The Glico Running Man sign is probably the thing I remember most from my whole walk through Dotonbori. Before coming to Osaka I saw it on social media, and it really looked just the same. Around it, neon lights and ads covered all the buildings, and the whole area was busy with people wanting to picture the same view.
I spent an age pushing between them to get a clear picture without any head in the frame, but sure, it was the weekend, so you expect that. Dotonbori has been a grand spot in Osaka for ages, going back to the beginning of the 1600s, when it started as a theater area.
A Slow Walk in Dotonbori
The giant crab sign at Kani Doraku is the kind of thing that just stops you in your walk. I'd say the legs of the crab really moved, or at least they looked like this, when I went past it. The restaurant has been around since the 1960s, and that crab sign is one of the most pictured things in the whole of Osaka.
At night, when everything was lit up, it looked even bigger than in the daytime, and I almost bumped into that smiling statue next to the entrance, because I couldn't stop looking at the crab.
Kushikatsu Daruma has that angry face on the sign at the door. Even now I haven't a clue what that look should mean, you know? In most food streets that I went to in Japan, there are some big signs or mascots in front of the shops, but this face had more character than the others.
A bit further down the street stands a golden figure that holds huge sticks with fried foods, and everything was lit up with lanterns around it.
Kuidaore Taro, that drumming clown in the striped clothes, is one of the most famous mascots of Osaka. My friend back home collects weird mascot photos, and this would be deadly for his list.
Over one shop hangs a big sushi with a hand holding it, and further along a huge octopus above a Takoyaki stall. The octopus was my favorite among all food signs, because it just looked so funny up there with all those banners around it. Takoyaki is typical Osaka street food (little fried octopus balls), and you cannot walk more than a few steps here without seeing a stall that sells them.
The covered shopping mall was lovely to walk through. On both sides were shops and signs, and I saw the Japan Culture and Character Shop with a crowd in front of it. I almost went in, but finally I only went past it.So much was happening on this street, altogether.
Lanterns with Japanese characters lined one part of the street, and from another view you could see Kani Doraku again with cooks working inside. I always end up walking past the same restaurants many times in such spots.
Neon signs everywhere, crowds under them. Just a non-stop wall of lights and people, and all.
The Dotonbori Canal is another big thing here besides the street itself. People stood along the railings, and boats went slowly through the water, I think that you can pay for a ride on one of them, but I haven't the foggiest about the cost. The signs and buildings reflected on the surface of the water, which made everything look double.
I had try the boat ride which I would share in another post.
The Asahi Super Dry sign with that giant beer can is hard to look away from, mostly because of the bubbles on the sign that looked like they were moving up. Right under it Kani Doraku glowed again. That crab really shows up from every view, so it does.
Walking along the canal at night, with neon bouncing on the water, boats going past, people on the bridges watching everything. I wonder how many photos get taken here every day. The wood path along the canal was crowded but still grand to walk on, and you could see city lights bouncing off the water from every direction.
The entrance to Shinsaibashi-suji had heart shapes on the sign above the covered mall. Inside it was wall to wall people and shops, and the feel was totally different from the canal side. This is one of the longest shopping streets in Osaka.
I think that it goes on for something near 600 meters.
More views of the Glico Running Man along the canal. The one from the canal path was the best view, because you could see the sign and all ads around it without too many heads in the way. People were taking photos everywhere, some with selfie sticks, others just holding phones up.
Osaka at night has a totally different feel than when I walked along the Kamo River in Kyoto.
A street performer sang on Ebisubashi Bridge. Lovely stuff.
A boat on the canal near Nihonbashi Bridge slowly passing through.
One last look at the Glico Running Man up close, with all the lights and the crowd gathered around. Dotonbori is free to walk around any time you want, and really night is the best time here, because that's when everything is lit up and the whole area comes alive.
