Having experienced the Osaka Wonder Cruise, I think it’s quite possibly one of the most underrated attractions in Osaka. Now I know that it’s quite popular but it has garnered a reputation as a tourist trap over the years. Still, it’s one of the few boat cruise experiences that give you a glimpse of Osaka that you typically won’t find with walking tours.
So if I’m not mistaken there are actually two separate boat touring experiences here at the Dotonbori canal. The first is of course the Dotonbori or Tombori River Cruise which is the original that debuted in 2005. Osaka Wonder Cruise is relatively new having started its operations in 2018 and it offers an alternative route that still will give you a glimpse of the notable landmarks and attractions of this stretch of the Dotonbori.
My Dotonbori River Cruise in Osaka
If you are planning to experience Osaka Wonder Cruise it’s advisable to book online either through platforms like Klook or on the tour’s official website. That said, it’s still possible to just go to the Nippombashi Pier in Dotonbori and look for the operator’s ticketing booth. Online bookings typically get priority though and you might end up not being able to book a cruise onsite during peak tourist seasons.As for getting to Dotonbori, the easiest way is to take the subway or a train to Namba Station.
Ideally, you want to take either the Midosuji or Nankai Line so that you can use Exit 14 or Exit 25 respectively. From these exits, it’s then going to be a short 5-minute walk north to the promenade. Then from the promenade, you’ll still need to walk east until you get to the Nippombashi Bridge where the ticket booth and pier for Osaka Wonder Cruise is found.
So this is what the Nippombashi Pier and the boat that you’re going to ride looks like. You could opt to come here in the morning but it’s highly encouraged to experience the Osaka Wonder Cruise at night. The thing is, the main draw of the Dotonbori area is the night life and views and arguably the best way to take all these in would be through the river cruises.
Here’s a sign showing the Osaka Wonder Cruise reservation and boarding process. As you can see, the priority is for passengers who reserve online. Take note that the slots for the night cruises are highly sought after so there’s no guarantee that you’ll actually get to board if you come here without a reservation.
As for when you should reserve, I’ve read online that it’s advisable to book a reservation 2 or 3 days in advance.
This is what the captain’s helm console looks like. In the background on the left of the image you can see passengers lining up to get their tickets. I know I said earlier that the Dotonbori River Cruise is older and more popular but that doesn’t mean the Osaka Wonder Cruise doesn’t get its fair share of crowds.
On a side note, you’ll also notice how illuminated the Dotonbori promenade is from inside of the boat.
While waiting for the boat to get full I was already genuinely excited for the cruise. The area around the Nippombashi Bridge and Pier where the boat was docked was nicely lit and there was this charm to it that was endearing for some reason. One of the things that really stood out to me while waiting were the signs for the establishments here.
These were bright and colorful with some even featured cartoon/anime-ish drawings.
So one thing that I was quite concerned about while walking towards the Osaka Wonder Cruise ticket booth was the state of the water in the canal. I was used to the clear water of Kyoto’s rivers so seeing the murky brown water here made me pause. Apparently, the water here used to be polluted decades ago.
Thanks to improvements in the city’s sewage system though, the water here is much better now. As for why it looks murky, I’ve read that this is thanks to a combination of sediment, silt, and the water in the canal being slow moving.
Quite honestly, the water isn’t that much of an issue. I initially thought that there’d be a funky smell once I boarded the boat but the only odors I ended up inhaling were the ones from the dining establishments and stalls here.
Seriously, the aroma from the various street food being cooked along the promenade even wafts down to the canal which you can smell while on the cruise.
Here you can see how the boat’s bow area looks like. While the boat’s deck does look spacious, passengers aren’t allowed to walk around here for safety reasons. In the background is the south side of the Dotonbori canal which also happens to be the side where you’ll see the iconic Glico sign (more on this later).
Speaking of the Glico sign, what you see in the background is NOT it. This billboard is actually for another establishment called Sumibi Yakiniku Dotombori Mitsuru. Excluding the billboard, it’s a restaurant renowned for its barbeque Wagyu beef and tender beef tongue.
If you’re a connoisseur of beef then you might want to consider a visit to this restaurant.On a side note, you’ve probably noticed the guy standing in the foreground. Each tour actually has a team of guides who provide commentary and explanation on the views as well as history of the area. The main commentary is in a mix of English and Japanese though there are staff who are fluent in Korean and Chinese as well.
It’s not just dining establishments that you’ll find here in Dotonbori. There’s also a Don Quijote (popularly known as Donki) branch here. This store stocks a wide range of goods that range from electronics, snacks, clothing, and even food/grocery items.
However, what really sets the store apart is its discounts and the fact that it’s open 24/7. Yes, you read that right. You can actually shop at this store any time of day!
Due to being open 24/7 and the wide range of discounted goods it offers, Donki typically attracts tourists looking to get great deals. I mean just look at the people surrounding the store’s entrance. Apparently, most people treat a visit to Donki as a treasure hunting experience which is actually understandable considering how there are legitimately some very nice deals to be had here.
So one of the things you’ll notice with the Donki here at Dotonbori is the giant installation on its facade featuring Ebisu and the store’s mascot, Donpen (the cute penguin sitting on Ebisu’s lap). It’s not quite shown in the image but both Ebisu and Donpen are actually encircled by an oval ferris wheel that happens to be 77-meters tall. From what I’ve read, this installation is unique to this specific Donki store.
After a couple of minutes our cruise was finally in sight of the iconic Glico Running Man. This is a billboard for Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd, a multinational confectionery and food company. I was actually quite surprised to find out that this is the very same company responsible for the creation of the Pocky and Pretz.
Even more surprising is the fact that Pocky actually has a Guinness record for being the best-selling chocolate coated biscuit in the world.
After passing both Ebisubashi Bridge and Dotonbori Bridge, I again came across a familiar figure (or rather, figures). This is the facade of another Donki store here at Dotonbori. Known as Don Quijote Dotonburi Midosuji, this store is the first building on the right that you’ll see after the boat passes Dotonbori Bridge.
So if I’m not mistaken, the Donki with the Ebisu Ferris Wheel is the Main Store in the area. While the main store was noticeably busy, the Midosuji store was surprisingly much more chill. It’s also open 24/7 and actually has more floors.
More importantly, this branch has a Tourist Information Center on the first floor whereas the main store doesn’t.
After passing the Donki Midosuji store, our boat also passed by the Shinebisu Bridge and was on its way to get past the Daikoku Bridge. This section of the Dotonbori canal was a lot more laid back compared to the Nipponbashi and Ebisu Bridge areas. There weren’t as many signs here though there were popular establishments like Kobe Beef Kisshokichi Nishi Shinsaibaishi the facade of which you can see in the image above (middle building).
A couple of meters after passing the Daikoku Bridge, the captain then started maneuvering the boat for the trip back to the Nippombashi Pier. I think it took about 10 to 12 minutes to get to this point with the entirety of the tour taking about 20 minutes. From here the tour was pretty uneventful since we’d already passed by the same buildings and sights from earlier.
And so I end my Osaka Wonder Cruise experience with this image of Dotonbori Bridge’s substructure. For 2000JPY I think this tour was totally worth it though I wouldn’t also outright recommend it. You can pretty much come across all of the views that I saw by just walking the length of the canal from Nipponbashi Bridge to the Daikoku Bridge.
That said, walking is going to take longer and might detract you from actually spending time “treasure hunting” in Donki or eating out at the dining establishments that dot the length of the promenade. If budget isn’t a constraint then definitely give this tour or the Dotonbori River Cruise a try.Have you experienced the Osaka Wonder Cruise yet? We’d love to hear your thoughts as well as tips about this tour of a notable Osaka landmark down in the comments section!
