thumb|250px|An afternoon in Shinsaibashi
is a district in the Chūō-ku ward of Osaka, Japan and the city's main shopping area. At its center is , a covered shopping street, that is north of Dōtonbori and Sōemonchō, and parallel and east of Mido-suji street. Associated with Shinsaibashi, and west of Mido-suji street, is Amerika-mura, an American-themed shopping area and center of Osaka's youth culture. Major stores and boutiques concentrates are found around the area. Shinsaibashi is easily accessed via the subway.
History
thumb|The Shinsaibashi bridge after 1873
thumb|Sidewalk bridge with railing and lamps from the stone Shinsaibashi bridge
Like many place names in Osaka, the Shinsaibashi shopping district gets its name from one of the many "Machi-bashi" (town bridges) that were built and managed by the local merchants. Shinsaibashi was a much-loved landmark bridge that spanned the Nagahori-gawa canal.
In 1622, at the time of the excavation of the Nagahori-gawa canal, the original 35 metres-long and 4 metres-wide wooden bridge was built by Shinsai Okada, one of the four merchants who dug the Nagahori-gawa canal. The bridge was named after its builder.
The well-used wooden bridge required considerable maintenance and repairs by the townspeople who owned it. The arched bridge was considered to be quite unusual, and became a popular topic of conversation amongst Osakans.