Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Streets
About Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Streets
Osaka’s most important shopping area for over 400 years, the famous Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street - and neighbouring Shinsaibashisuji North and Senba Shinsaibashisuji arcades - are a fascinating collection of hundreds of varying shops and restaurants.
For over 400 years, Shinsaibashisuji has been Osaka’s most important shopping area, with the long covered street lined with hundreds of shops.
In reality, what most people think of Shinsaibashisuji is actually three different shopping streets running end-to-end. Although the transitions between them can feel seamless, each has their own distinct atmosphere and culture. It’s worth exploring all three.
Shop times vary, but in general most are open by 9-10am, and close around 4-5pm.
Shinsaibashisuji is the most southern, starting at Ebisu Bridge next to Dotonbori Canal and the famous Glico Running Man advertisement. At 600m long, it is the longest, most famous and most luxurious of the arcades. It has a number of large department stores, fashion chain stores, and independent boutiques, as well as trendy restaurants and cafes. It’s often very busy with both locals and tourists looking for souvenirs and nicknacks to take home.
The next arcade is Shinsaibashisuji North Shotengai, the shortest of the three at around 250m long. The atmosphere becomes more laid-back, with more local, daily stores with displays that spill out into the street. Narrow speciality stores, snack food stores, and other shops make this section of the arcade vibrant and interesting.
Heading even further north, and running up to around Honmachi Station, is Senba Shinsaibashi. At about 550m long, this is a low key arcade with shops tailored towards locals rather than tourists - groceries, fresh produce, small restaurants and daily needs. It’s an interesting area to explore though, for a glimpse at local life and a more genuine experience of the area rather than the sanitised tourist glamor of the southern arcade.