Dotonbori

This guide to Dotonbori in Osaka traces the canal to a boatman named Doton, who began digging it in 1612 but died in 1615 fighting on the losing side of the Siege of Osaka. It follows the twist of who chose to name the waterway after him anyway, and a 1965 court case that settled a centuries-old rival legend about who really dug it. Along the way it visits the neon runner sign above the canal, first raised by a candy maker in 1935 and torn down during wartime metal shortages. Look up at the bridge for the best view of the sign against the water.