is one of the 16 wards of the city of

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. As of 1 October 2019, the ward has an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 90,918 and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 9,693 persons per km². The total area is 9.38 km².

Geography

Naka Ward is located in the center of Nagoya city. 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 which includes a massive air-conditioned 5 square-kilometer underground

mall Mall commonly refers to a: * Shopping mall * Strip mall * Pedestrian street * Esplanade Mall or MALL may also refer to: Places Shopping complexes * The Mall (Sofia) (Tsarigradsko Mall), Sofia, Bulgaria * The Mall, Patna, Patna, Bihar, India ...

and the 'after-five' semi-red light districts of Nishiki and Shin-sakae.

Surrounding municipalities

* Chikusa Ward * Kita Ward * Higashi Ward * Nishi Ward * Nakamura Ward * Shōwa Ward * Atsuta Ward * Nakagawa Ward

History

Naka Ward was one of the original four wards of the city of Nagoya, established on April 1, 1908. On February 1, 1944, a portion of Naka Ward was divided out to become , but was merged back into Naka Ward on November 3, 1945. Most of the area was completely destroyed during the bombing of Nagoya in World War II. After the war, the layout of the streets was changed to a grid pattern, with wide streets serving as firebreaks. 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 about in width, and in length. Until the 1980s, town-planners were not allowed to build structures more than six stories in height outside of the business districts.

Economy

In addition the Sakae shopping area, there is also Ōsu, a sprawling old-style small-trader shopping area spreading out from the large Ōsu Kannon (大須観音), a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temple that holds flea markets. The covered streets housing numerous restaurants and stores selling fashion garments, electronics and

alternative medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...

give a small taste of what Japan might have been like before modernization. Between Ōsu and Sakae in Shirakawa Park are 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 is a major railway station in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is one of the world's largest train stations by floor area (410,000 m2), and houses the headquarters of the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). Much of this space is located in ...

and a major access point for the Central Japan International Airport. Many ''

izakaya An () is a type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and snacks. are casual places for after-work drinking, similar to a pub, a Spanish tapas bar, or an American saloon or tavern. Etymology The word entered the English l ...

s'' and

pachinko is a mechanical game originating in Japan that is used as an arcade game, and much more frequently for gambling. Pachinko fills a niche in Japanese gambling comparable to that of the slot machine in the West as a form of low-stakes, low-st ...

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 is the city hall of the city of Nagoya, Japan. It is designed in the Imperial Crown style, a fusion Japanese and modern style. It survived the bombings of World War II and is registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. It is located ...

and the

Aichi Prefectural Government Office The Aichi Prefectural Government Office (愛知県庁 Aichi Kenchō) is the main building of the government of Aichi Prefecture. It is located in the city of Nagoya. History The building was constructed before the Second World War and is in th ...

. When

Matsuzakaya ( TYO: 8235, delisted) 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. ...

was an independent company, its headquarters were in Naka-ku.役員・会社概要
"

. May 17, 2001. Retrieved on December 15, 2010. "本社名古屋市中区栄三丁目１６番１号." Fushimi is the traditional commercial area.

Education

Ohkagakuen University is a women's private university headquartered in Toyoake, Aichi, Japan, with its so-called Nagoya Campus there. There is another campus in Toyota, Aichi , formerly known as Koromo, is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estim ...

* Tokyo University of Social Welfare

Transportation

Railroads

* JR Central - Chūō Main Line ** - *

Meitetsu , referred to as , is a private railway company operating around Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Some of the more famous trains operated by Meitetsu include the ''Panorama Car'' and the '' Panorama Car Super'', both of which of ...

– Seto Line ** *

Nagoya Municipal Subway The is a rapid transit system serving Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture in Japan. It consists of six lines that cover of route and serve 87 stations. Approximately 90% of the subway's total track length is underground. The subway system ...

–

Higashiyama Line The is a subway line, which forms part of the Nagoya Municipal Subway system in Nagoya, Japan. Officially, the line is referred to as . It runs from Takabata in Nakagawa Ward to Fujigaoka in Meitō Ward, all within Nagoya. The Higashiyama ...

** - *

–

Sakura-dōri Line The is a subway line, part of the Nagoya Municipal Subway system in Nagoya, Japan. It runs from Taiko-dori Station in Nakamura Ward to in Midori Ward, all within Nagoya. The Sakura-dōri Line's color on maps is red. In 2004, the city start ...

** - *

–

Meijō Line The is a subway line forming part of the Nagoya Municipal Subway system in Nagoya, Japan, operated by Transportation Bureau City of Nagoya. It is a loop line that runs from Kanayama, via Sakae, Ōzone, Nagoya Daigaku, and back to Kanayam ...

** – – - – – – *

–

Tsurumai Line The is a subway line which forms part of the Nagoya Municipal Subway system in Nagoya, Japan. It runs from Kami Otai in Nishi-ku, Nagoya to Akaike in Nisshin. The Tsurumai Line's color on maps is light blue. Its stations carry the letter ''T ...

** – – – –

Highways

Ring Route (Nagoya Expressway) The is an urban expressway in Nagoya, Japan. It is a part of the Nagoya Expressway network and is owned and operated by Nagoya Expressway Public Corporation is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and thi ...

Route 2 (Nagoya Expressway) is an urban expressway in Nagoya, Japan. It is a part of the Nagoya Expressway network and is owned and operated by Nagoya Expressway Public Corporation. Overview The first section was opened to traffic in 1988 and the entire route was complet ...

Japan National Route 19 is a national highway connecting Nagoya and Nagano in Japan. Route data *Length: 258.9 km (165.5 mi) *Origin: Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Nagoya (originates at junction with Route 1) *Terminus: Nagano City (ends at Junction with Route 18) ...

Japan National Route 22 is a national highway connecting Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and Gifu, Gifu Prefecture in Japan. The route follows the old Minoji, a 17th-century trade route that connected the Nakasendō and the Tōkaidō. Route data *Length: *Origin: Nagoya ...

Japan National Route 41 is a national highway connecting Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, and Toyama, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The bulk of the road run throughs Gifu Prefecture. The route is also referred to as ''Yon-ichi'' and ''Shippin'', based on the Japanese readings for ...

Japan National Route 153 National Route 153 is a national highway of Japan connecting Higashi-ku, Nagoya and Shiojiri, Nagano is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 67,240 in 27,602 households, and a population dens ...

Notable local attractions

* Nagoya Castle *

Nagoya TV Tower The (formerly but still referred to as the ) is a TV tower in Nagoya, central Japan. History It is the oldest TV tower in Japan, and was completed in 1954. It is located in the centre of Hisaya Ōdori Park. The tower is 180 metres high, and h ...

* Ōsu Kannon * Banshō-ji * Shōman-ji, Nagoya *

Nagoya City Science Museum The is a museum located in Sakae, Nagoya, the center of Nagoya City, in central Japan. The museum houses one of the largest planetarium in the world and has three main sections on modern technology, life sciences and general science with a var ...

Nagoya City Art Museum The is located in the city of Nagoya in central Japan. The museum building itself was constructed by Kisho Kurokawa, one of the leading Japanese architects, from 1983 to 1987. Works by the surrealist Kansuke Yamamoto, Sean Scully, and Alexand ...

* Electricity Museum, Nagoya *

Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts The was an art museum in Nagoya, Japan, that operated from 1999 to 2018. History A sister institution of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (the MFA), the Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts was established in partnership with the Foundation for t ...

Hisaya Ōdori Park The Hisaya-ōdōri Park (久屋大通公園) is located in Sakae, Nagoya, in central Japan. History The park was laid out after the devastation of World War II by the mayor of Nagoya, in order to create green space in the middle of the city. ...

Misono-za The is a theatre in the city of Nagoya, central Japan. It was originally constructed in 1800s and presents ''kabuki'' and Western stage plays. History The tradition of ''kabuki'' in Nagoya goes back to the Edo period. With the opening of ...

Ran no Yakata Ran no Yakata (ランの館) is a public orchid garden in Nagoya, central Japan. Open in May, 1998. The gardens have more than 250 different species of orchids, displayed in a large glasshouse. The common and most rare orchids are exhibited here. ...

SKE48 SKE48 (S.K.E. Forty-eight) is a Japanese idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. SKE48 is named after the Sakae district in Nagoya of Aichi Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at SKE48 Theater on 2F of Sunshine Sakae, a ...

Kawabun The is Nagoya's oldest (traditional restaurant), located in Marunouchi 2-chome, Naka-ku, Nagoya. History Founded during the Edo period (1603–1867), the became a successful business that was patronised by the Owari Tokugawa rulers. In ...

File:Marunouchi Ramp 20160403A.JPG, Marunouchi＆Sannomaru File:Sakura-dori Street from Nichigin-mae Crossroads (east).JPG, Marunouchi（Business District） File:Shiyakushokencho1.JPG, Sannomaru（Government Town） File:@NAGOYA.jpg, @NAGOYA File:Street view of Hirokoji-dori Street from Hirokoji-Fushimi Crossroads (east).JPG, Fushimi（Financial District） File:Main shopping street (Osu in Nagoya, Japan).jpg, Ōsu（Electric Town） File:Osukannon.jpg, Ōsu Kannon File:Banshoji.jpg, Banshō-ji File:Nagoya TV Tower1.jpg,

File:Nagoya TV Tower3.jpg,

Oasis 21 Oasis 21 is a modern facility located adjacent to Nagoya TV Tower in Sakae, Nagoya which was opened to the public in 2002. It contains restaurants, stores, and a bus terminal, as well as an area for tourist information. The building is mostly un ...

and

File:Central Park Underground City 20150918.JPG, Central Park Underground City File:OASYS 21, Sakae, Nagoya - panoramio.jpg, Sakae Underground City File:1 Chome Higashisakura, Higashi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken 461-0005, Japan - panoramio (2).jpg,

Aichi Arts Center is the main venue for the performing arts in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The center consists of: *Aichi Prefectural Museum *Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater **Main Hall **Concert Hall *Aichi Prefectural Arts Promotion Service *Aichi Prefect ...

(Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art) File:2016 Japan Nagoya 81 (33038233234).jpg, Oasis 21 File:Ikeda park.jpg, Ikeda Park File:3 Chome Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken 460-0008, Japan - panoramio (7).jpg, Ōtsu street File:LACHIC 2017.jpg, LACHIC File:Nagoya zero gate edited.jpg, Nagoya ZERO GATE File:でんきの科学館 (愛知県名古屋市中区栄) - panoramio (1).jpg, Electricity Museum, Nagoya File:Princess-Odori 101027.jpg, Entertainment district in Princess Street(Gofukucho streer) File:3 Chome Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken 460-0008, Japan - panoramio (9).jpg, Nadya park File:白川公園入口 - panoramio.jpg, Shirakawa Park File:Nagoya City Art Museum ac.jpg, Nagoya City Art Museum File:Shirakawa Park 20161119A.jpg, Nagoya City Science Museum File:Kanayama Minami Building s2.JPG,

File:Grande maison Misonoza the tower (2017-11-05).jpg,

File:Fushimi Millionza-e.jpg, Fusimi Million-za File:Hisaya-odori Garden Flarie, in Naka, Nagoya, Aichi (2016-03-26) 13.jpg, Hisaya-odori Garden Flarie(

) File:The night view of Hisaya Odori Park.jpg,

File:Ferris Wheel at Sakae.jpg, Sunshine Sakae File:Ske48 teamk2.jpg,

File:錦通り - panoramio.jpg, Nisiki Street File:Proud Tower Nagoya Sakae.jpg, Terrasse Nayabashi File:Nayabashi night.jpg, Nayabashi File:Sakae night.jpg, Sakae Night

Noted people from Naka-ku, Nagoya

* Oda Nobunaga – samurai during the Sengoku period *

Midori Ito is a Japanese former figure skater. She is the 1989 World champion and the 1992 Olympic silver medalist. She is the first woman to land a triple-triple jump combination and a triple Axel in competition. At the 1988 Calgary Olympics, she bec ...

– professional figure skater *

Kanako Murakami is a Japanese retired figure skater. She is the 2010–11 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2014 Four Continents champion, 2010 World Junior champion, 2009–10 JGP Final champion, and a four-time Japanese national medalist (bronze in 20 ...

- professional figure skater *

Shoma Uno is a Japanese figure skater. He is a three-time Olympic medalist ( 2018 silver, 2022 bronze, 2022 team bronze), the 2022 World champion and a two-time World silver medalist (2018, 2017), the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2019 Fo ...

- professional figure skater *

Hiroshi Tachi is a Japanese actor and singer. His ancestors were samurai of the Owari Domain and the family of the former samurai. He graduated from Chiba Institute of Technology. He was a leader of a rock 'n' roll group ''Cools'' but he left the group so ...

–actor, singer

References

External links

City of Nagoya website - English
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