Dōtonbori

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Bright lights, big city. I thought Tokyo was one bright metropolis already... Until I saw Osaka's Dōtonbori district. The place was also bright! There were huge billboards everywhere! Even with the rain, it was such a happy place to visit. It somehow reminded me of Hong Kong, only more eclectic. 



Some of the more interesting sights were the eccentric advertisements, like this one, the gigantic Kani Dōraku crab. It's known to be a moving crab robot but I didn't see it. Without understanding the Japanese text, I knew instantly that this is a restaurant that serves crab. No-go for Rochie here.


This one's the Meiji billboard. The guy in the billboard is known as Karl Ojisan. If there's one regret I have during this trip, it is this: I didn't hoard Meiji chocolate bars because I couldn't risk going over the baggage weight limit.


I found this octopus near the giant crab. I'm not sure what to make of it because it seems that the octopus is frying something but is holding a dessert wrapped in chocolate too. Plus, the octopus is right under the Konamon Museum's sign. Why'd an octopus be at a museum?!



Now this one's not difficult to notice among all the animal signs because it is of a hand holding a huge maguro nigirizushi (tuna sushi). I just wonder if the hand and the sushi move, just like the crab.


A pity that the only time I was in this area was late into the night. I would have loved to actually go into the shops and see the fully lit robotic signs. But, in any case, I got my shot of the Glico Man, Asahi, and the other icons of Dōtonbori district. I want to drop by this place once again someday.

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