Situated along the south bank of the Dotonbori-gawa Canal, colourful, eccentric Dotonbori with its huge illuminated advertising boards and the 17th-century atmosphere is one of the most popular destinations in Osaka for both tourists and locals.
Osaka is known as the ‘food capital’ of Japan and Dotonbori certainly does its share to uphold that reputation with an unbelievable number of restaurants serving regional favourites such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki and of course, sushi.
But Dotonbori is not just about food. Entertainment and shopping options abound with traditional puppet shows, storytellers’ halls, several movie theatres, game centres, bars, clubs and shopping arcades, most of which are open till midnight or later.
Getting There: From Osaka or Umeda Station, take the Midosuji line to Namba Station. From there, walk north towards Shinsaibashi. The Dotonbori River divides Shinsaibashi and Namba, and the Dotonbori Bridge is the convergence point for both neigborhoods.
Other than the Midosuji Line, Namba Station serves various other lines: the Sennichimae Line and Yotsubashi Line on the Osaka Municipal Subway and the Nankai Main Line and Nankai Koya Line on the Nankai Railway. Namba Station is connected to Osaka Namba Station, which serves both the Hanshin and Kintetsu lines, and JR Namba Station, which serves the Kansai Main Line, covered by your JR rail pass.
Admission Fee: it's Free.
Opening Hours: Open 24 hours
Importance Rating: 9/10.
Busyness Rating: 9/10.
Top Tips:
- Walking the neon-lit streets at night
- Posing under the famous Glico Man sign
- Trying local specialties like okonomiyaki and takoyaki
