In ensuring that the 2.7 million citizens of Osaka City will be able to lead enriched lives that are safe and secure well into the future, the Osaka City Government provides a variety of public services to citizens as it works toward the development of communities in which all generations of people can prosper and live healthily and securely with a peace of mind.

In particular, as the vitality of people of working age is the source of the city’s vitality, efforts are focused on the improvement of the environment for raising children and for education, so that the working generation can play proactive roles while living in Osaka. By living here, the younger generation not only productively supports an environment in which their vitality and energy are passed along to the elderly and the elderly can find fulfillment but also directly helps the revitalization of the local communities.

Improving the environment for child-raising and education

Educating the children who will take charge of Osaka’s future is an investment toward the future for the sustainable development of society.

Osaka City Government has developed an educational environment for children and a friendly environment for raising children, for we aim to establish Osaka as a city in which every child has equal opportunity to receive education and health care that are provided free of charge.

Regarding childcare, the national system provides free early childhood education and childcare for children aged 3-5 and those aged 0-2 from households that are exempt from municipal tax. As an independent initiative, the City of Osaka is working to make childcare free for children aged 0-2 from households that pay municipal tax and are not eligible for the national system. From September 2024, the city has eliminated income limits for multiple-child discounts and made childcare fees for the second child (which are usually half-price under the national system) completely free. Additionally, the city provides assistance with a portion of the out-of-pocket medical expenses for children aged 18 and under who receive insurance-covered medical treatment.

In terms of educational content, Osaka municipal elementary and junior high schools, and other similar institutions, provide each student with a tablet computer and use these devices to promote individually optimized learning and collaborative learning. Furthermore, to nurture children's competitiveness and strengths needed to thrive in an international society, the Osaka City Government provides English education covering the full nine-year integrated curriculum, from the first grade of elementary school to the third grade of junior high school. Furthermore, we have opened an integrated junior high and high school on a basis of education for international understanding and foreign languages, through which students can obtain International Baccalaureate accreditation. The International Baccalaureate Course was also launched in April 2020. (Since April 2022, the jurisdiction of the City's high schools and integrated junior high and high schools have been transferred to Osaka Prefecture.)

We also provide out‑of‑school learning support, including subsidies of up to ¥10,000 per month for expenses related to cram schools and cultural or sports classes for students from the fifth grade of elementary school through the third year of junior high school.

Improving measures for senior citizens

As Osaka City rapidly ages, we are deepening and advancing the community‑based integrated care system so that each older resident can live independently and with peace of mind in their community, enjoying a long life that is healthy, active, dignified, and fulfilling.

Under the System, we strive to comprehensively secure support in all areas involving health and medical care, caretaking, preventative measures, housing, and daily living. We take actions that include the provision of medical and caretaking services to seniors in need, the long-term care prevention through helping them maintain their health and participate in social activities, the housing and facilities that specifically cater to seniors, the establishment of a system for detecting, diagnosing, and responding to seniors with dementia at an earlier stage, and the construction of networks in the local communities for watching over the elderly.