One of the best ways to see the neon signs of Dotonbori is to take a river cruise. The 20 minute scenic boat ride provides a unique perspective of the famous district.
There are a few different companies offering river cruises and we hopped on the line for the first one we saw. Since we arrived in Dotonbori at the Shinebisu Bridge, we just went down to river level and walked west to the boarding point for Naniwa Cruise just west of the bridge. The boats leave every 30 minutes so we paid the ¥2,000 per person and boarded the next boat.
The boat fits about 40 passengers on fairly comfortable cushioned seats. There is a bathroom on board and you are allowed to bring your own snacks and drinks. There is an English speaking guide on the boat but between the music on board and the general noise of Dotonbori, we heard very little of what she said.
The boat headed under the Shinebisu Bridge into the heart of Dotonbori. Within minutes we were surrounded by neon signs and soon we came upon the famous Glico Running Man. Our guide was kind enough to offer to take a family picture of us as we passed by the sign.
The boat cruised along the canal for about 10 minutes, turning around at Nipponbashi Bridge and returning to Minatomachi Pier A.
The atmosphere on the boat was really festive. People waved from the bridges as we approached. The passengers on other boats we passed waved and cheered. It felt like a celebration of this fun and unique entertainment district.
A Tombori River Cruise is an easy, quick and fun outing. There is no need to book ahead or even to pick a specific company ahead of time. Don’t overthink it. Walk to the river, look from one of the bridges for the nearest boat launch, walk down and get on the line. It’s expensive for what it is but in my opinion it is worth the money. It’s a unique perspective to see the neon lights from the water and just an overall fun 20 minutes.
