Nakano
中野区
Things to Do in and Around Nakano
Nakano Ward is known worldwide as a hub of subculture. Anime fans from Japan and abroad make their way to Nakano Broadway in search of rare finds. Just a five-minute train ride from Shinjuku, the neighborhood shows a quieter side once you step away from the station, with old-fashioned shopping streets, temples, and leafy parks. A place where both treasure hunting and easy strolls come together.
Where is Nakano?
Nakano sits in the western part of Tokyo's 23 special wards, bordered by Shinjuku and Shibuya to the south, Toshima to the east, Nerima to the north, and Suginami to the west. The ward covers approximately 15.59 square kilometers. Most of the area is residential, with commercial facilities concentrated around Nakano Station, while quiet neighborhoods and spacious parks lie just a short walk away. Despite its proximity to central Tokyo, Nakano has a relaxed atmosphere that sets it apart.
Getting Around
Nakano Station is served by the JR Chuo and Sobu Lines as well as the Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line, putting Shinjuku Station about five minutes away and Tokyo Station roughly 20 minutes away. The ward also has Nakano-Sakaue and Shin-Nakano Stations on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, along with Arai-Yakushimae and Numabukuro Stations on the Seibu Shinjuku Line, giving visitors plenty of rail options. Bus routes run frequently throughout the ward, making it easy to reach areas farther from the stations.
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About Nakano
Hunting for anime goods, browsing old-fashioned shopping streets, taking a quiet walk through a park. Nakano has a spot for each of these. Step out the north exit of the station and you are in subculture territory. Venture a little farther and you will find a temple dating back to the Edo period and a one-of-a-kind park built around the theme of philosophy.
Nakano Broadway, the Otaku Holy Land
This mixed-use building opened in 1966, originally combining upscale apartments with commercial floors. The turning point came in 1980, when Mandarake, a secondhand manga shop, opened in a space of barely seven square meters. The store quickly became a sensation, eventually growing to 27 shops across the building. Specialty stores selling figures, vintage toys, and trading cards followed one after another, and the entire building transformed into a major subculture destination.
While Akihabara caters to a broad audience with new merchandise and electronics, Nakano Broadway specializes in harder-to-find items, from out-of-print manga and Shōwa-era toys to one-of-a-kind rarities. The corridors from the first to the fourth floor are packed with small shops, like a maze built for treasure hunters. You never know what hidden gem might be waiting around the next corner.
Nakano Sun Mall Shopping Street
Step out the north exit of Nakano Station and the entrance to a covered arcade appears right before you. This is Nakano Sun Mall, a shopping street stretching about 224 meters with around 110 shops. Restaurants, clothing stores, drugstores, and quirky independent shops fill the arcade, and the roof overhead keeps you dry on rainy days.
Walk straight through and you reach the entrance to Nakano Broadway. Everyone heading to Broadway passes through this arcade, but the temptation to duck into interesting shops along the way is hard to resist. This is a lively street where locals do their everyday shopping, offering a glimpse of ordinary Tokyo life you rarely see in tourist areas.
Arai Yakushi
Formally known as Baishōin, this Shingon Buddhist temple was founded in 1576. It is said that a daughter of Tokugawa Hidetada, the second shōgun, prayed here for relief from an eye ailment and recovered, earning the temple its beloved nickname Me no Yakushi, the Eye Healer. The principal image is an unusual statue with Yakushi Nyorai, the Buddha of Healing, carved on one side and Nyoirin Kannon on the other. It is normally hidden from view and revealed only once every twelve years, in the Year of the Tiger.
About a five-minute walk from Arai-Yakushimae Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line. A world away from the bustle around Nakano Station, the temple grounds are wrapped in deep quiet. A small shopping street stretches from the gate, and wandering through it at an easy pace is part of the charm.
Tetsugakudō Park
Philosopher Inoue Enryō, founder of Toyo University, created this park in 1904 around the theme of philosophy. At its center stands the Sheidō, or Hall of Four Sages, where Socrates, Kant, Confucius, and Shakyamuni Buddha are enshrined together. Uniting Eastern and Western thought in a single place was a bold idea that could only have emerged from the Meiji era. The park holds 77 named structures and spots inspired by philosophy, from the Tetsuri-mon gate to the Rokkendai tower and Sangaku-tei pavilion. Every turn reveals a new discovery.
In 2020, the park was designated a National Scenic Beauty. Spread across roughly 50,000 square meters of tree-covered grounds, it draws visitors for cherry blossoms in spring and autumn foliage in fall. No background in philosophy is needed. Simply reading the signs as you wander makes any walk here unexpectedly rewarding.
