Osaka, Japan’s Dotonbori shopping district is home to a multitude of neon, LED, and electric signs of all kinds. The most famous neon sign of all in Dotonbori also happens to be one of the world’s oldest: the “Glico Man” sign!

The Glico Man sign was unveiled to the Japanese public in 1935 to advertise the Glico candy corporation. The Glico “300 meter running” Man represents the total calories of the original Glico-Caramel candy, which was 15.4 calories and enough calories to run 300 meters. The meaning behind the running man on the sign is obvious!

Apart from a few occasions when the sign was changed to show support for the Hanshin Tigers and the World Cup that was held in Osaka in 2002, the basic design has remained the same  over the past eight decades. It has, however, received six renovations over the years, with the most recent being in November of 2014.

*Glico and the Glico Man sign are owned by and copyrights of Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. This website is not affilated with or endorsed by the Glico food company.