Ridley Scott’s 1989 film Black Rain is primarily set in Osaka, Japan.
The story follows New York City detectives Nick Conklin and Charlie Vincent after they arrest a yakuza member and escort him to Japan. Once they arrive, the criminal escapes, drawing the detectives into Osaka’s police force, nightlife, organized crime, and rival yakuza factions. Osaka is therefore the film’s principal Japanese setting, not merely a brief stop in the plot.
The movie is especially associated with Osaka’s neon-lit Dōtonbori district, whose canal, signs, bridges, and dense urban atmosphere give the film its striking neo-noir look. Several other Osaka locations appear, including Umeda, Osaka Castle, and the Hanshin Expressway. Some scenes use American locations as substitutes, including Los Angeles and Napa Valley.
Tokyo is a plausible mix-up because the production originally considered filming in Tokyo’s Kabukichō district. Osaka authorities were more receptive to film permits, however, so Osaka became the principal Japanese filming location and the city represented throughout much of the finished film.