is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori
canalCanals are artificial channels for water. There are two types of canal: aqueduct canals are used for the conveyance and delivery of water, and waterway canals are navigable transportation canals used for passage of goods and people, often connected to existing lakes, rivers, or oceans.The word...
between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the
Nambais a district of Osaka, Japan. Namba is regarded as the center of so-called Minami area of Osaka. Its name is a variation on the name of the surrounding ward, Naniwa...
ward of Osaka. A former
pleasure districtA red-light district is a neighborhood or a part of a neighborhood where businesses connected to the sex industry exist. In some red light districts prostitution may legally take place; other red light districts are known for their illegal prostitution scene...
, Dōtonbori is famous for its historic theaters (all gone now), its shops and restaurants, and its many
neonNeon signs are luminous-tube signs that contain neon or other inert gases at a low pressure. Applying a high voltage makes the gas glow brightly. They are produced by the craft of bending glass tubing into shapes. A worker skilled in this craft is known as a glass bender, neon or tube bender...
and mechanized signs, including snack/candy manufacturer
Glico'sis a Japanese confectionery company headquartered in Osaka. The company manufactures the traditional Glico caramel candy, as well as Pocky , and many others. The company name, Glico, is derived from a shortening of the word glycogen. The first candy produced by the company was known as Glico-Caramel...
giant electronic display of a runner crossing the finish line.
Dōtonbori 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.
is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori
canalCanals are artificial channels for water. There are two types of canal: aqueduct canals are used for the conveyance and delivery of water, and waterway canals are navigable transportation canals used for passage of goods and people, often connected to existing lakes, rivers, or oceans.The word...
between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the
Nambais a district of Osaka, Japan. Namba is regarded as the center of so-called Minami area of Osaka. Its name is a variation on the name of the surrounding ward, Naniwa...
ward of Osaka. A former
pleasure districtA red-light district is a neighborhood or a part of a neighborhood where businesses connected to the sex industry exist. In some red light districts prostitution may legally take place; other red light districts are known for their illegal prostitution scene...
, Dōtonbori is famous for its historic theaters (all gone now), its shops and restaurants, and its many
neonNeon signs are luminous-tube signs that contain neon or other inert gases at a low pressure. Applying a high voltage makes the gas glow brightly. They are produced by the craft of bending glass tubing into shapes. A worker skilled in this craft is known as a glass bender, neon or tube bender...
and mechanized signs, including snack/candy manufacturer
Glico'sis a Japanese confectionery company headquartered in Osaka. The company manufactures the traditional Glico caramel candy, as well as Pocky , and many others. The company name, Glico, is derived from a shortening of the word glycogen. The first candy produced by the company was known as Glico-Caramel...
giant electronic display of a runner crossing the finish line.
History
Dōtonbori 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 HideyoriToyotomi Hideyori , 1593 - June 5, 1615, was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga....
in the ill-fated
Siege of OsakaThe was a series of battles undertaken by the Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages , and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege put an end to the last major armed opposition to the shogunate's establishment...
, but his cousins finished the canal in 1615. The new lord of
Osaka Castleis a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Osaka Castle is situated on a plot of land roughly one...
, Tadaki Matsudaira, named the canal and avenue beside it Dōtonbori ("bori" from "hori", meaning "canal"), even though Doton had been on the losing side during the siege.
The character of Dōtonbori became defined in 1621 when the newly minted
Tokugawa ShogunateThe Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which now is called Tokyo...
instituted
urban planningUrban, city, and town planning is the integration of the disciplines of land use planning and transport planning to explore a very wide range of aspects of the built and social environments of urbanized municipalities and communities...
, designating Dōtonbori as the entertainment district of Osaka. By 1662 the avenue boasted six
Kabuki theatersis the highly stylized classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers....
and five
Bunraku theaters, also known as Ningyō jōruri , is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, founded in Osaka in 1684.Three kinds of performers take part in a bunraku performance:* Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai - Puppeteers* Tayū - the chanters* Shamisen players...
, as well as the unique
Takeda Karakuri' are mechanized puppets or automata from Japan from the 18th century to 19th century. The word karakuri means a "mechanical device to tease, trick, or take a person by surprise". It implies hidden magic, or an element of mystery. In Japanese ningyō is written as two separate characters, meaning...
mechanical puppet theater. Many restaurants and cafes were built to cater to the flood of tourists and entertainment-seekers pouring nightly into Dōtonbori.
Over the years, declining interest in traditional forms of entertainment led to the closing of most of Dōtonbori's original attractions. Its five remaining theaters were
bombed and destroyedThe U.S. bombing of Osaka during World War II took place on 13 and 14 March 1945. This was done in much the same way, and to much the same effect, as bombings in Kobe, Nagoya, and many other major Japanese cities...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Restaurants
As a domestic
tourist destinationA tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
,
Osakais a city in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshū.Osaka is a City in Japan and also is designated city under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture...
is known for its food, and Dōtonbori is the main destination for food travel in Osaka. It is always featured in
guidebookGUIdebook is a website that contains screenshots of computer software.It shows a visual history of the software's user interface. It includes operating systems like Mac OS and Windows, desktop environments like GNOME and KDE, portable operating systems like Newton OS and Windows CE, and...
s for both foreign and domestic tourists.
Osaka
regional cuisineMeibutsu is a Japanese term for famous products associated with particular regions. Meibutsu are usually items of Japanese regional cuisine, although the category includes local handicrafts. Meibutsu typically have a traditional character, although contemporary products may qualify as meibutsu...
includes
okonomiyakiis a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked" . Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan, but is widely available...
(pan-fried batter cake),
takoyakiNot to be confused with Taiyaki. is a popular Japanese dumpling made of batter, diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps , pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, green laver , mayonnaise, and katsuobushi , first popularized in Taisho-era Osaka, where a street vendor...
(
octopusThe octopus is a cephalopod of the order Octopoda. The octopus inhabits many diverse regions of the ocean, especially coral reefs. The term may also be used to refer only to those creatures in the genus Octopus...
dumplingDumplings are cooked balls of dough. They are based on flour, potatoes, bread or matzoh meal, and may include meat, fish, or sweets. They may be cooked by boiling, steaming, simmering, frying, or baking. Ingredients may be as a part of a filling, or mixed throughout the dumpling. Dumplings may be...
s),
udonis a type of thick wheat-flour noodle popular in Japanese cuisine.Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in a mildly flavoured broth, in its simplest form as kake udon, served in kakejiru made of dashi, soy sauce , and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions...
(a noodle dish), as well as regional
sushiIn Japanese cuisine, ' is vinegar rice, usually topped with other ingredients, such as fish. In spelling sushi its first letter s is replaced with z when a prefix is attached, as in nigirizushi, due to consonant mutation called rendaku in Japanese.Sliced raw fish alone is called sashimi, as...
and other traditional
Japanese foodsThe modern term "Japanese cuisine" means traditional-style Japanese food, similar to what already existed before the end of national seclusion in 1868...
.
Kuidaore (食い倒れ)
is a
Japanese wordis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family. There are a number of proposed relationships with other languages, but none have gained general acceptance...
meaning roughly
“to ruin oneself by extravagance in food.” It is sometimes
romanizedThe romanization of Japanese or is the use of the Latin alphabet to write the Japanese language. Japanese is normally written in logographic characters borrowed from Chinese and syllabic scripts...
as
cuidaore, and is part of a larger
proverbA proverb , also called a byword or nayword, is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
: "Dress (in kimonos) till you drop in
Kyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area....
, eat till you drop in Osaka" (京の着倒れ、大阪の食い倒れ).
The word is associated with Dōtonbori, and is often used in tourist guides and advertisements. It can be seen in the names of several locations in Dōtonbori, such as the
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
Kuidaore Taro and the defunct restaurant Cui-daore.
Restaurants of note
- Kinryu Ramen: There are three Kinryu (Golden Dragon) Ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish that originated in China. It is served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions and even corn...
restaurants in Dōtonbori, one at each end of the street and one in the middle. The chain is notable for its giant three-dimensional golden dragonChinese dragons are legendary creatures in Chinese mythology and folklore, with mythic counterparts among Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Turkic dragons. In Chinese art, dragons are typically portrayed as long, scaled, serpentine creatures with four legs...
billboards, as well as its outdoor seating consisting of tatami matsmats are a traditional type of Japanese flooring. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core , with a covering of woven soft rush straw, tatami are made in uniform sizes...
. Unlike many Japanese restaurants, Kinryu Ramen is open 24 hours, and offers a free garlicAllium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that...
and kimchiKimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is any one of numerous traditional Korean pickled dishes made of vegetables with varied seasonings. Its most common manifestation is the spicy baechu variety. Kimchi is the most common banchan, or side dish...
bar.
- Kani Doraku: A crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax.Crabs have a soft body covered with a hard shell. They are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, and armed with a...
restaurant, easily identified by its giant moving crab billboard.
- Otakoya: A popular takoyaki
Not to be confused with Taiyaki. is a popular Japanese dumpling made of batter, diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps , pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, green laver , mayonnaise, and katsuobushi , first popularized in Taisho-era Osaka, where a street vendor...
stand.
- Zubora-ya: A fugu
is the Japanese word for pufferfish and is also a Japanese dish prepared from the meat of pufferfish or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon...
restaurant with a huge blowfish lantern hanging out front.
- Dōtonbori 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.
- Cui-daore, a massive eight-story restaurant with a different Osaka cuisine on each floor, was a self-proclaimed contender for the title of the world’s largest restaurant. However, it ceased operations and closed on 8 July 2008.
Landmarks
- Glico Man: Originally installed in 1935, the giant neon athlete on a blue track is a symbol of Glico candy
is a Japanese confectionery company headquartered in Osaka. The company manufactures the traditional Glico caramel candy, as well as Pocky , and many others. The company name, Glico, is derived from a shortening of the word glycogen. The first candy produced by the company was known as Glico-Caramel...
. The sign has been altered on several occasions to celebrate events such as the World CupThe FIFA World Cup, occasionally called the Football World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and to show support for the Osaka baseball team, the Hanshin TigersThe are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
.
- Kuidaore Taro: In front of Cui-daore is a mechanical drum-playing clown
Clowns are comical performers, stereotypically characterized by their grotesque appearance: colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, red-nose, etc., who entertain spectators by acting in a hilarious fashion. The types of their acts varies greatly...
, also known as the Kuidaore Ningyo, installed in 1950. Every March the visiting rikishi for the Osaka Grand Sumo tournamentA honbasho is any of the six official professional sumo tournaments held each year. Only honbasho results matter in determining promotion and relegation for rikishi ....
used to line up with Kuidaore Taro for photos. Now that the restaurant has closed Kuidaore Taro is scheduled to be removed.
- 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.
Bridges
(Note: "-bashi" is the Japanese for "bridge".)
Motor vehicles cross the canal by way of either Dōtonboribashi (part of
Midosuji|}The is one of the Osaka Municipal Subway lines, the rapid transit system in Osaka City, Japan. Constructed under Midōsuji, a north-south major street, the line is the oldest line of the Osaka subway system and the second oldest in Japan, following the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.North of Nakatsu it...
Avenue) on one side or Nipponbashi (part of
Sakaisuji|}The is one of the lines of Osaka Municipal Subway, the underground rapid transit system in Osaka City, Japan.-History:*December 6, 1969 - Tenjimbashisuji Roku-chōme - Dōbutsuen-mae *March 4, 1993 - Dōbutsuen-mae - Tengachaya -Stations:...
Avenue) on the other, flanking the west and east of the main Dōtonbori district. In between are several footbridges connecting the Namba and Shinsaibashi shopping districts to Dōtonbori, such as Tazaemonbashi and Aiaibashi.
Ebisubashi
Ebisubashi is just under the Glico Man billboard. Originally constructed to provide access to the nearby
Ebisu ShrineEbisu , also transliterated Yebisu or called Hiruko or Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami , is the Japanese god of fishermen, good luck, and workingmen, as well as the guardian of the health of small children...
, the bridge is a
pick-up spotNanpa or nampa , in Japanese culture, is a type of flirting and seduction, popular among teenagers and people in their twenties and thirties.-Word:...
in Osaka, as well as the location of a legendary
curseA curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or unhappiness will befall another person or persons. In particular, a wish that harm or hurt will be inflicted by any supernatural power, such as a spell, a prayer, an imprecation, an execration, magic, witchcraft, a god, a natural force,...
for Osaka
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
team, the
Hanshin TigersThe are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
. More practically, the bridge provides a link between the Shinsaibashi-suji and Ebisubashi-suji shopping districts.
Due to the familiarity of the Glico Man, Ebisubashi makes for a convenient gathering point, hence its nicknames,
nanpaNanpa or nampa , in Japanese culture, is a type of flirting and seduction, popular among teenagers and people in their twenties and thirties.-Word:...
-bashi, mostly used by
foreignersis a Japanese word meaning "foreigner", "non-Japanese", or "alien". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word literally means "outside person". The word can refer to nationality, race, or ethnicity....
, and
hikkake-bashi ("the pulling bridge"), mostly used by native Japanese.
In popular culture
Scenes in the movie
Black RainBlack Rain is a 1989 American action-thriller film starring Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw and Yusaku Matsuda. The film was directed by Ridley Scott....
(1989) were shot at the Kirin Plaza building on Ebisubashi bridge.
The pleasure district in the movie
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamiseis the first feature-length anime movie produced by Gainax in 1987. It is directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga. The movie would ultimately be a critically acclaimed Gainax classic, but it was poorly received and sold only modestly domestically and overseas...
was inspired by the district, which may also have influenced the design of the
neonNeon signs are luminous-tube signs that contain neon or other inert gases at a low pressure. Applying a high voltage makes the gas glow brightly. They are produced by the craft of bending glass tubing into shapes. A worker skilled in this craft is known as a glass bender, neon or tube bender...
-laden Japanese district in the movie
Blade RunnerBlade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick...
.
In the
mangaManga consist of comics and print cartoons , in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 20th century...
Gantzis a Japanese manga and anime series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. Gantz tells the story of a teenager named Kei Kurono who dies in a train accident and becomes part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which he and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens....
, one of the missions takes place in Dōtonbori.
In the video game Yakuza 2, Dōtonbori was depicted as a fictional district known as "Sōtenbori."
The Neo Geo Pocket game
SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millenniumis a fighting game for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. It features a total of 26 characters from SNK and Capcom, eight of which are hidden. Play options includes 2-fighter tag teams, 3-fighter queue teams, and of course, one-on-one...
has an original stage depicting Dōtonbori, with the fighters standing on an overpass before the Glico Man. Storywise, in the game, this is the location of the first battle. Also, six characters' endings take place in this stage:
Kyo Kusanagiis one of the main characters in SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters video game series; he was first introduced in The King of Fighters '94 as the leader of the Japan team. He is one of the iconic characters of the series and regularly appears on publicity material and merchandise. His name and...
,
Iori Yagamiis a character from the SNK Playmore's The King of Fighters video game series that first appeared in The King of Fighters '95 as the leader of the Rivals Team. He is an iconic character of the series, and regularly appears on publicity material and merchandise. Iori is a central character to the...
,
Athena Asamiyais a character originally from the former SNK's video game Psycho Soldier and a descendant of Princess Athena in its Athena. She later appears in The King of Fighters series of fighting games as a female fighter character and has appeared in each of its eleven editions...
,
Sakura Kasugano, commonly known simply as Sakura, is a video game character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games. She is a Japanese schoolgirl and is 16 years old during the Street Fighter Alpha series...
,
Dan Hibiki, more commonly known simply as Dan, is a character from Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games. Dan is consistently portrayed as an arrogant, overconfident, yet utterly weak character in many of the games in which he is featured...
and
Yuri Sakazakiis a video game character from SNK Playmore's Art of Fighting series. She first appears in the original Art of Fighting being kidnapped by Mr. Big, a criminal from the fictional city of Southtown. The players, Yuri's brother Ryo and his friend Robert Garcia spend the game searching for her...
.
See also
- Shinsaibashi
Shinsaibashi is a district in the Chūō-ku ward of Osaka, Japan and the city's main shopping area. It centers around Shinsaibashi-suji, a covered shopping street, that is north of Dōtonbori and parallel and east of Mido-suji street. Associated with Shinsaibashi, and west of Mido-suji street, is...
, Osaka
- Ginza
Ginza is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaicho, and north of Shinbashi....
, Tokyo
- Harajuku
Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan....
, Tokyo
- Amerikamura
Amerikamura is usually referred to by locals as "Ame-mura." It is a sizable retail and entertainment area near Shinsaibashi in the Minami district of Osaka, Japan....
, Osaka
- Shinsekai
, lit. "Tower Reaching Heaven", owned by Tsūtenkaku Kanko Co., Ltd. is a well-known landmark of Osaka, Japan and advertises Hitachi, Ltd. It is located in the Shinsekai district of Naniwa Ward, Ebisu Higashi 1-18-6....
, Osaka
- Den Den Town, Osaka
- Akihabara
, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to Akiba in Japan...
, Tokyo
- Motomachi
is a district of Naka Ward in Yokohama, Japan, located immediately west of Yamate and east of Chinatown. It consists mainly of the Motomachi Shopping Street, a five-block long stretch of boutiques and shops, well known in Japan for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, original fashion, and Western...
, Yokohama
External links
Mouth of Dōtonbori canal
Ebisubashi-Minamidume Intersection