Naka-ku, Nagoya

Naka-ku 中区
—  Ward  —
Sakae area with TV tower as seen from Midland Square
Location of Naka-ku in Aichi Prefecture
Naka-ku
Coordinates: 35°10′7″N 136°54′37″E / 35.16861°N 136.91028°E / 35.16861; 136.91028Coordinates: 35°10′7″N 136°54′37″E / 35.16861°N 136.91028°E / 35.16861; 136.91028
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu region Tōkai region
Prefecture	Aichi Prefecture
Area
- Total	9.38 km2 (3.6 sq mi)
Population (September 2011 [1])
- Total	79,206
- Density	8,091/km2 (20,955.6/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Ginkgo [2]
- Flower	Pansy

Naka-ku (中区^?, "central ward") 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.

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 temple that holds flea markets. 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 izakayas and pachinko parlors can be found in its vicinity.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Dentsu and Yomiuri Shimbun have branch offices in Naka-ku.^[3][4] Air China has an office on the 9th floor of the Hirokoji YMD Building in Naka-ku.^[5] Asiana Airlines operates a sales office on the twelfth floor of the Nishiki Park Building in Naka-ku.^[6]

When Matsuzakaya was an independent company, its headquarters were in Naka-ku.^[7]

Japan Airlines at one time operated a ticketing facility on the tenth floor of the Naka-kuyakusho Asahi-Seimei Kyodo Building in Naka-ku.^[8]

Development

After blanket bombing in World War II, 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 (0.6 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.^{[citation needed]}

Showplace

• Nagoya Castle
• Nagoya TV Tower
• Ōsu electric street

Department stores

• Matsuzakaya
• Maruei
• Nagoya Mitsukoshi

References

1. ^ "平成23年9月1日現在の世帯数と人口(全市・区別)" (in Japanese). Nagoya City. 20 September 2011. http://www.city.nagoya.jp/somu/page/0000028476.html. 
2. ^ "区章　区の花　区の木" (in Japanese). Nagoya City. 21 January 2009. http://www.city.nagoya.jp/naka/page/0000001935.html. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
3. ^ "Company details." Dentsu. Retrieved on November 9, 2009.
4. ^ "組織体制." Yomiuri Shimbun. Retrieved on March 5, 2010.
5. ^ "International Offices." Air China. Retrieved on January 18, 2009.
6. ^ "Worldwide Offices Japan." Asiana Airlines. Retrieved on January 19, 2009.
7. ^ "役員・会社概要." Matsuzakaya. May 17, 2001. Retrieved on December 15, 2010. "本社 名古屋市中区栄三丁目１６番１号."
8. ^ "JAL Group Offices Information." Japan Airlines. March 28, 2009. Retrieved on July 21, 2011. "10th floor, Naka-kuyakusho Asahi-Seimei Kyodo Bldg., 4-1-8 Sakae, Naka-ku,Nagoya City, 460-0008"

External links

• City of Nagoya website - English