Landmark & Tower · Dotonbori

Glico Running Man Sign グリコサイン

The giant neon runner with arms raised in victory over the Dotonbori canal, an advertisement for Glico caramel since 1935 and the single most recognisable image of Osaka.

About

Ezaki Glico put its first neon runner up beside Ebisubashi bridge in 1935, based on the Glico caramel boxs marathon man, who represented the energy (300 m worth) from a single sweet. The sign has been rebuilt several times; the current sixth version, switched on in 2014, is fully LED, can change backgrounds through the evening and has been joined at times by special versions for sports events. It is mounted on a building on the north side of the canal, facing south across the water to Ebisubashi and the Tombori River Walk, where crowds copy the runners pose for photos. Together with the canal, the other signs and the canal boats, it defines the Dotonbori night scene.

Highlights

• Sixth-generation LED Glico runner, lit since 2014
• Changing animated backgrounds after dark
• Famous pose-copying photo spot on Ebisubashi
• Canal-side setting with the Dotonbori neon around it

Tips

• Best photographed from the riverside Tombori River Walk just below Ebisubashi, where you can frame the sign over the water.
• Lights come on at dusk and turn off around midnight.
• Weekday evenings are calmer; at weekends Ebisubashi is shoulder to shoulder.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Ebisubashi BridgePhoto Spot · 30 m away
• Tonbori River WalkBeach & Waterfront · 40 m away
• Tsurutontan SoemonchoRestaurant · 50 m away
• Osaka ShochikuzaShows & Entertainment · 60 m away
• Kani Doraku Dotonbori HontenRestaurant · 60 m away
• GiGO Osaka Dotonbori HontenArcade & Games · 60 m away
• Dotonbori BridgeBridge · 70 m away
• Daiki Suisan Kaiten Sushi DotonboriSushi & Seafood · 70 m away