Any first-time to Osaka who doesn’t make it to Dotonbori at some point during their visit really isn’t following the tourist rulebook. Bright, crash, loud and great fun, Dotonbori might be an Osaka cliché but it kind of has to be done at least once. Boasting what are arguably Osaka’s most recognisable landmarks, Dotonbori is a hugely popular restaurant and shopping street that runs parallel to Dotonbori canal. On the bridge crossing the canal, visitors gather to photograph the city’s famous ‘Glico Man’ and other huge neon billboards while just along the road, the ‘Kani Doraku’ crab sign beacons diners inside to eat.

Indeed Dotonbori is one of the best locales to dive into Osaka’s much-heralded food culture. The streets either side of the canal are full of restaurants and street vendors serving the city’s most famous staples including seafood and signature crab, okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, kushikatsu and plenty, plenty more! The areas running along the sides of the canal itself have seen a lot of development recent years. Visitors can walk at length under the neon lights and past the hum and hustle of the city, with plenty of eateries and bars to choose from. Hectic and lively, this is the very heart of Osaka and for many people, is one of the most iconic areas of any city in Japan.

Located in the very heart of Osaka, Dotonbori can be accessed on foot from several of the city’s largest stations including JR Namba Station and Namba Station to the south and Shinsaibashi Station to the north – with the equally famous Shinsaibashi-suji shopping and dining street leading directly from the station to the canal.