Naka Ku

Fushimi, which is one stop east of Nagoya Station, is to Nagoya what Roppongi is to Tokyo and is a center for business boasting some of the city’s best known museums, restaurants and ex-pat bars.

Yaba-cho

Fushimi is served by the Higashiyama and Tsurumai subway lines. Sakae too is served by the Higashiyama subway line as well as the Meijo subway line which also has a station at Yaba-cho. The Nagoya Expressway loops around the area with an entrance and exit at Toshin-cho to the East.

 

While the green areas are rather limited and unspectacular in Naka-ku, unsusualy for a city center they are relatively numerous. Running through the center of Sakae there are a string of narrow parks that begin at Yabacho in the south, and travel all the way up to the impressive Nagoya Castle in the north, some of which hold large events on weekends. Shirakawa Park in Fushimi is a popular area for kite flying and ball games, and is conveniently located near various tourist areas of interest.

 

In regards to shopping, if Naka-ku doesn’t have it, you don’t want it. The areas of Sakae and Yaba-cho boast many trendy places to shop, as well as upscale boutiques and the “3M” department stores (Mitsukoshi, Matsuzakaya and Maruei), and plus many international stores ranging from GAP to H&M to Apple. In Osu things are a little more off-the-wall and eclectic with a covered shopping arcade that has been running for some 400 years and currently has something in the region of 1200 stores, ranging from kimono shops that have stood for generations to brand new electronics stores selling top of the range goods.

 

No matter your eating-out needs you are absolutely spoiled for choice, particularly in the Sakae and Fushimi areas. Whether you want small and homely or big and extravagant, you will find it all here. Sakae is probably your go-to for the famed Nagoyan foods as well as all kinds of international cuisines, and in Fushimi you will find many tastes of home in the ex-pat bars that proliferate the area.

 

The nightlife around Sakae is perhaps the best in the city. Bars, clubs, restaurants, it’s all there. Friday and Saturday nights see the busiest periods, and you can usually find some big event going on every week. Much of the nightlife around Fushimi focuses on the ex-pat bars, and the areas of Osu and Yaba-cho are a little quieter. But really you should not need to look any further than Sakae or Fushimi for fun.

 

Naka-ku is home to two of Nagoya’s most recognizable icons: Nagoya Castle and Nagoya Tower. The former, in the north of the ward, is a faithful replica of the original built in 1610 but destroyed during WW2, and is a major tourist draw. The latter is to be found in Sakae, and there are observation decks from which you can look out over much of the surrounding area. Both are so famous that they have been destroyed during battles in the Godzilla movies.

Most of the major museums and art galleries can be found in the area, including the Nagoya City Art Museum, The Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Art, the seventeen storied Aichi Arts Center, and the Nagoya City Science Museum, home to the world’s largest planetarium.

And in Osu you can also find one of the city’s most recognizable religious sites, Osu Kannon, a Buddhist temple that was built in 1333.

 

From Sakae, Nagoya International School is a 35 minute drive or 55 minutes on public transport. Aichi International School is more convenient at 20 minutes by car and 25 minutes by subway, while those with younger children can even walk to Abroad International School that is near the Nagoya City Science Museum in Fushimi.

 

See listings for properties available now for rent in Naka Ku on JapanHomeSearch.com by clicking this link (it will return only Naka-ku results), or browse the Nagoya Housing Cost Survey data below, which will give you a snap shot of what sort of expat housing is available in the area.