DOTONBORI

Dotonbori is a popular tourist destination in Namba Osaka. Dotonbori is famous for its giant crab and other restaurants.

Dotonbori (道頓堀, IPA: [doːtomboɺ̠i]) is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka, Japan. It is a single street, running alongside the Dotonbori canal between the Dotonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba ward of Osaka. A former pleasure district, Dotonbori is famous for its historic theaters (all now gone), its shops and restaurants, and its many neon and mechanized signs, including snack/candy manufacturer Glico's giant electronic display of a runner crossing the finish line.

Dotonbori Glico Man

Dotonbori Restaurants

As a domestic tourist destination, Osaka is known for its food, and Dotonbori is the main destination for food travel in Osaka. It is always featured in guidebooks for both foreign and domestic tourists.

Osaka regional cuisine includes okonomiyaki (pan-fried batter cake), takoyaki (octopus dumplings), udon (a noodle dish), as well as regional sushi and other traditional Japanese foods.

Kuidaore (食い倒れ) is a Japanese word meaning roughly “to ruin oneself by extravagance in food.” It is sometimes romanized as cuidaore, and is part of a larger proverb: "Dress (in kimonos) till you drop in Kyoto, eat till you drop in Osaka" (京の着倒れ、大阪の食い倒れ).

The word is associated with Dotonbori, and is often used in tourist guides and advertisements. It can be seen in the names of several locations in Dotonbori, such as the mascot Kuidaore Taro and the defunct restaurant Cui-daore.

Restaurants of Note
Kinryu Ramen: There are three Kinryu (Golden Dragon) Ramen restaurants in Dotonbori, one at each end of the street and one in the middle. The chain is notable for its giant three-dimensional golden dragon billboards, as well as its outdoor seating consisting of tatami mats. Unlike many Japanese restaurants, Kinryu Ramen is open 24 hours, and offers a free garlic and kimchi bar.
Kani Doraku: A crab restaurant, easily identified by its giant moving crab billboard.
Otakoya: A popular takoyaki stand.
Zubora-ya: A fugu restaurant with a huge blowfish lantern hanging out front.
Dotonbori Ramen Taishokudo: A ramen restaurant formed by eight famous ramen shops from across Japan.
Hariju: A beef restaurant from 1924.They use only Japanese beef. One of the more famous beef restaurants.

Dotonbori Landmarks

Kani Doraku Crab
This six and a half meter crab is on the front of the crab restaurant Kani Doraku. It is mechanized, being able to move its arms and eyestalks. Built in 1960, this mechanical billboard soon spawned imitations, including a squid that puffs steam and oni (demons) that light up at night.

Kani Doraku Giant Crab

Glico Man
Originally installed in 1935, the giant neon athlete on a blue track is a symbol of Glico candy. The sign has been altered on several occasions to celebrate events such as the World Cup and to show support for the Osaka baseball team, the Hanshin Tigers. (See picture at start of article)

Kuidaore Taro
Used to be in front of Cui-daore restaurant, which has now closed down. The mechanical drum-playing clown, also known as the Kuidaore Ningyo, installed in 1950. Every March the visiting rikishi for the Osaka Grand Sumo tournament used to line up with Kuidaore Taro for photos.

Dotonbori History

Dotonbori traces its history back to 1612, when a local entrepreneur, Dōton Yasui, began expanding the tiny Umezu River, which ran east to west, hoping to increase commerce in the region by connecting the two branches of the Yohori River, which ran north to south, with a canal. Dōton’s project was interrupted when he died defending Toyotomi Hideyori in the ill-fated Siege of Osaka, but his cousins finished the canal in 1615. The new lord of Osaka Castle, Tadaki Matsudaira, named the canal and avenue beside it Dotonbori ("bori" from "hori", meaning "canal"), even though Doton had been on the losing side during the siege.

The character of Dotonbori became defined in 1621 when the newly minted Tokugawa Shogunate instituted urban planning, designating Dotonbori as the entertainment district of Osaka. By 1662 the avenue boasted six Kabuki theaters and five Bunraku theaters, as well as the unique Takeda Karakuri mechanical puppet theater. Many restaurants and cafes were built to cater to the flood of tourists and entertainment-seekers pouring nightly into Dotonbori.

Over the years, declining interest in traditional forms of entertainment led to the closing of most of Dotonbori's original attractions. Its five remaining theaters were bombed and destroyed during World War II.