Osaka stands as the most bustling economic, financial, and international trade hub in Western Japan, with a daytime population of approximately 3.5 million and an urban GRDP exceeding USD 190 billion (equivalent to 21 trillion Yen). The city boasts a dense concentration of enterprises and serves as a pillar driving high-tech supply chains, including precision mechanical manufacturing, electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology. Notably, Osaka is currently leading Asia in green and circular economy development trends through smart waste management solutions, clean hydrogen energy transition, and carbon-neutral transportation infrastructure. The city is also a highly attractive destination for global capital, supported by its National Strategic Special Zone policy which offers major tax incentives for foreign businesses.
Ho Chi Minh City delegates take a commemorative photo after their working session in Japan.
- Photo: VnEconomy
Cooperation between the two localities has achieved many substantive milestones through the Business Partners City (BPC) Roundtable Network, of which Ho Chi Minh City and Osaka are core members. Exemplifying this, Ho Chi Minh City's hosting of the BPC Roundtable in 2026 opened up direct connection corridors, helping hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Osaka gain deep access to the Southern Vietnamese market. Alongside trade flows, Osaka has consistently and actively supported Ho Chi Minh City in upgrading its urban infrastructure by transferring high-tech engineering solutions, such as carbon emission reduction projects, water supply and drainage system optimization, and environmental improvements modeled after green eco-friendly designs.
Looking toward the future, particularly within the framework of the 3rd Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue in 2026 (FD 2026), the City is widening its corridors to attract direct investment (FDI) and foster strategic alliances with partners from Osaka City in five key sectors:
1. Green Urban Infrastructure and Emission Reduction: Attracting technology, management solutions, and investment into wastewater treatment systems, smart waste recycling, and the development of carbon-neutral urban transportation.
2. Mechanical Manufacturing and Supporting Industries: Welcoming strong engineering conglomerates from Osaka to invest in manufacturing plants and transfer technologies for precision machinery and premium supporting components.
3. Promoting the BPC Business Network: Maximizing the BPC Roundtable mechanism to tighten B2B trade connections, while expanding import-export corridors for consumer goods, handicrafts, and processed foods.
4. High-Tech Healthcare and Biotechnology: Collaborating on intensive research and the application of precision medical technologies, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and next-generation healthcare equipment.
5. High-Tech Agriculture and Smart Logistics: Applying automation technologies to clean food supply chains and multimodal transport and warehousing management.