Is the air in Osaka safe today?

Not for sensitive groups. Right now the US AQI in Osaka is 143, which counts as unhealthy for sensitive groups. Kids, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions should limit long outdoor exertion. It is expected to reach 175 (unhealthy) around Sat 20:00.

When is the best time to be outside in Osaka?

Sat 11:00–14:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 98. The worst hour is around Sat 20:00, at 175.

What is the main pollutant in Osaka?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 52 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Osaka's air compare with the WHO guideline?

3.6 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 54 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM10, NO2 and SO2 are also forecast above their guideline levels.

How many cigarettes is a day of Osaka's air?

About 2.4 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 54 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Osaka improve this week?

Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 77, against 175 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Osaka air quality

Japan · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Sat 02:00 local time

143

Unhealthy for sensitive groups

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Kids, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions should limit long outdoor exertion.

Next 24 hours: 93–175US AQI, highest around Sat 20:00
Best time outside: Sat 11:00–14:00US AQI about 98
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 3.6×54 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 2.4 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Osaka. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Osaka right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	52 µg/m³	Sensitive	3.6×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	53 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	55 µg/m³	Good	2.6×
Ozone O₃	0.0 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	24 µg/m³	Good	1.3×
Carbon monoxide CO	761 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Aerosol optical depth	0.21	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 175 around Sat 20:00, lowest 44 around Mon 01:00.

50100150

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Osaka

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 200.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Sat 14 Nov	93–175	Unhealthy	20:00	55	3 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	53–151	Unhealthy	0:00	20	1 Low
Mon 16 Nov	32–77	Moderate	23:00	14	3 Moderate
Tue 17 Nov	39–94	Moderate	7:00	20	3 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Osaka

Is the air in Osaka safe today?
Not for sensitive groups. Right now the US AQI in Osaka is 143, which counts as unhealthy for sensitive groups. Kids, older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions should limit long outdoor exertion. It is expected to reach 175 (unhealthy) around Sat 20:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Osaka?
Sat 11:00–14:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 98. The worst hour is around Sat 20:00, at 175.
What is the main pollutant in Osaka?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 52 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Osaka's air compare with the WHO guideline?
3.6 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 54 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. PM₁₀, NO₂ and SO₂ are also forecast above their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Osaka's air?
About 2.4 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 54 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Osaka improve this week?
Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 77, against 175 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Osaka

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
大阪市北区西天満２－７－９ OpenAQ, reference monitor NO₂: 60 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00	0.2 km	30	Good
大阪市中央区大手前1-5-44 OpenAQ, reference monitor NO₂: 62 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00 SO₂: 2.6 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00 CO: 458 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00	1.7 km	30	Good
大阪市城東区新喜多２－４－３５ OpenAQ, reference monitor NO₂: 58 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00 SO₂: 16 µg/m³ · Sat 01:00	4.0 km	29	Good

Air quality near Osaka

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Taipei (66); worst: Beijing (283). The tick on each bar is Osaka, at 143.

Tokyo 392 km E 153 Unhealthy
Busan 588 km W 126 Sensitive
Seoul 829 km NW 158 Unhealthy
Shanghai 1,363 km W 152 Unhealthy
Taipei 1,717 km SW 66 Moderate
Beijing 1,781 km NW 283 Very unhealthy

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 34.69°N, 135.50°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.