Dotonbori

Dotonbori began as a canal development in the early seventeenth century that quickly attracted a theater district with kabuki stages, teahouses, and restaurants. The five kabuki and bunraku theaters on the southern bank, known as the Five Playhouses, were the most celebrated in Japan for centuries; the last, Naka-za, closed in 1999. Today the area is known for food and signage competition, with giant 3D crabs, the Glico running man, and oversized chef figures vying for attention. Each side street has its own character, from the cooking supply shops of Doguya-suji to the cocktail bars of Ura-Nanba south of Sennichimae.