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The Glico Running Man sign at Dotonbori, Osaka, will be taken down on November 30, 2026. Tourists from around the world have posed in front of the iconic sign at Ebisubashi Bridge for twelve years, making it a fixture of the location.
Installed in 6th-generation form in 2014, the sign’s lights have deteriorated over time. Parts of the LED sign have also become increasingly difficult to procure in recent years. Although the announcement has sparked social media discourse, the Glico Running Man won’t disappear forever.
According to The Mainichi, the 7th-generation sign’s design will be unveiled in spring. The Ezaki Glico Company has also confirmed that the sign’s core element, the running man in his signature pose, will not change. However, it is unclear when the new sign will be installed and operational. Because the sign will be covered with protective sheeting, tourists visiting in winter 2026 and spring 2027 might miss one of Osaka’s most iconic landmarks.
The inspirations behind the Glico Running Man
The company created the first Glico Running Man sign in 1935 to advertise its caramel candies. Two of the three inspirations for the Glico Running Man were Fortunato Catalon and Shizo Kanakuri. The last athlete who inspired the sign is unnamed.
Catalon first gained traction by winning the 100-meter and 220-meter dashes at the 1917 Far Eastern Games in Tokyo. Catalon repeated this feat in 1919, 1921, and 1923, solidifying his reputation as “Asia’s Fastest Man” in the 1920s.
Meanwhile, Kanakuri is known as “the father of the marathon” in Japan. He holds the Guinness World Record for the longest time to complete a marathon. He finished after 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20.3 seconds. Kanakuri reportedly got married, had 6 children, and 10 grandchildren along the way.
Both men symbolized the health and vitality Riichi Ezaki, the company’s founder, hoped to associate with Glico caramel candies. When the sweets were released in 1935, they came with the catchphrase, “Three hundred meters on a single piece.” The implication is that one candy is enough to make a runner sprint to the finish line. It may not look as cute as this Hatsune Miku cotton candy Melffy figure, but Glico’s simple caramel candies are a staple energizer.
Not the first sign to be replaced
The Glico Museum in Osaka has documented the signs’ evolution over the years. Originally, the 1st-generation sign from 1935 was a neon tower, with the Glico Running Man and his signature pose at the top. The 2nd-generation sign featured an arc, with the Glico Running Man dab-smack in the center. The 3rd-generation sign was innovative: it had a built-in fountain that sprayed water from the center and was illuminated by 400 lights in 12 different colors.
Meanwhile, the 4th-generation sign began to resemble the familiar modern-day sign, with a running track in the background. Then, the updated 5th-generation sign had changing backgrounds for the runner, featuring Osaka Aquarium, Osaka Castle, Kyocera Dome, and the Tsutenkaku Tower. The 6th-generation sign, which most tourists know today, is illuminated by a high-resolution LED screen and features a bright racetrack. Across generations, the same running man with raised arms has remained at the center. Although Dotonbori will miss the 6th-generation sign, the same lively icon will eventually return. Besides, there are other attractions to visit in Osaka after November, like this Fate/Grand Order escape room, which will be available only for a limited time.
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