If you only have one night in Osaka, Dotombori-dori is the place to go. Once Osaka’s old theater district, Dotombori-dori is now a neon-lighted pedestrian street filled with restaurants, shops, and the shouts of countless touts each proclaiming (usually falsely) that their restaurant is the only one worth visiting.
Stop at Ebisu-bashi to watch street musicians attract crowds as spiky-haired twentysomethings practice the art of nampa (the elaborate, amusing, and uniquely Japanese method of chatting people up).
Stroll along the riverfront walkways to avoid the crowds, or slip into Hozenji Yokocho Alley, two blocks south of Dotombori-dori, to splash water on the moss-covered statues at Hozenji Shrine or dine in any of the excellent restaurants hidden away on this quiet street.