When people talk about Japan, the main places that come to mind are “Tokyo”, “Kyoto”, and maybe “Hokkaido”. There’s other place often comes to mind, and that’s “Osaka”. But what’s so special about Osaka, you ask? There’s a reason why many people who visit Japan cite it as their favorite place, as there’s lots to enjoy. One well known claim to fame is ‘Dotonbori’, a long street full of restaurants, shops, and interesting photo ops.

We got to Dotonbori after dusk, having arrived in Osaka earlier in the day and resting for a bit at the hotel. Exiting the train and walking to our destination, we could enjoy the sights of the city, and see upcoming events that we would unfortunately miss. The one that caught my eye was an upcoming performance of ‘Beetlejuice’ the musical.

Though we weren’t able to start our time there during the day, it turned out to be a good thing. It allowed us to see the entrance of the street light up and welcome us with its neon signs.

We decided to begin our venture by trying the most well known food in Osaka: Takoyaki. Takoyaki is octopus formed into balls, which are then fried and covered in sauce and fish flakes. Though we don’t normally eat octopus, we couldn’t leave Osaka without doing so.

We waited in line and placed an order for a box of takoyaki. We had the option of eating inside or taking it to go. Without thinking, I said we’d take it to go. My reasoning was we’d be able to eat and walk in order to get the most out of our trip. What I failed to realize is that takoyaki is not exactly a handheld food….

We ended up standing to the side of the restaurant and enjoying our snack before heading out again. The verdict? It was… okay. This mostly has to do with personal preference, but I find it’s a little over hyped. Takoyaki is good, but it was never something I craved. I’m also a person who’s particular about texture. The rubbery octopus and the chewy breading is not a combination that appeals to me. I’m likely in the minority on this, though.

Despite only mildly enjoying the takoyaki, I was willing to give it another shot. Being the specialty of Osaka, there’s no shortage of options, so it was a bit overwhelming deciding which one to go to. We found a small shop that not only sold takoyaki, but put takoyaki in a taco shell to make it a handheld treat (a “Takoyaki Taco, if you will). Intrigued, we placed an order for two, and decided to eat inside the establishment this time (despite the portability).

We received the tacos, which were filled with the octopus ballsa nd a special takoyaki sauce. Honestly, I prefer this form of takoyaki over the traditional form. As I mentioned, I’m particular about texture, and the added crunchiness of the shell balances well with the rubbery texture of the takoyaki balls. Those going to Osaka are bound to try some traditional takoyaki, but I’d recommend getting this as well.

We walked further down the road and saw more vendors selling similar items (takoyaki, ramen, fried goods, etc). What caught our attention was a place selling ‘kobe beef’. The building itself was quite decorative, and included a couple of familiar faces.

We looked at the menu and decided to get some Kobe beef sushi (Kobe beef on top of rice). The fun part was before the staff handed us the food, they whipped out a mini blowtorch and blasted the beef. They finished by dabbing it with some special sauce.

For such a small amount of beef, it packed a lot of flavor! the price point was a bit steep, but for the quality of the meat and the experience, it was well worth it!

Continuing down the street we came across the Dotonbori River. Many photo ops can be found along the river, including the ‘Glico Man’ sign, and the ‘Ebisu Man’ Ferris wheel.

There’s actually an interesting story that goes with this river, known as the ‘Curse of the Colonel’ ( カーネルサンダースの呪い / Kaaneru no Noroi). In 1985, the Osaka baseball team “Hanshin Tigers” won the Japan League Championship, despite being the underdogs. To celebrate, several fans dressed up as players on the team jumped into the river. One of the star players on the team was an American named “Randy Bass”. Since there were no American fans present, they decided (likely in a drunken stupor) to go to the local KFC, uproot a statue of Colonel Sanders, and hurl it into the river.

Since that fateful night, the Hanshin Tigers were unable to win a championship. Many believed it was due to the Statue of Colonel Sanders extracting his revenge, preventing the team from ever securing a victory.

In 2009, the statue was recovered from the river and returned to KFC. Some held hope that the curse was broken, though the Tigers still struggled to win a championship.

The curse was finally broken in 2023 when they won the Japan League once again. To no one’s surprise, fans celebrated by jumping into the river (despite police efforts to stop them). Instead of dressing up as the players, this time fans dressed as Colonel Sanders.

The statue of the Colonel was finally laid to rest in March of 2024, when KFC held a burial ceremony. The claim was that the statue was too difficult to maintain, and thus this was the best option.

Getting back to our story, we soon decided it was time to rest for a bit, so we ventured to a restaurant serving fried food. Though the fried food looked appealing, I think it was the ‘friendly’ looking statue out front that drew us in. Let’s just say he had a different aura than the Colonel.

We tried an assortment of different fried goods. I can’t recall everything, but they offered several kinds of meats and vegetables, all of them delicious. I even got to try some ‘Lamune’ featuring our friend from out front. (Lamune is a popular Japanese soft drink that typically comes in a special glass bottle)

We concluded our tour of Dotonbori by going to a small shooting gallery. Here, we were given cork guns that we could use to shoot prizes off of the shelves in front of us. The prizes ranged from small candies and toys, and even some boxes of snacks. I remember it being quite noisy, since the workers would ring a bell every time someone shot something off the wall. Both of us were able to snag some of the smaller prizes, I’m almost certain the larger prizes are impossible to win. Still, it was great fun!

There’s a reason locals recommend Dotonbori as a place to explore when in Osaka. With the variety of street food and numerous photo ops, there’s no shortage of things to see and do. It’s a notable stop with a different atmosphere and spirit from other places in Japan.