Osaka is truly the city that doesn’t sleep. And nowhere is that more apparent than in its most famous district, Dotonbori. Everywhere you look is an assault of the senses, from the vibrant neon signs, to the larger-than-life collections of food and food-related papier-mâché sculptures, to the carts of food (including the famous tako-yaki dish — fried octopus bits in a ball made of batter), everywhere you turn there’s more to see. On a trip up to mainland, we spent one night here. I hope the pictures below capture the atmosphere appropriately!
You can see from the above just how the city comes alive at night. While definitely no slouch during the day, the dazzling lights that overtake every corner of the city after sunset are what people remember about the city. Well, that and all the delicious food! And the busy streets…okay, there is plenty to offer.
Above (I think you can click on the images and it’ll open a little gallery) you can see some of the gigantic set pieces scattered throughout the street advertising various goods and services. I wonder if these are upgraded from time to time, or do they get washed and repainted like the rest of the city? Is there a central location that makes and maintains upkeep on these, or is each business on their own? No one knows!
Hopefully the gallery above gives you a nice sense of the city. There are many lights, scents, scenes, and loads of food at every turn. That picture above with all the red hanging lanterns was an Izakaya we found. Izakaya are like a bar but with food, and you typically order small plates like Tapas, and it’s usually a wide variety of food as well. The atmosphere is very lively, kind of opposite what you see most other public places. Also, you can see all the bikes. Japan has great public transit, but especially in locations anywhere near a university, you can always see many bikes!
Here are just a few more night scenes around Osaka. You can see the two photos on the right have taxis weaving through the busy streets with their telltale lights – the red light in the window means that they don’t have a fare and are available if you need to go somewhere! You can also see the little shrine along the street. In Japan, there are these little shrines everywhere, around every corner, between buildings, etc. Also, the streets are full of signs like this in the city. The tall buildings will always have signs on the side advertising locations off street level, so it’s important to look up if you’re trying to find your destination! But, watch out for the Taxis :D.
That’s if for a walk through Osaka’s Dotonbori!