Hirakata

This city on the eastern edge of Osaka Prefecture, close to the border with Kyoto, Hirakata sits along the water with mountains nearby and the wider region ringed by UNESCO World Heritage sites. The city's name appears in ancient chronicles including the Nihon Shoki, suggesting long settlement, and it draws independent travellers as a base between Osaka and Kyoto, with a dense café and restaurant scene in the centre.

• Population406,331
• Nearest water from center0.3 km
• Nearest mountain from center9.6 km
• UNESCO within 50 km71