Street & neighbourhood · Osaka
Dotonbori signs
道頓堀の看板
Dotonbori is Osaka's neon canal street, where giant signs turn the whole block into a show. The most famous is the Glico sign: Glico first put up a big billboard here in 1935, and the present sixth version, lit by about 140,000 LEDs, went up in October 2014.
Around it, restaurant fronts compete with three-dimensional crabs, octopus and other oversized food. Walk the canal side after dark, when the signs reflect in the water and the crowds are thickest; this is advertising that Osaka treats as a city symbol.
What to see and do
The 20 m-tall sign of a runner crossing the finish line, seen best from Ebisubashi bridge and the canal walkway.
Moving crabs and other huge 3D signs above the restaurant doors along the street.
The riverside promenade below street level gives the classic photo angle on the signs.
Takoyaki and okonomiyaki stands line the street all evening.
Good to know
- Ebisubashi bridge gets very crowded in the evening; the canal walkway beside it is calmer for photos.
- Watch your belongings in the evening crowds.
More art nearby
Mc681 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsNational Bunraku Theatre
Bunraku puppet theatre was born in Osaka and is on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list. Three puppeteers move each puppet together.
Tokumeigakarinoaoshima · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOsaka Shochikuza
Kabuki and big stage shows on Dotonbori, behind a 1923 arched facade.
Mc681 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsDoguyasuji kitchen street
A covered street of chef’s tools, lanterns and the plastic food samples you see in every restaurant window.
Miyuki Meinaka · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsNamba Grand Kagetsu
The home stage of Osaka comedy. Manzai double acts and slapstick shows, every day.