Osaka vs Shanghai

Osaka and Shanghai are level on the CIRA Index at 73. Osaka grades better on 11 measures, Shanghai on 3; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Osaka 73, Shanghai 73
• OECD: Osaka 73, Shanghai 66
• UN Tourism: Osaka 80, Shanghai 74
• UNDRR: Osaka 73, Shanghai 60

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Osaka 75, Shanghai 80
• Economy and jobs: Osaka 81, Shanghai 75
• Climate and hazards: Osaka 45, Shanghai 35
• Water and environment: Osaka 75, Shanghai 63
• Community and housing: Osaka 83, Shanghai 100
• Access and continuity: Osaka 92, Shanghai 71

Where Osaka is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 26.6 % of annual nights (region figure) (Japan Tourism Agency (MLIT), Overnight Travel Statistics Survey (宿泊旅行統計調査), 2024). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 75.4 % average annual occupancy (region figure) (Japan Tourism Agency (MLIT), Overnight Travel Statistics Survey (2024 Annual Confirmed Data), 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Income per head: 45,505 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (OECD Regional Statistics / Cabinet Office Japan, 2021). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Country disaster risk: 2 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). At or below 2: grade 4/4.
• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 348.2 kg per resident per year (Ministry of the Environment of Japan, Survey on Municipal Solid Waste Disposal (一般廃棄物処理実態調査結果 令和6年度), FY2024). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Ministry of the Environment Adaptation Database (Osaka Prefecture Planning and Tourism Bureau), 2021-2025). Grade 3/4.
• Government effectiveness: 99.5 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.
• Travel advisory: 1 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). At or below 1: grade 4/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Osaka Prefectural Government / Travel Voice, 2025-2026). Grade 3/4.

Where Shanghai is stronger

• Largest foreign market: 9.7 % of international arrivals or nights (State Council Information Office / Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 4.8 nights per visitor (Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration / CEIC Data, 'Shanghai: Visitor: Average Length of Stay', 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
• Tourism intensity: 0.2 visitor nights per resident per year (Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism / Xinhua & Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics, 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Japan: #1 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• China: #8 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Osaka in full · Shanghai in full

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