Picture This: Fabulous Food Signs of Osaka’s Dotonbori

Sushi sign in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

The competition for most eye-catching advertising is nearly as much of a draw as the food in Osaka, Japan‘s Dotonbori District.

Several signs are tourist attractions in their own right, especially the giant neon Glico Man, famous for being the first on the block (see him in the video below).

Dumpling sign in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

Chef sign in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

Dragon coming out of the wall in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

Kuidaore Taro, the famous drumming clown in Osaka, Japan

Almost as popular is the mechanical drumming clown, Kuidaore Taro, who stood guard in front of the Cui-daore Restaurant for years.

Since the restaurant closed he has been enshrined at the Nakaza Cuidaore Building, where he draws crowds into the shopping center.

See more about our night in Dotonbori – we ruined ourselves with food!

When the crab restaurant Kani Doraku erected their giant mechanized crab sign back in 1960 they kicked off quite a craze of giant animated seafood signs.

Crab sign in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

Octopus sign in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

Several spectacular giant octopus renditions marking spots for Osaka’s signature dish, takoyaki, vied for our attention.

And a huge blowfish lantern adorned Zubora-ya, a fugu (deadly poison blowfish) restaurant that, believe it or not, we didn’t try.

Octopus sign in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

Pufferfish lantern sign in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

Dragon sign in The Dōtonbori in Osaka, Japan

Even fire breathing dragons beckoned us in for some noodles, but we had that other Osaka signature dish, Udon, for lunch so we passed up their flaming invitations.

See more about our night in Dotonbori – we ruined ourselves with food!

WATCH: The pictures CAN’T do the signs full justice! You’ve GOTTA see ’em in motion!

David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com

Delve Deeper:
Click here to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Osaka!

See more about our night in Dotonbori – we ruined ourselves with food!

See all of our adventures in Japan!


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