Dontonbori Osaka: One Day Guide

The obsession of Osaka with delicacies is a historically known fact. The place has always been famous for offering a huge variety of delicious traditional and continental food items. Dotonbori Osaka, being the place for nightlife and bars in Osaka, soulfully justifies the expression ‘kuidaore’ that explains to ‘eat till you drop’ (famous for Osaka’s food orientation). Ironically, it also explains to eating enough to fall into financial ruin and, burning a hole in your pockets.

Nevertheless, natives and frequent visitors have always suggested Dotonbori as the perfect place for treating your taste buds with some kuidaore level extreme food love. Experiencing this huge love for food, one must surely visit the most revered restaurants at this street and give themselves a taste of the best cuisine in the entire Osaka. Hariju, Zubora-Ya, and kukuru are some of the top-rated restaurants that will serve you a wide range of cuisines from Japanese beef shabu-shabu to takoyaki octopus dumpling. Other restaurants like the Kushikatsu Daruma and Kani Douraka offer the delicacies like deep-fried kebabs of skewered meat fish and vegetables and crab dishes respectively. The food is not only available in various cuisines but has also been known to provide an unforgettable experience to all the food-explorers. It satiates the hunger of an exquisitely delicious and exotic appetite. Get ready to please the food lover in you.

The entertainment district of Dotonbori is the area between Daikokubashi and Nippombashi bridges situated on the Dotonbori Canal. Located in the south district of Osaka, Namba Subway station is the closest one to get there being just 4 minutes away on feet. Getting to Dotonbori is routed by arriving at Osaka. Traveling to Osaka is an easeful task as a wide range of commuting options are available from and to all major destinations across the globe. The Osaka railway station and airport will help you get here easily.

Further, getting to the major Dotonbori Osaka street is highly advisable to be done by taking up public transport. Pertinent to the narrow streets and humongous crowd venting to enjoy and roam amidst neon billboards; it is really tough to get across using private or privately hired vehicles. Taking up public transport will also aid the travelers to have sightseeing experience of the magnificence of this narrow, busy yet alluring street and the river canal running parallel to it. After reaching, strolling around o foot, admiring the liveliness and energy of this street is the most commendable thing to do besides enjoying yourself amidst the bars’ nightlife.

Dotonbori Osaka is not only famous for its nightlife and transferring energy, but also for its beauteous locations and places of historic importance. Taking up the Tonbori river cruise is a relaxing thing to do besides strolling on the rushing streets of Sotonbori. The cruise tickets cost around 900 Yen for adults and 400 Yen for kids, which can change during peak times like holidays and festivals. The cruise timings are from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm at weekdays and 11:00 am to 9:00 pm to on weekends. The cruise tour gives you a sight of most of the tourist spots of Osaka while dwelling in serenity and tranquility of this river cruise. It helps you to indulge in a breath-taking scenario of witnessing the powerful town of Osaka amidst water. Providing cutting edge Takoyaki food, Kukuru is where you should reach out to calm down your hunger for delicacies in Dotonbori Osaka. This restaurant’s signature dish is the Bikkuri Takoyaki which comes with octopus legs sticking out. The billboard amaze does not end at the Glico’s running man signboard; one shall also consider visiting the Kani-Doraku signboard which depicts a huge crab, signifying a restaurant offering mouth-watering food to remember for ages. The street is also a place to serve your shopping desires with enormous variety at bargainable prices. Not only does the market lets you purchase the authentic stuff from Osaka but also allows you to enjoy the hospitality of the merchants and the shopkeepers who have been known to please their customers on the streets of Osaka.

When you get to the Dotonbori area in Osaka, a sudden communicable vibe of affluent energy will take you in its aura that revolves around with an utmost level of vibrancy and frolic that you can imagine. The basic feeling of traveling when going to this place is studded with energetic drives of nightlife and mouth-watering food. Dotonbori is known as one of the liveliest places in Osaka, Japan, with all those neon signboards shining bright and creating an aura of light in the soul for all the visitors. Despite a feeling of alienation amidst the humongous crowd in the Dotonbori Osaka street, it will still take you through the most occupied times on your travel and instigate happening feelings seamlessly. Even though going back to your hotel room at day might seem comforting, but during the dark hours, Dotonbori will not let you get back to your room before dawn. Going back from this place, one will always miss the beauteous and just amalgamation of tradition and modern-day enjoyment spree with nightlife to admire throughout your life.

Dotonbori Osaka is recommended to be visited in the fall and spring months of the year. However, the weather is moderate throughout the year; winters can be a little unfavorable to support hassle-free travel. May is known as the most beautiful month in Dotonbori Osaka as the days are clear and warm and it hosts the alluring blossom of Sakura flower which is known for its beauty and its cosmic benefits. Sakura is a special flower that has healing properties and thus is used in cosmetics and well as medicare products. Even during the rainy season that falls around the months of June-July, one can plan a journey as it does not rain every day, and Osaka does not face heavy rainfall that could interrupt travel. In order to enjoy the aroma of cherry blossom, you can visit Dotonbori Osaka in the early days of April. Dotonbori Osaka usually gets swamped in summers as people from all over the world come to enjoy the soothing tan and mild climatic conditions. Many Hollywood movies also get shot in Osaka during summers due to the fresh blossom of cherry tree that proves to be a perfect location for any romantic scene of a movie. It is an eye-pleasing scenario and has been known as the most famous location for shooting and clicking pictures.

Named after the merchant Doton Yasui, Dotonbori is known as the downtown area of Osaka. The name signifies the hardwork of “Doton” into a “Bori” which means a canal that has been built by digging the river. The history of Dotonbori Osaka goes back to 1612 when Doton Yasui tried to create a pathway from Umezu river to the neighboring Kizugawa river. He wanted to establish a link between the two rivers that shall facilitate ease of trade and commerce. Being a businessman, he wanted the trade to commute through waterways and decrease the time-lag. His determination made him invest his life-long capital into this ambitious project which he could not even witness to function. Doton Yusui was killed in the Seige of Osaka in 1615, and his cousins provided and end to his unfinished business later that year. The street is named in his memory and to pay homage to Doton Yusui. Since then it has become the hub for dramatics and theatre as artists from all over the globe came to perform at the revered theatres of Osaka. Soon the street started becoming a major spot for entertainment and mouth-watering food. Not only tourists but even the local residents of Osaka visit Dotonbori regularly to enjoy their weekends and holidays.

Dotonbori’s southern bank started to swamp with playhouses and theatre groups soon after its functioning as a full-fledged street. While the southern bank was known for its entertainment, the northern bank of Dotonbori Osaka took control over satiating the appetite of the audiences as well as the artists. A chain of restaurants and food joints came into existence that used to provide a delicious variety of cuisines to the crowd. In recent times, the theatre culture at Dotonbori has drastically declined. Most of the theatres were bombarded during World War II except for one of the most popular theatres, ‘Shochikuza.’ This historical place still hosts numerous modern dramas, opera, classical kabuki plays, etc. It is a highlight for tourists to enjoy the classical plays of Osaka at Dotonbori Street. Also known as a gastronomic wonderland, Dotonbori is an ideal place to chill and have an unforgettable experience of extravagant nightlife while enjoying the beauty of visual art and drama.

Dotonbori is known as the heart of Osaka that illuminates the whole town with extravagant neon lights and signage. Osaka has a very unique and colorful culture of festivities that take place around the year. Tourists find it very amusing to witness any such cultural proceedings and celebrations on the streets of Dotonbori. One such celebration is known as the Midosuji and Hikari Illuminations which means the night museum of lights. Signifying the importance of commerce and trade taking place over the town through waterways, this festival is celebrated with utter fun and frolic symbolizing the growth in economy and commerce through an exhibition of colorful and vibrant lights. Held in late December, the festival accounts for great ceremonies and progressions being held on various streets of Osaka built over a canal that facilitates ease of trade. It usually gets a little colder at this time. Hence, it is advised to carry a pair of warm clothes to enjoy the festivities of the city.

Apart from Hiraki illuminations, a series of other festivals are also very popular in Osaka. Dotonbori witnesses a lot of madness every year on its streets as people from the town come down to the street and celebrate the Takatsuki Jazz street festival (one of the greatest free music shows in Japan) and Koinobori Festa 1000 (celebrating children’s day).

Dotonbori Osaka has been one of the most swamped areas in Osaka, especially at night. Pleasing the eyes with its picturesque beauty at daytime and pleasing the heart with its lavish and grand nigh-life, Dotonbori is on the list of many visitors. Also known as the pickup spot, it facilitates a corner which is infamous for its romantic history. It has a spot known as Ebisubashi bridge that is situated under the Glico running man billboard which is a landmark of this street. Ebisubashi bridge is called as the meeting point of the street and thereby is flooded with the crowd round the clock. You can witness young girls and boys spending quality time with each other while enjoying the beauty of this neon glazed street.

Not only does Dotonbori provide entertainment and great food, but it also has a great platform to shop the most quality-based merchandises available in Osaka. Don Quijote Dotonbori is a store where each and everything is available at discounted prices with promised quality. The goods that hold historical significance with the ancient culture of Japan and particularly in Osaka have been majorly favored by the tourists. Such goodies and merchandises are taken as sovereigns by the visitors to keep their memory fresh for times to come.