he lively entertainment and nightlife area of Dotonbori is the most famous tourist destination in Osaka. It is famous for its striking neon lights, its extravagant signage, and huge variety of restaurants and bars. Located in Osaka’s southern Namba area, it’s one of the most colorful areas of Osaka and a must-see place when traveling through the Kansai region. Read this travel guide for some good travel tips on Dotonbori!
Dotonbori
Osaka
Open 24 hours
his area came to life in 1612, when merchant Yasui Doton invested all his own money in a local development project. He wanted to make the Umezu River into a new waterway that would connect the local canals with the large Kizugawa River. His project was however disturbed by a war at that time, which Mr. Doton also didn’t survive. But his cousins have finished what he started and the new channel was named after the family in their memory.
This new canal brought in a lot of new business, and the area grew as an entertainment district as well with many new people going in and out of the district all the time. Theater companies and playhouses started to move to the southern area of the channel. While restaurants and tea houses that catered to theater visitors started popping up on the north side. The name ‘Dotonbori’ refers to the Dotonbori canal and Dotonbori Street, which runs parallel to the south bank of the canal.
Address
1 Chome Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0071, Japan