Osaka's Dotonbori district is a hub of nightlife, entertainment, great local restaurants and the ubiquitous giant neon signs.
Dotonbori is definitely Osaka's most colorful and crazy neighborhood and one of the most visited places in Japan.
The name Dotonbori is used for both the entire area around the main pedestrian area of Dotonbori and the water channel that runs parallel to the main street.
Ebisubashi Bridge - Dotonbori centre
The Ebisubashi pedestrian bridge over the Dotonbori canal is surrounded by buildings with huge neon lights and advertisements, and the atmosphere can perhaps only be compared to New York's Times Square.
From the wide pedestrian bridge you can see the iconic yellow Ferris wheel of the Ebisu Tower as well as the famous neon advertisements The Glico Running Man.
The advertisement for the Glico company, which makes sweets and other snacks, has been displayed on Dotonbori since 1935 and Glico Running Man is one of the icons of Osaka.
Restaurants, izakaya and night bars
Dotonbori is mainly a centre for great food and traditional Osaka cuisine.
Most restaurants of all kinds can be found right on Dotonbori's main street and on the embankments around the eponymous water channel.
Head here for sushi, which originated in Osaka, or try another traditional Osaka dish, okonomiyaki - a kind of savoury pancake.
Dotonbori comes alive most after dark, when nightclubs, bars and classic pubs fill the restaurants.
Accommodation in Dotonbori
Look for a hotel in this district if you always want to be in the heart of the action and if you plan to hang out in the local pubs and nightclubs late into the night.
Public transport only runs until midnight and after that you can only use taxis.
For example, we recommend these hotels right on the main street of Dotonbori or the parallel street of Souemoncho.
More hotels can be found about 300 meters from the center of Dotonbori around Namba Station.
How to get there
The Dotonbori district is located right in the centre of Osaka. The nearest public transport stations are:
Metro
- Namba
- Red Midosuji Line - direction Osaka-Umeda Station, Shin-Osaka Station, Umeda Sky Building, Shinsekai and Zoo (Dobutsuen-mae Station), Harukas 300 (Tennoji Station), Nagai Botanical Garden
- Pink Sennichimae Line - direction Nishi-nagahori, Noda
- Blue Yotsubashi Line - direction Osaka-Umeda Station, Umeda Sky Building, Suminoekoen
- Nippombashi
- Brown Sakisuji Line - direction Shinsekai and Zoo (Dobutsuen-mae Station), Kitahama Station
- Pink Sennichimae Line - direction Nishi-nagahori, Noda, Tanimachi-9-chome (transfer to the purple line direction Osaka Castle)
Railways
- Namba-Nankai
- Nankai Electric Railway (JR Pass not valid, Kansai Railway Pass valid) direction Kansai Airport, Wakyama, Koyasan
- Namba
- Kintetsu Railway (not JR Pass valid, Kansai Railway Pass valid) towards Nara, Toba, Ise-Shima National Park
- Hansin Railway (no JR Pass, Kansai Railway Pass applies) towards Kobe
Buses
Lines 8, 84, 85 running along Midosuji Street about 200 meters from Ebisu Tower.
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Osaka.
