#Japan#Osaka#Dōtombori
Dōtonbori
Dōtonbori or Dōtombori (道頓堀, pronounced [doːtomboɾi]) is one of the principal tourist destinations in Osaka, Japan, running along the Dōtonbori canal from Dōtonboribashi Bridge to Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba district of the city's Chuo ward.
The Glico running man is one of the most well known landmarks in Osaka. This huge brightly lit sign has glowed over the Dotombori canal in Osaka’s premier shopping and entertainment district for more than 80 years.

Dating back to 1935, the sign has had several overhauls and been altered to celebrate various sporting triumphs through the years. Temporary alterations include when Japan hosted Soccer World Cup and supporting the mighty Hanshin Tigers; Osaka’s baseball team. The current sign is recognized as the 6th generation and the first to use LED technology, where the previous versions were all neon. This new technology will allow even more special events celebrated via the huge billboard.

The running man advertises Glico, the manufacturer of one of Asia’s most famous confectionery companies. Glico’s most popular product is Pocky, which is the confectionery coated pretzel sticks which are very popular in Japan and abroad. The product is known as Mikado in some parts of the world and comes in a number of tasty flavours. Other confectionery products by Glico include names like Pretz, Caplico, Bisco and Karujaga. Glico also makes ice-cream products and a few processed foods and curry roux blocks.