Sennichimae area in 1916
File:Osaka after the 1945 air raid.JPG|View of Osaka after the [[Bombing of Osaka|bombing]] in 1945
File:Abeno Harukas 20140507-002.jpg|[[Abeno Harukas]], second-tallest building in Japan
</gallery>