TORN BETWEEN CAREER AND PASSION

Date of visit: July & November 2019

Every time a friend mentions a Dotonbori, you just can suddenly think of Don Quijote and Ichiran but of course, there’s more than these two Dotonbori can offer. During our preparation for Japan in 2019, Tee keeps on mentioning to us that we will just roam around Dotonbori on our last day. I am not the planner, so I just usually go with whatever planned as long as there are no entrance fees. If there are entrance and other fees, it’s still for discussion (you know what I mean). In 2019, during our first visit, we only had 3 days in Osaka (1. Tee & Yda were in the BTS Concert venue, while I was in Kyoto. (2) Universal Studios of Japan & Dotonbori (3) Dotonbori.) We haven’t visited any part of Osaka, just Dotonbori, Donquijote, and Ichiran…

How to go to Dotonbori:

From any parts of Osaka, using your JR Pass or ICOCA Card (or whatever pass you have),  look for the Namba Station. 

Our quick visit to Dotonbori and our stops: When I go to Dotonbori, it’s either to eat or to buy something at Donki. So here are few on my list that makes Dotonbori, Dotonbori.

1. Don Quijote – Of course, you can’t go home without trying the other Kitkat flavors. It’s a tax-free shop for a non-resident. So if you need something that can be only availed in Japan, visit Don Quijote.
   • Namba Station: Exit 14
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2. Ichiran – Our all-time favorite. To those who aren’t allowed to eat pork, there’s a ‘No Pork Ichiran‘ on the other side of the road.
   • 2-3 stores away from Donki.
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3. Genrokuzushi – I am not a fan of Sushi, but since we’re in Osaka, Yamz was craving for sushi on a conveyor belt. We wanted an inexpensive sushi, so, while walking along Dotonbori, I remembered I took one photo way back on my first visit about Sushi—we found the store, it’s Genrokuzushi. We just wondered why people were queueing, so we didn’t bother to look for another shop at all even though we were already hungry. Prices start at JPY 125/sushi. To those who can’t read Japanese, just look at this signage—-in blue.
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4. Sightseeing and looking for the famous signs in Dotonbori, such as:
   • The Running Man sign of Glico – Osaka’s famous icon. I wasn’t able to follow the story of the famous Glico running man icon, but it seemed that the light had already been shut off for a while now.
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   • Kani Doraku mechanical crab – The huge crab signboard that welcomes everyone to Dotonbori.
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   • Look for beautifully painted manholes.
5. Tonbori River & Cruise – Ever planned of going around Dotonbori by boat? If you can’t, fret not, you can just walk beside the river.
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6. Takoyaki stores are anywhere.
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7. If you don’t have the right clothing and gears for spring, fall and winter, there are several shops and brands in Dotonbori that offer this stuff at low prices.
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8. Dotonbori is a food district. So go find what you crave for.
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9. You can buy last-minute souvenirs in Dotonbori. Even though prices are already a bit high… BUT DONKI HAS ALL IT, oh not really everything but most of it.
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10.  Of you love an arcade and claw machine, there’s a lot of these at Dotonbori with very cute prizes and stuff toys.
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These are just during my quick visit in Dotonbori, I haven’t visited the whole Dotonbori yet, so I still have to update this list once I have an opportunity to get back to Japan.