Osaka

Osaka (大阪, Ōsaka) is a supporting character in the series Hetalia: Axis Powers. He represents both the Osaka Domain during the Japanese feudal era and the present-day Osaka Prefecture. His character and appearance are largely based off the character Tsukomi Hokefrom Barjona Bombers, another comic by Hidekaz Himaruya.

Appearance
In the feudal era, he is depicted with long dark hair that he has tied up into a short ponytail towards the top of the back of his head. He wears a dark blue yukata with a green collar. His hair is changed to a lighter shade in later appearances. In the present day, his hair is shorter and he wears modern clothing such as sweater-vest and khakis or a hoodie. His design, especially the present day, is heavily based off of Tsukomi Hoke, who acts as a representative for Osaka Prefecture in his respective series, though the two are separate characters.

Personality and Interests
He is said to have good business sense and an intense pickiness about food. He is known as "The World's Kitchen" due to this love of food. He doesn't worry too much about what his boss says and as a result, he is very friendly with his peers. Despite this, he appears wary around foreign nations such as America and Netherlands and will often encourage Japan to send them away, and at one point asking Japan to hit America after the latter makes a series of heavy demands. As stated by his character notes, he wasn't a han for long, and soon became a shogunate controlled fief under the Bakufu government. He speaks in the Osaka-ben variant of the Kansai dialect.

Japan
Main Article: Japan

Osaka acts in the capacity of an assistant to Japan, and has been shown to act as a mouthpiece for Japan during his isolation. Osaka encourages Japan to be more forceful with his diplomatic relations and not let America walk all over him, though Japan ultimately was unable to do so. In the present day, Osaka went to go find Japan upon hearing that countries have begun to go missing, and tries to help when Japan is subsequently attacked.

In the Manga
Osaka first appears in Black Ships Have Come!, acting as an interpreter between Japan and America. Osaka and Japan try to strategize a way to get America to leave, and go seek advice from Emperor. When America makes a series of demands, Osaka urges Japan to punch him, but he is unable to and agrees to America's conditions. Osaka later appears in the notes of The World of War and the Fool of Owari, and turns up again in Netherlands and Isolationist Japan where he tells Netherlands to leave as Japan is not feeling well. However, Netherlands give him a tulip and convinces Osaka to let him in. Osaka later goes inside to see Netherlands trying to wrestle Japan out of a blanket cocoon.

Osaka appears in the present day during the Christmas 2010 event, where he is shown watching the news of the nation disappearances. Worried, he goes to Japan's house to check on him and finds him fighting a Parallel France. After Japan is wrestled to the ground, Osaka begins hitting with with a poster sword to not much effect. Later on, Osaka and the Parallel France are seen checking Japan over for markings with no success, and the next morning Osaka spots Japan training to brush up on his fighting skills.

In the Anime
Osaka made his anime debut in Episode 98, which adapts Black Ships Have Come!. In this version of the story, Osaka and Japan do not seek advice from the Emperor, and instead they distract America with tea he's unfamiliar with while they come up with a plan to get him to leave. As in the manga storyline, despite Osaka's hostility, Japan reluctantly agrees to all of America's demands. Osaka also appeared as a Samurai in the first episode of the fifth season of Hetalia, 'The Beautiful World'. He is pictured defending himself with a katana sword against ineffective ninja stars.

He retains his original manga appearance and has black hair tied into a ponytail and wears a dark blue yukata with a green collar. While he was depicted with his eyes open in other appearances, he keeps his eyes closed like in the original Black Ships story.

Trivia

 * Osaka remains the only region of Japan to appear in both the designs for the feudal domains and the modern prefectures.