Glico Man in Dotonbori Osaka, Japan - Guide + Viewing Spots

Go go Glico Man! This has to be Osaka’s most ‘lit’ attraction at night.

Dotonbori’s glimmering billboards reflected against the Tonburi River is one of Osaka’s best things to do – but most people’s attention turns to recreating the famous Glico Man running pose.

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Glico running man sign Dotonbori Osaka Japan daytime

Perhaps Japan’s most famous sign, Osaka’s neon lights and colourful lights act as an amazing backdrop to the Glico Man.

The most iconic of the Dotonburi attractions, the Glico Man in Osaka has been ‘running’ since 1935 (at least give him a breather) and is a ‘shining light’ (literally) in the Shinabashi community attracting millions of tourists every year.

From where to find the secret, hidden viewing spot to his history and appearances in pop culture, here is our ultimate guide to the Glico Running Man Osaka in Dotonbori (with photos) in 2024.

This article was originally published on 17 February 2024.

Glico running man sign Dotonbori Osaka Japan night

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Table of Contents

Directions to the famous Glico Running Man in Osaka

Lit up at night, the world famous Glico Man sign can be found in the Dotonbori district of Osaka next to the Tonburi River.

Look up and you see the sign located between the busy Ebisubashi Bridge and the equally famous Don Quijote Ebisu Tower ferris wheel.

The Dotonbori Glico Man in Osaka approximately 5 minutes walk from Namba Station.

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What is the Glico Man sign in Japan?

Japan’s most famous sign and brilliant billboard, the Glico Man is a lit-up advertisement found in Dotonbori Osaka depicting a male athelete winning a race with his arms aloft as a sign of victory.

First put up in the 1930s, the Glico Man is an iconic advert for a Japanese confectionery company that has been seen by millions of people from all over the world.

The whole area of Dotonbori along the river is well-known for its big billboards and lit up signs (including a well-known animated Asahi beer billboard) but none is so loved or famous as the Glico Man.

Similar to the bright lights of Oxford Circus in London or Times Square in New York, Osaka’s Dotonbori district becomes a neon seascape and vibrant place to explore by night.

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The history of Japan’s famous billboard sign in Osaka

The original ‘running man’, the very first Glico Man billboard was put up in 1935 to promote Glico, a food and snacks company that was founded in 1922 in Osaka.

Glico is possibly most famous overseas for its Pocky biscuit sticks, found in stores like 7-Eleven Japan.

Rumour has it that the running man motif was chosen by Glico as their ad, as one of their original candy products was thought to boost energy levels (it may or may not have had oyster juice in it) so it would be suitable for an athlete or runner to help them power through.

The early Glico candies were heart-shaped and originally packaged in boxes with a runner with raised arms with a slogan ‘300 Meters in a Single Piece” (in the sense one chocolate would provide an energy boost for upto 300 metres of running). Who needs Gatorade eh?

We aren’t sure if this is folklore, fact or fiction but what we do know though is that he has been running in the same spot for almost 90 years so they must be doing something right.

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Several generations of Glico Man

The Glico man attracts thousands of visitors every evening, perhaps he is even the most photographed man in Japan!

Whilst many marvel and glare at the Glico Man every night, many don’t know that there have been six or seven different signs over the last few decades, each being replaced with newer and ‘better looking’ versions (and by that, we might brighter and more energy efficient).

The current Glico Man is the first LED version which comprises almost 150,000 LED lights – previous generations of Glico Man have been made from neon gas tubes.

A curious canalside attraction, here is hoping the the sign remains lit and running for many for decades to come (we just have to keep buying their delicious Pocky, people)!

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Who is the Glico Running Man?

There are several versions of history as to who the running Glico Man billboard in Japan is based on.

Some say it is based on a famous Filipino runner, Fortunato Catalon (AKA Asia’s fatest man) whilst others say it is an amalgamation of several different faces and runners including Shizo Kanaburi, Japan’s marathon running pioneer at that time.

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Glico Man viewing spots / photography spots

1. From Ebisubashi Bridge or from the riverbank

Most people are content to see the Glico Man from the busy Ebisubashi Bridge or from the riverbank below Don Quijote’s Ferris Wheel.

Our preference is to move away from the crowds on the bridge and to go down to the river’s edge and try and include the LED boats that whizz by in our photos (their sound systems are epic too).

Remember to recreate the running man pose for your photograph (it is the law! Probably).

Glico running man sign Dotonbori Osaka Japan daytime pose

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2. The secret Glico Man balcony viewing spot

Many people don’t know about the secret and hidden photo spot, a riverside balcony just across from the sign which extends the running tracks making for the most excellent Glico Man photo.

Glico Man balcony viewing spot with running track Nanohana cosmetics store

To find this secret Glico Man photo spot and balcony, walk along the opposite riverside path away from Ebisubashi Bridge towards Don Quijote Dotonbori – find the Nanohana cosmetics store (and head up the stairs marked with yellow tape).

Here you will find the secret photo balcony spot directly to your right.

This spot has been made quite famous on social media so expect a queue of people waiting to have their photo taken.

The photography spot is located at the back of the store (the side nearest the river) and is open daily from 11am until 8.45pm.

Nanohana cosmetics Dotonbori address is: 2 Chome-4-番5号 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542 – 0085, Japan (map).

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3. The Pocky Photography spot at Sundrug Dotonbori

This is a lesser known viewing spot which we stumbled upon by accident!

Head up to the 3rd floor of Sundrug Dotonbori (map) diagonally across the bridge from the Glico Man sign.

Here you will find a viewing area, complete with a large Pocky box that you can pose inside.

The floor also has gachapon machines, a large variety of Japanese Kit Kats, and other snacks and souvenirs. The store is open from 10am – 11pm everyday.

Here is our video we made of how to get to the viewing spot.

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A post shared by CK Travels (@c.k.travels)

When is the best time to see the Glico Man

You can see the Glico Man sign in Osaka 24 hours a day, but obviously the best time is at night when the Glico Man lights up, along with all the other street signs near Ebishubashi Bridge.

The Glico Man lights up every evening, usually a little after sunset until midnight or the early hours.

If you are in Dotonbori at night, also be sure to keep an eye out for the Tonburi Wolf, a late-night local character and lone wolf who helps keep the streets clean and plays rad tunes on his melodica. Read more about the Osaka Wolfmen here >

The Glico Man in popular culture

The whole area around Dotonbori, Ebisubashi Bridge and the various lit-up billboards make this very filmic and a popular filming location.

The sign has been in the background of many big movies including Black Rain starring Michael Douglas, animated action movie Gantz O plus in the late, great Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations Osaka episode.

So popular is the sign, we’ve even seen a Glico Man gachapon (alas only online).

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Other things to know

Be sure to recreate the Glico Man’s running actions and robot arms when you take you photo near to him

The sign is free to visit and accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Most famous for Pocky, Glico has now designated November 11 as “Pocky & Pretz Day” – we ask, why isn’t there a national Glico Man Day?!

There is a Glico (Ezaki) Memorial Museum in Osaka that you can also visit which includes a 100 years of Glico anniversary exhibit (they turned 100 in 2022) – it also has over 4000 toys from the company’s history

The billboard background has changed over the years (eg to help promote the Japanese Football World Cup in 2022) and Glico often use the sign to promote various new products like new low sugar snacks in 2023.