[Nakano] Recommended spots along the JR Chuo Line

This is a 224-meter-long arcade shopping street located in Nakano Ward, Tokyo. It is directly connected to the north exit of JR Nakano Station by an arcade, so you can enjoy shopping at about 110 stores without getting wet even on rainy days. There are a variety of stores, including restaurants, clothing stores, and drugstores, and it is crowded with people even on weekdays. Seasonal exhibitions and events are held within the arcade, and the "Aerial Gallery" and "Aerial Aquarium" are particularly popular. Security cameras are also installed, so you can enjoy shopping in peace.

This is a pioneering commercial and residential complex that opened in Japan in 1966. It has become known as a "subculture mecca" due to the accumulation of stores run by enthusiasts, including the manga-specializing second-hand bookstore "Mandarake," and one of its charms is its uniqueness, which has been achieved through symbiosis with local stores since it first opened. In recent years, many watch stores have opened that sell luxury brand watches, antique and vintage watches, etc., and the third floor has also attracted attention as a "watch mecca," with the number of new types of stores increasing, making it increasingly chaotic.

This is a small theater where "rakugo" and "comedy live shows" are held, located on the second floor of "Smile Nakano" along Nakano Street, at the north exit of Nakano Station on the JR lines in Tokyo. It is also considered a gateway to success for indie comedians in the Kanto region.

Nakano Shiki-no-Mori Park in Tokyo opened in 2012 as a disaster prevention park in the center of Nakano Shiki no Municipality. With a fountain where you can splash around in water and a grassy area where you can pitch a tent and have a picnic, the park is a great place for people of all ages to enjoy leisure activities, and on holidays it is bustling with families and people jogging and doing other sports. The park is also used as a venue for large events such as the Nakano Tohoku Support Festival and the Nakano Running Festa.

Nakano Brick Hill Shopping District is a shopping street located one minute on foot from the south exit of JR and Tokyo Metro Nakano Station, connecting Nakano-dori and Momozono-dori. Approximately 35 stores are lined up along a slope paved with Austrian bricks reminiscent of a European street corner. There is a Spanish-style gate at the entrance, a wall fountain and stone benches at the entrance on the south side of Nakano Station, and a variety of stores such as restaurants, cafes and bars, giving it an appealing, hidden away atmosphere. The background music playing along the street and warm lighting provide a soothing space and theme park-like atmosphere for visitors.

Yakushi Ai Road Shopping Street is one of the shopping streets in Nakano. It is located at the end of Nakano Broadway from Nakano Sun Mall, and the road continues all the way to Arai Yakushi. The shopping street has a variety of shops, including a long-established yakitori restaurant, a popular art candy shop, Nakano's only natural hot spring, and unique cafes.

Pocket Square is a theater district that opened in 1998 in Nakano. It consists of four theaters: ``The Pocket'', ``Momo Theater'', ``Theatre BONBON'', and ``Theatre HOPE'', and each theater's name reflects the wish that ``we want the theater to grow from a small place''. In addition to being a performance venue for various plays, it also serves as a rehearsal space for theater companies.

Polepole Higashi-Nakano is a movie theater located right near JR Higashi-Nakano Station. We screen many documentaries and films by new filmmakers from around the world, and there are also many films that can only be seen here. There is a cafe "Space & Cafe Pole Pole Za" on the 1st floor, where you can enjoy lunch menu and coffee.

Nakano Hikawa Shrine is a shrine that can be reached in about 5 minutes on foot from JR Higashi-Nakano Station. As an oasis in the city, the grounds are filled with beautiful ginkgo and other trees. The regular festival held around mid-September is known as one of the largest festivals in Nakano, and people from various neighborhood associations in the ward perform parades of portable shrines and floats, and perform music.