Joto-ku was born by merging the northern part of Higashinari-ku and the southern part of Asahi-ku in April, 1943 during World War II, as one of 7 new wards in line with the enforced 22 wards system of Osaka city, Joto-ku is to the east of Osaka Castle, and is located in the former Yamatogawa river area, the eastern lower wetlands zone of Osaka City. Its topography is generally flat and low at around one to two meters above sea level, and is characteristically crossed by numerous rivers, including the Neyagawa and the Second Neyagawa rivers, flowing from east to west, and the Shirokitagawa, Hiranogawa rivers and Hiranogawa river channel, flowing from north to south.

A railway was built in Joto-ku as early as the Meiji era, followed by the construction of military artillery camps, spinning mills, and many other related factories. Along the Neyagawa, Second Neyagawa and Shirokitagawa rivers were built a number of metal, chemical and machinery plants. Many fabric and sewing offices operate in the southern part of Joto-ku, forming the eastern industrial zone of Osaka along with Ikuno-ku, Higashinari-ku and Tsurumi-ku.

A land readjustment project before W.W.II. turned the Sekime and Sumire areas in northeastern Joto into neat and green town areas. In the Morinomiya district in the southwestern part of Joto, the site of a military artillery camps was converted to sheds for JR and Subway trains. High-rise apartment houses were constructed on the site of former military training grounds. High-rise apartment buildings were also built in the Shigino area, following town redevelopment. The substantial changes in local town landscape include recent construction of high-rise residential buildings and large-scale retail shops on the sites of local factories that have relocated. As it gradually develops into a comfortable residential area with convenient living and transportation environment, population and number of households in Joto-ku are on the rise.

Joto-ku is expected to develop further, as a well-balanced town for both working and living, through continued promotion and improvement of public transportation, waterfront environment, greening, etc.