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Exploring Osaka Namba area – Dotonbori Street and Shinsaibashi Shopping Street

28 November 2016

Dotonbori Street

After a morning of eating at the Kuromon Ichiba Market, we headed north to the Dotonbori canal.  The entire area of Dotonbori is thronged with an unbelievable number of restaurants and amusement facilities, starting with the famous Kani Doraku restaurant near the Nihonbashi Bridge.

Dotonbori is another place in Osaka where visitors could eat and eat. We already had our fill at the Kuramon Ichiba Market, so the next best thing to do is just to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and take it the sights.

You can guess by the large signage what the stores are selling.

Dotonbori Street

Large puffer-fish on top of a fugu restaurant.


Dotonbori Street

This stall sells dragon meat? No, this is the Kinryu (Golden Dragin) Ramen restaurant.


Dotonbori Street

Okonomiyakai is one of the food to try along Dotonbori. There are many Okonomiyaki restaurants.


Dotonbori StreetDotonbori Street


Dotonbori Street

Another Kani Doraku restaurant with the iconic red crab with moving claws and legs along Dotonbori.


We spotted a picture of ourselves; candid camera.


Dotonbori StreetDotonbori Street

Inside a confectionary store. 


Dotonbori is a great place to pick up Japanese souvenirs, manga and anime keepsakes, knick-knacks, sweets and treats.


The famous Glico Running Man sign by the Dotonbori canal.


Dotonbori Street


From the Ebisubashi bridge, next to the Running Man sign, we can see the entrance leading to the Shinsaibashi Shopping Street. 

There are many stores selling Takoyaki or Octopus Balls and our research led us to the Atchichi Honpo Dotobori shop, located by the canal.

We could see that this store was the most popular by the long queue. Takoyaki is one of the must-try street food at Dotonbori, so we joined the queue which moved quite fast. After buying our octopus balls, we managed to get a seat by the stall. We ate the steaming hot takoyaki while watching the cooking process.

One staff places one piece of cooked diced octopus into each mound in the metal tray, while his colleague was cooking the balls on an adjacent tray.


Dotonbori Street

Some yellow coloured ingredients were sprinkled by hand into the trays.


He then came back with the batter and fills each mound with the batter.


Expertly turning the balls while it was being cooked. 


Atchichi Honpo Dotobori shop

Final product. Nine Octopus Balls or Takoyaki from the Atchichi Honpo Dotobori shop for 500 yen. Brown sauce, mayonnaise, bonito flakes and shallots were added on top of it.


Before going to explore Shinsaibashi Shopping Street, we decided to go make a reservation for dinner. Of the many options for dinner along Dotonbori, we had craving for beef yakiniku and our research on the internet brought us to the Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M restaurant. This restaurant serves the famed Matsusaka Beef. We went to make reservation for dinner at the M Yokocho branch and was directed to go to the Gyu Nabe M restaurant instead.

Map showing the locations of the Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M restaurants in Dotonbori area.


The Gyu Nabe M restaurant is along the Hozenji Yokocho, a narrow, stone-paved path that leads to the Hozenji Temple. Cozy and quaint, both sides of the lane are lined with small food shops and cafes serving traditional Japanese food, including the Fugu.

Hozenji Yokocho, a narrow, stone-paved path that leads to the Hozenji Temple.


Although the name was that of Beef Sukiyaki, we were assured by the staff who took our reservation at the Gyu Nabe M restaurant that Beef Yakiniku is also served.

 

Hozenji Temple.


We went to visit the Hozenji Temple. We saw some people splashing water as an offering to the deity and pray for their prosperity. Because of the large amount of water splashed onto it, the statue has grown a large amount of moss.

A worshipper splashing water at the moss covered Fudo-myo statue.


After making our reservation, we went to walk the Shinsaibaishi Shopping Street, Osaka’s longest shopping arcade.  The arcade boasts a wide variety of shops, both local and well-known international brands. In the midst of window shopping along Shinsaibashi Shopping Street, we stopped for more food. This time, it was lobster roll from Luke’s Lobster, a popular NYC chain that had came to Japan.

Shinsaibashi Shopping Street.

Since we were visiting Osaka in autumn, we took a detour from the shopping street to take a look at the ginkgo lined Midosuji Street running parallel to the Shinsaibaishi Shopping Street.

Autumn foliage of gingko trees along Midosuji Dori.


Tired from all the walking, we rested at the coffee store till the sky turned dark. The sky turned dark pretty early in autumn so we did not have to wait too long.

 

Midosuji Dori at night looked so much nicer!


If Midosuji Dori at night looked nice, Dotonbori at night looked super awesome.

Dotonbori at night

At night it is lit by hundreds of neon lights and mechanized signs. The canal area was specially nice at night, with the reflected neon lights shimmering in the water.

Boat tours took visitors for a cruise down the Dotonbori Canal.

The famous Glico Running Man sign by the Dotonbori canal.


Dotonbori at night

Dotonbori was more colourful and vibrant at night. Many restaurants competing for the share of wallets.

 Dotonbori at night

Who has the fiercest stare?


Dotonbori at night

Inside one of the souvenir stores.


Dotonbori at night

Gudetama Toy Figurines - Only the Japanese could make an egg so cute!


Dotonbori at night

Ebisu Bridge area.


The Ebisu Bridge area would give New York’s Times Square a good fight in terms of liveliness, sights and sound. There was even a live music and dance performance by a local girls’ group by the banks of the canal. Besides the sights and sound, Dotonbori is also home to some of the best restaurants serving some of the best food in the world. Amongst them, would be the famous beef of Japan. We ended our visit to Dotonbori with dinner at the Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M restaurant, enjoying the best beef in the world.

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