We took a Taxi to a store called Tokyu Hands which we knew well when we lived in Tokyo and it is great for craft things and as we wanted to buy some presents from Japan for the grandchildren, two here and one on the way, we thought this was an ideal place to do it. So after about 30 minutes we left with some presents and then went looking for the round Osaka Bus which was due to leave very near from where we were. We discovered that the bus was about every hour and the next one due was at 13.48 and so we need to eat something as it is a 2.5 hour round trip and as we had less than half an hour we broke our rule and went to McDonalds which is always quick particularly in Japan.
After a burger we headed to the bus stop after wandering through the shopping arcades and waited for the bus and just when it di it struck me like a bolt from the blue that if the airline tickets do not have the full and correct name we might not be allowed to board. O Hell what to do. As the first flight was not until Friday, and today is Wednesday there is time to correct it we hope, and so on the bus which was a regular bus with sun reflecting windows and not good for photos, Noel sat there and thought Oh Hell must get those tickets sorted asap and therefore could not enjoy the trip.
By this time the bus had emptied a group from a cruise ship and we were the only ones on the bus and so we started talking to the guide and then explained that we needed to get off and go back to the Hotel to sort out the ticket problem for the reasons as mentioned and he took sympathy on our problem and let us off without needing to to pay which was a saving of 5000 yen as we had not completed the full trip.
By this time we were in the famous Dotonbori Area of Osaka
Dotonbori Area: The Bright Heart of Osaka
The lively entertainment area of Dotonbori is Osaka’s most famous tourist destination and renowned for its gaudy neon lights, extravagant signage, and the enormous variety of restaurants and bars.
Looking down the Dotonbori Canal towards Ebisubashi Bridge
The name “Dotonbori” generally refers both to the Dotonbori Canal and to Dotonbori Street which runs parallel to the canal’s southern bank. It is one of the most colorful areas in Osaka and an absolute must-visit location when traveling through Kansai region.
The History of Dotonbori
The history of this area goes back to 1612 when a merchant by the name of Yasui Doton invested all of his personal capital in an ambitious local development project. Doton’s plan was to divert and expand the Umezu River into a new waterway that would link the local canal network with the Kizugawa River. Unfortunately, Doton’s project was interrupted by war and he himself was killed during the Siege of Osaka in 1615. Later that same year, Doton’s cousins completed his work and in his memory the new canal was named Dotonbori or “Doton Canal”.
A boat cruise on the Dotonbori Canal
The new canal brought with it a flood of trade and from 1626 the area began to flourish as an entertainment district too after theater companies and playhouses began to move into the area on the canal’s southern bank. At the same time the north bank of the canal began to prosper with restaurants and teahouses that supplied food, drink and entertainment to theater goers after they left the theaters.
Ebisu Bridge around the year 1902
Today Dotonbori’s theater culture is very much in decline. In World War II bombing raids destroyed all the theaters except for the Shochikuza. However, there are still a number of small comedy clubs in the area and the Shochikuza continues to host classical kabuki plays, opera, modern dramas and musicals. These days however, Dotonbori is better known as a gastronomic wonderland crowded with restaurants, street side food stalls, and bars.
The Kani Douraku restaurant and its famous giant crab
Dotonbori’s Food Culture
Osaka’s obsession with food is often summed up with the expression “kuidaore” which is often interpreted to mean “eat till you drop” but actually means to spend so much on food that you fall into financial ruin! Dotonbori is said to be the best place in Osaka to experience this kuidaore style extreme love of food! Famous restaurants in Dotonbori include the following.- Hariju has been serving prime Japanese beef shabu shabu and sukiyaki in Dotombori since 1948.
- Zubora-ya is a fugu or pufferfish specialty restaurant.
- Kukuru is a takoyaki octopus dumpling shop.
The famous fugu and takoyaki restaurants on Dotonbori street
- Kushikatsu Daruma has been serving deep fried kebabs of skewered meat fish and vegetables since 1929.
- Kani Douraku is a super popular crab restaurant. Kani Douraku is easily recognized by the giant moving crab on its shopfront, but if you want to eat here it is a good idea to book a table in advance as the waiting time can be as long as 3 hours!
So after the slight panic we met up with friends for dinner where we visited a very nice Yakitori p0lace near the hotel where the food was very good, Not that I could eat all of it for various medical reasons.
And then to bed
