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Dotonbori

Bustling Canal Commercial Streets

Dotonbori is the busiest district in Osaka, and the streets along the Dotonbori River are crowded with popular food and specialty shops of all kinds. The Ebisu Bridge and the giant Japanese Runner billboard are so popular that every visitor to the area stops to take a picture with it.

Dotonbori River is a man-made canal in the city of Osaka that was completed in 1615, and the area was named Dotonbori in honor of Yasui Doton, who funded the excavation of the canal.

Manywhere Trivia:
The great merchant who excavated Dotonbori, Yasui Doton, is said to have died, as Yukimura Sanada 真田幸村 did, in the Osaka Summer Campaign.

In the late 17th century, a number of theaters were built around Dotonbori, including the Asahi-za, Kakuza, Nakaza and Naniwa-za theaters, and the area became a bustling commercial district of Osaka. Today, the streets of Dotonbori are lined with a variety of Popular Gourmet and shops. Many shops display a huge Advertising Sculpture Models in front of their doors to attract customers’ attention, showing their special features at a glance.

Take a boat tour in Dotonbori

There are a number of bridges on the Dotonbori River, including the Oazaemon Bridge, Nihonbashi Bridge, and Aioi Bridge, which are used by both pedestrians and vehicles, and Ebisu Bridge is the most famous. The Ebisu Bridge is a uniquely shaped bridge, located in the heart of Dotonbori, connects the Shinsaibashi Street and Ebisu Street on the north and south sides, and is the most densely populated bridge in the Dotonbori area.

Manywhere Trivia:
Jumping into the Dotonbori River from Ebisu Bridge is a traditional way to celebrate a ball game victory in Osaka.

On the building south of Ebisu Bridge hangs Giant Billboards by Glico, Snow Brand, etc. The Glico’s advertisement of a Japanese runner with his hands upraised has become popular among the public. Almost every visitor to Dotonbori stops at the billboard to take a picture with it.

Manywhere Trivia:
The Glico “runner” of Dotonbori wears clothes that change from time to time, such as shirts from popular sporting events of the day.

Many people choose to take a Boat Tour in Dotonbori, where they can watch the colorful neon lights passing by on the boat and hear more interesting stories about Dotonbori from the guides.