Dotonbori

Dotonbori is the street and canal at the heart of Minami, Osaka's southern downtown, and for many visitors it is the image of the city: neon reflected in the water, crowds on the Ebisubashi bridge and giant mechanical signs above the restaurants. The canal takes its name from Yasui Doton, a local man who spent his fortune digging it in the early seventeenth century. Theatres, kabuki houses and teahouses soon followed, and the area has been the city's main place for food and entertainment ever since.

The signs are an attraction in their own right. Look out for the huge moving crab above the Kani Doraku crab restaurant, the running man of the Glico confectionery sign by the Ebisubashi bridge, the giant takoyaki, and the rotating Daruma figure on the roof of the Kushikatsu Daruma building. The Shochikuza near Ebisubashi is now the only theatre on the street, and there is also a hall for comedy shows nearby, a link back to the district's long history as the city's playground.

Eating is the main activity. Restaurants of every kind line both sides of the street, from takoyaki and okonomiyaki counters to crab, sushi and ramen, and many have queues at peak times. Osaka's habit of eating as you walk is easy to join here, although it is polite to eat near the stall where you bought your food rather than on the move through the crowds. Below street level, the Tombori River Walk runs beside the canal and is the best place for photographs of the signs, and sightseeing boats run along the water.

The area is free to explore and busy from late morning until late at night; the neon is at its best after dark, and weekday evenings are calmer than Friday and Saturday nights. It suits everyone, though families with small children may find the crowds heavy at peak times. Keep an eye on your belongings in the crush on Ebisubashi, and allow at least an hour, longer if you plan to eat.

Dotonbori is right outside Namba Station, served by the Nankai and Kintetsu railways and the Osaka Metro Midosuji, Sennichimae and Yotsubashi lines. The covered Shinsaibashi-suji shopping arcade runs north from Ebisubashi, the small Hozenji temple and its lantern-lit alley are a few minutes away, and the Kuromon market is a short walk east.