January and early February in Kansai, and Japan as a whole, is a busy time for local leaders. New Year's greetings are exchanged by (mostly) elderly men at stuffy buffet parties in luxury hotels. Their job is to stand around holding a white paper napkin-covered drink and toast to, well, something, after interminably long mumbled speeches.

It's also a time when proposing solutions for local and regional political and economic issues is officially encouraged. But when it comes to Osaka this year, what's noticeable is not only what politicians and business leaders have talked about, but also what they've played down.

2019 is being called, locally, the "Year of Osaka." Over the next six months, Osaka faces local elections that could make or break the political careers of the governor and mayor; the hosting of the Group of 20 Leaders' Summit on June 28 and 29, one of the largest gatherings of world leaders ever seen in Japan; an Upper House election; preparations for the 2025 World Expo; and contentious debates over a possible casino resort.