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 the educational environment, the Osaka City Government has implemented a step-by-step relaxation of age requirements for receiving early childhood education free of charge even earlier than the national government, mirroring an ongoing national effort to make such programs available without cost. This initiative is to prevent educational inequality due to causes such as the economic situations of children’s families and applies to children aged five or younger who have not yet entered schools including elementary schools, which is when compulsory education starts. In addition, support for additional studies outside of the classrooms such as financial aid toward cram schools or test prep schools for junior high school students are provided. As for measures related to raising children, we are providing assistance with the self-pay portion of the cost of insurance-covered medical care for children aged 18 or younger.

In terms of educational content, Osaka municipal elementary and junior high schools provide a tablet computer for each student, and use them to promote individually optimal learning and collaborative learning. Also, to nurture children's competitiveness and strengths to survive in an international society, the Osaka City Government provides English education under the 9-year integrated curriculum at all public elementary through junior high schools. 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.)

Improving measures for senior citizens

In response to a rapidly aging society, the Osaka City Government is implementing the Integrated Community Care System so that the elderly can live healthy, fulfilling, and energetic lives characterized by independence, dignity, and peace of mind in familiar communities.

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.