Travel Guide
Nakano is located in the western part of Tokyo and is a mix of residential, retail, and business areas. It is also a mix of both the modern and the traditional as both new buildings and traditional homes can be found side by side. The area around Nakano Station is a busy shopping area. As you take the North Exit of the Station, immediately in front of you is Nakano Sun Plaza.
Nakano Sun Plaza
Nakano Sun Plaza is a huge complex that incorporates a hotel, a concert hall, a wedding chapel with reception halls, a fitness studio, besides several other facilities. It was built in 1973 under a government-sponsored employment program, and remained under government supervision until it was privatized and sold to a local firm in 1999. Nakano Sunplaza is one of the most famous convention hole in Japan. It can seat 2,222 people and has excellent acoustics. Many local and international music concerts are held here at Nakano Sun Plaza. Right next to Sun Nakano Plaza is Nakano Sun Mall.
Nakano Sun Mall
Nakano Sun Mall is a great shopping spot in Tokyo. It is a long covered street with a glass roof and a large variety of shops, restaurants and cafes on both sides. Nakano Sun Mall has a unique traditional look and feel which is in contrast to most other shopping areas of Tokyo which are all modern. At the far end of Nakano Sun Mall is the famous Nakano Broadway, a five-storied shopping area renowned for its otaku culture of anime, comics, and toys. The most famous shop here is Mandrake, which may be called an institution in itself. It has the best of otaku in Tokyo with a large collection of costumes, figurines, manga comic books and anime paraphernalia. Though most shops at Broadway are otaku-related, there are also some shops selling handbags, sneakers, watches, cameras, and pet supplies among other things. If we said Akihabara is the major spot for Japan Otaku, then Nakano Broadway is consider hidden places for Otaku to find their treasures. There are also some restaurants and coffee shops scattered throughout the five floors.
Also located near Nakano Sun Mall are the Nakano Ward Government Offices and the Marui Department Store Headquarters.
If you exit Nakano Station from the South Exit, then the first thing you come across is Nakano Zero Hall.
Nakano Zero Hall
Nakano Zero is a cultural hall. Opened in 1993, its facilities include a 1,300-seat Main Hall (used for theater, music and dance shows); a 550-seat Small Hall (used for theatre, film, and lectures); Exhibition Galleries (used for fine arts exhibitions); an Audiovisual Hall, a Rehearsal Room, a Multipurpose Practice Room, Study Rooms, a Japanese Room, a Fine Arts Technical Room, a Scientific Laboratory and a Music Room. Also located on the Zero Hall compound are the Nakano Zero Planetarium (a 180-seat municipal planetarium with a 15 meter-diameter dome), and Nakano Ward Library (the municipal library of Nakano Ward).
Travel Advice
In the Nakano Sun Mall, you can find wide variety of shops with reasonable price, some are cheaper compared to Shinjuku or Akiharaba. One can enjoy shopping and food here the same as in Shinjuku or Shibuya.
Visit
| Address | Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo | |
| Phone | ||
| Admission | Free | |
| Hours | Free time | |
| Closed | Open 7 Days a Week | |
| Duration | 1 hour | |
| Getting There | By Train 1 minute walk from Nakano Station on JR Chuo Line, JR Somu Line or subway Tozai Line. |
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| Parking | Paid parking available | |
Attractions in Japan