OSAKA, Diocese of. - Suffragan of Tokyo, located in the center of Hondo. It comprises the civil prefectures of O., Hyogo, Wakayama and part of the civil prefecture of Kyoto. This territory has had first-rate importance in the history of Japan, both from the point of view of the events that took place there and from the economic and commercial point of view. Just as Tokyo is the great center of the eastern region (Kanto), so O. is the center of the western region (Kansai).
Before the Second World War O. was called the Japanese "Manchester," a description justified by its flourishing industries and workshops in full operation. The port of O. is among the principal ones of Japan. The war destroyed more than half of the buildings. Despite all efforts at reconstruction, the population, which before the war exceeded 4 million inhabitants, has decreased, also because of the scarcity of housing. The territory of the present diocese of O. was first included in the apostolic vicariate of central Japan erected on 20 March 1888, which was detached from that of southern Japan. The diocese was canonically erected on 15 June 1891. The first evangelizers of the region were the Jesuits, among whom Fr. Baldassare de Torres should be remembered. In 1868 the fathers of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris established themselves there, to whom the diocese remained entrusted until its transfer to the Japanese secular clergy, which took place on 30 Nov. 1940. With a population of about 8,000,000 inhabitants, Catholics number 10,110 with 3,674 catechumens. There are 27 native priests and 99 foreign ones. The auxiliary personnel is composed of some Australian secular priests, Benedictine religious of St. Ottilia, Trappists, Friars Minor and Conventual Franciscans, Jesuits, Lazarists, of the Foreign Missions of Paris, Redemptorists, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Marianists, Salesians of St. John Bosco, Scheutists, Society of St. Columban.
Native brothers 3; foreign 12; native sisters 273 and 110 foreign; catechists 8; 2 elementary schools; 12 middle schools; 11 higher schools; one vocational school; 43 primary stations; 67 sacred buildings; 3 dispensaries; 4 hospitals; 5 orphanages. A periodical entitled Koe is published there.
