Keihanshin Industrial Zone, Japanese Keihanshin Kōgyō Chitai, also called Kyōto-ōsaka-kōbe Region, industrial region, south central Japan, centring on the Ōsaka-Kōbe metropolitan area.
Bordered by Ōsaka Bay to the southwest and bisected by the Yodo River, the area consists of a floodplain interspersed with hills. Other rivers draining the area include the Muko, Yamato, and Ina. The highest hill is Mount Rokkō at 3,058 feet (932 m). Keihanshin is the oldest industrial region of Japan and includes the smaller Hanshin (Ōsaka-Kōbe) Industrial Zone. Keihanshin, neither an administrative nor a political entity, encompasses Ōsaka fu (urban prefecture) and portions of Kyōto fu and the ken (prefectures) of Hyōgo and Shiga.
Kyōto (the former capital of Japan) and Ōsaka were ancient centres of politics, agriculture, industry, and culture. Their traditional industries included textiles (e.g., Nishijin brocade) and porcelain. These industries were first mechanized during the Meiji period (1868–1912). Cement, steel, glass, and rubber industries were also established at Kōbe during this period. Originally financed by the government, these factories eventually were transferred to private ownership. The export of manufactured goods from the region to the Asian mainland began after the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95).
In the 1920s, the region’s heavy industries began producing metals, steam locomotives, and rolling stock; lighter industry produced electrical equipment, bicycles, and chemical products. Munitions industries developed in preparation for World War II, while other industries dispersed to Ōsaka’s periphery. Small industries, subcontracting for larger ones, produced such items as artificial pearls, eyeglass lenses, and fountain pens. Until the end of World War II, the Keihanshin was the dominant economic zone of Japan.
After the war, military industries were converted to produce iron and steel, machinery, transport equipment, and electrical appliances. Since the 1960s, however, the limited space for the expansion of industry and for the construction of new factories has been a major problem in the region. The sinking of land, resulting from the overuse of groundwater, and the decentralization of the city of Ōsaka have created other problems. Although large-scale reclamation projects have been undertaken to provide more space, Keihanshin has lost its leading economic position to the Keihin Industrial Zone in the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area.
Smaller districts that may be defined within Keihanshin include the Sakai-Senhoku District (the New Coastal Area), the East District, and the North District that specializes in electrical equipment. Parts of the Nara District have been developed as residential and recreational areas, and the Kyōto-Biwa District, which includes Lake Biwa, has been used as a source of industrial water.