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Shinsaibashi Shopping Street

Shinsaibashi Shopping Street

shinsaibashi-osaka-japan Shinsaibashi Shopping Street

Shinsaibashi Shopping street in Osaka is my picture of the week. I just returned from an amazing trip to Osaka in early December 2011 and found Japan’s second-largest city fascinating.

Shinsaibashi (心斎橋) is the place to visit if you love shopping. Apart from the amazing shopping, there are cultural sites, world-class entertainment places, and excellent street food throughout Nanba.

Shinsaibashi Shopping Street

shinsaibashi-shopping-district-osaka Shinsaibashi Shopping Street
Shoppers at Shinsaibashi shopping street.

Walking along the main Shinsaibashi Street was a memorable experience as the covered walkways stretch over four kilometres long.
And the crowds here are always at their peak, with thousands of people at once.

If you were to come here on a public holiday or a weekend, you would most likely get lost in the crowd. Just take a look at the photo below to see what I mean. If you hate crowds, come here in the mornings and on a weekday.

This place is totally surreal and truly a woman’s paradise. Then again, men would be pleased to know that male items are also available here, but you need to watch for them.

shinsaibashi-osaka Shinsaibashi Shopping Street
Just take a look at that sea of people in Shinsaibashi.

Generally, you can find quite a wide selection of shops on Shinsaibashi Street, where the main stores sell Japanese snacks, souvenirs and clothing.

In between, you will find traditional Japanese restaurants and bakeries, which make a good stop if you need to fill your stomach.

Ladies’ shoes are abundant and follow the seasons too. If you visit in the winter, expect to see many winter shoes or boots on sale. The same goes for men’s shoes.

Sometimes, you will chance upon a cosplay shop selling cute Japanese Kawaii uniforms, wigs and other quirky items.

Who Should Not Go To Shinsaibashi?

I will be honest as guys are not too interested in shopping; therefore, boyfriends or husbands who hate shopping should not visit here as they will get frustrated.


Some people fear crowded places called Enochlophobia; if you belong to this group, please do not attempt to come here.

Ebisubashi-Osaka Shinsaibashi Shopping Street
Ebisubashi Suji, one of the entrances into Shinsaibashi.

How to Go To Shinsaibashi Shopping District?

The easiest and best way is by taking the Osaka subway here. Language is not a problem as the ticket machines have a dual language where English is one. Some of the subway and ticket staff speak a little English too.

The beauty of Osaka is that many of the younger generation Japanese know how to converse in basic English, making it easy to ask questions.

Signage around Shinsaibashi is relatively easy as all of them have English; hence getting lost will be accessible here.

Conclusion

If you travel to Osaka with family or kids, please stick together when you are here on the weekend, as it is easy to get separated in crowds.

I flew to Osaka with AirAsiaX on their inaugural flight. If you plan to visit this place anytime soon, put on a perfect pair of walking shoes and head over to Shinsaibashi Shopping District in Osaka.

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comments user
CathJ

Love it very colourful… 🙂

comments user
Diana Diane Teo

I went there too last year during autumn time. Shopping for more than 4 hours but never see the end. Really another nice place to hang around when going to Osaka.

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Cath – Thanks. I think you should make a trip here, fantastic shopping in Osaka!

Diana – Nice! I too could not see everything, just too many shops here. Thousands of them.

comments user
Unknown

Hi there, I will be going to Osaka soon and was wondering are the things there expensive. If I were to bring along RM500 there to spend will it be enough?

Thank you so much for your help.

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Tammy, RM500 is about 11,000 Yen. A normal meal at any restaurant will cost about Y1000-Y1500 per person. A normal t-Shirt on sale is about Y1500-Y5000. A canned drink from vending machine is about Y120-Y150.

If you spend wisely, it should be enough. If you are a shopper, that is not enough. I went with Y20,000 and that was just nice for 3-4 days. Hope this helps. I suggest RM1000 minimum 🙂

comments user
Malaysia Asia

Oh yeah, a bowl of Ramen at any of the Ramen Shops is from Y650-Y1000. 🙂

comments user
melvin

yes,japan is indeed an expensive place.thank God for bentos and kansai thru pass i was able to save

comments user
Anonymous

Hi there, I'll be visiting Osaka in coming Oct. would like to know is RM1500 is sufficient to cover the expenses (transportation, meals, souvenir shopping) for 4d3n?

Appreciate very much for your advise 🙂

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