My first experience of Japan was strolling through the streets of Amerika-mura 「American Village, アメリカ村」 in Dotonbori, Osaka. A friend of mine was living nearby in Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, when way back in 2009 I landed in Japan for the first time.
Getting into Osaka late at night, we rested at a capsule hotel, then set about exploring Dotonbori the next day…
Shopping in Dotonbori
Shopping at Dotonbori’s American Village in Osaka
Dotonbori is built around a canal, where the famous Glico man sign near Ebisu bridge is located. This area is an amazing part of the city – packed full of great izakaya (bar/restaurants) and trendy places to shop.
The Amerika-mura part of Dotonbori is filled with awesome little shops appealing to all types of genres. You can find very cheap fashion as well as high end brands. If you’re looking to buy electronics, catch a train to Umeda or Osaka stations and visit the huge Yodobashi Camera.
We stayed at the Asahi Plaza Capsule Hotel in Shinsaibashi, an area neighbouring Dotonbori. This area is a great base for seeing the sites of Osaka and the surrounding area, as it is close to JR Nanba and Nankai Namba stations. From JR Nanba station, you can easily get to places like Hakone Shrine, and from Nankai Namba station you can easily get to Koya-san in Wakayama Prefecture.
