Naka-ku, Nagoya
Encyclopedia
is the heart of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
, Japan
. Largely hemmed in by Sakura-dōri (桜通り), Ōtsu-dōri (大津通り), Fushimi-dōri (伏見通り) and Tsurumai-dōri (鶴舞通り), it contains the main shopping area of Sakae
, a massive air-conditioned 5 square-kilometer underground mall
) and the 'after-five' semi-red light districts of Nishiki and Shin-sakae.
, a sprawling old-style small-trader shopping area spreading out from the large Ōsu Kannon
(大須観音), a Buddhist
temple that holds flea market
s. The covered streets house stalls selling fashion garments, TVs and alternative medicine give a taste of what Japan might have been like before modernization. Between Ōsu and Sakae can be found the city's Science and Modern Art museums. South of Ōsu is Kanayama Station
(straddling the border with Atsuta-ku
and Nakagawa-ku
), Nagoya's second-most important rail transportation hub after Nagoya Station
and a major access point for the Central Japan International Airport
. Many izakaya
s and pachinko
parlors can be found in its vicinity.
Naka-ku is also home to the city's Opera House and the main government offices, including the Nagoya City Hall
and the Aichi Prefectural Government.
Dentsu
and Yomiuri Shimbun
have branch offices in Naka-ku. Air China
has an office on the 9th floor of the Hirokoji YMD Building in Naka-ku. Asiana Airlines
operates a sales office on the twelfth floor of the Nishiki Park Building in Naka-ku.
When Matsuzakaya
was an independent company, its headquarters were in Naka-ku.
Japan Airlines
at one time operated a ticketing facility on the tenth floor of the Naka-kuyakusho Asahi-Seimei Kyodo Building in Naka-ku.
, most of Nagoya was burned to the ground. Nagoya is a good example of how the Japanese made use of the devastation to completely redesign and rebuild its cities. Following the grid-like design of New York City
, large streets stretch out from Naka-ku towards the suburbs. The city is especially proud of Sakae's 100-meter road (100メートル道路) so named because of its width. There are small parks and areas for public performances in the area between two four-lane roads that service the city centre. The road is close to 100 m (328 ft) in width, and 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) in length.
Until the 1980s, town-planners were not allowed to build anything more than six stories in height outside of the business districts, unless it was for danchi (団地), multi-unit apartment blocks that can be found in parts of every Japanese city. The rules have been relaxed now, but many of the more suburban parts of the city are different as a result of the low architecture.
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Largely hemmed in by Sakura-dōri (桜通り), Ōtsu-dōri (大津通り), Fushimi-dōri (伏見通り) and Tsurumai-dōri (鶴舞通り), it contains the main shopping area of Sakae
Sakae, Nagoya
is an area in Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. It refers to the areas around Sakae intersection, Sakae Station on the Nagoya Municipal Subway, and Sakae Station on the Meitetsu Seto Line...
, a massive air-conditioned 5 square-kilometer underground mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
) and the 'after-five' semi-red light districts of Nishiki and Shin-sakae.
Economy
In addition the Sakae shopping area, there is also ŌsuŌsu
Ōsu is a popular area located in the Naka ward of Nagoya, central Japan.Ōsu is a historic area which has many small shops offering everything from Japanese traditional food to handicrafts. A large department store is OSU301...
, a sprawling old-style small-trader shopping area spreading out from the large Ōsu Kannon
Ōsu Kannon
is a Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect located in Ōsu in central Nagoya, Japan. It belongs to the Owari Thirty-three Kannon.- History :The official name is Kitanosan Shinpuku-ji Hōshō-in, but is populary known as Ōsu Kannon....
(大須観音), a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
temple that holds flea market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
s. The covered streets house stalls selling fashion garments, TVs and alternative medicine give a taste of what Japan might have been like before modernization. Between Ōsu and Sakae can be found the city's Science and Modern Art museums. South of Ōsu is Kanayama Station
Kanayama Station (Aichi)
is a train station partly in Naka-ku, and partly in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. This station is a concentrated terminal of JR Central, Meitetsu and Nagoya Municipal Subway...
(straddling the border with Atsuta-ku
Atsuta-ku, Nagoya
is one of the wards of the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the 2005 census it had a population of 63,608. Atsuta Shrine is well known. The rolling stock manufacturer Nippon Sharyo has its headquarters in the ward.-References:...
and Nakagawa-ku
Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya
is one of the 16 wards of the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan....
), Nagoya's second-most important rail transportation hub after Nagoya Station
Nagoya Station
is a train station in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is one of the world's largest train stations by floor area , and houses the headquarters of the Central Japan Railway Company . Much of this space is located in the "JR Central Towers" atop the station, as well as in underground concourses. The...
and a major access point for the Central Japan International Airport
Chubu Centrair International Airport
is an airport on an artificial island in Ise Bay, Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture, south of Nagoya in central Japan.Centrair is classified as a first class airport and is the main international gateway for the Chūbu region of Japan...
. Many izakaya
Izakaya
An is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. They are popular, casual places for after-work drinking.-Name:...
s and pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
parlors can be found in its vicinity.
Naka-ku is also home to the city's Opera House and the main government offices, including the Nagoya City Hall
Nagoya City Hall
is the city hall of the city of Nagoya, Japan.It is constructed in a fusion Japanese and modern style. It survived the bombings of World War II. It is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan....
and the Aichi Prefectural Government.
Dentsu
Dentsu
is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Its headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo....
and Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five national newspapers in Japan; the other four are the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and the Sankei Shimbun...
have branch offices in Naka-ku. Air China
Air China
Air China is the flag carrier and one of the major airlines of the People's Republic of China. Based in Beijing Capital International Airport, Air China is the world's 10th largest airline by fleet size. The airline ranked behind its main competitors China Southern Airlines and China Eastern...
has an office on the 9th floor of the Hirokoji YMD Building in Naka-ku. Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines Inc. is one of South Korea's two major airlines, along with Korean Air. Asiana has its headquarters in Asiana Town in Osoe-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul...
operates a sales office on the twelfth floor of the Nishiki Park Building in Naka-ku.
When Matsuzakaya
Matsuzakaya
is a major Japanese department store chain operated by Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, a subsidiary of J. Front Retailing. When the chain was an independent company, , it had its headquarters in Naka-ku, Nagoya.- History :...
was an independent company, its headquarters were in Naka-ku.
Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
at one time operated a ticketing facility on the tenth floor of the Naka-kuyakusho Asahi-Seimei Kyodo Building in Naka-ku.
Development
After blanket bombing in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, most of Nagoya was burned to the ground. Nagoya is a good example of how the Japanese made use of the devastation to completely redesign and rebuild its cities. Following the grid-like design of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, large streets stretch out from Naka-ku towards the suburbs. The city is especially proud of Sakae's 100-meter road (100メートル道路) so named because of its width. There are small parks and areas for public performances in the area between two four-lane roads that service the city centre. The road is close to 100 m (328 ft) in width, and 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) in length.
Until the 1980s, town-planners were not allowed to build anything more than six stories in height outside of the business districts, unless it was for danchi (団地), multi-unit apartment blocks that can be found in parts of every Japanese city. The rules have been relaxed now, but many of the more suburban parts of the city are different as a result of the low architecture.