Nakano, Tokyo

Template:Japanese city

Nakano (中野区, Nakano-ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Nakano City ^{[citation needed]}.

As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 311,690 with 176,936 households and a population density of 19,992.94 persons per km². The total area is 15.59 km².^{[citation needed]}

Five special wards surround Nakano: Shinjuku, Suginami, Nerima, Shibuya, and Toshima. It lies just west of the bustling Shinjuku area.

Rivers include the Kanda, Myosho-ji and Zenpuku-ji Rivers, and the Aratama Waterway.

The ward was founded on October 1, 1932 when the towns of Nogata and Nakano were absorbed into the former Tokyo City as Nakano Ward. The present administration dates from March 15, 1947 when the Allied occupation reformed the administration of Tokyo-to.

• 1447: Ōta Dōkan defeated Toshima Yasutsune in a battle here.
• 1606: The Naruki Kaidō, predecessor of today's Ōme Kaidō (a road to Ōme) was established.
• 1695: In connection with the Shorui Awaremi no Rei (a law for the protection of animals), a facility for keeping wild dogs opened.
• 1871: The twelve villages that comprise present-day Nakano became part of Tokyo Prefecture.
• 1889: The Kofu Railway opens. The forerunner of today's Chūō Main Line included a station at Nakano en route from Shinjuku to Hachioji.
• 1897: Nakano becomes a village.
• 1932: Tokyo City expands to encompass the district that included Nakano.
• 1943: With the abolition of Tokyo City, Nakano becomes part of Tokyo-to.
• 1947: Nakano becomes one of the special wards under the new system.
• 1961: The Tokyo subway system extends to Nakano.
• 1973: Construction of Nakano Sun Plaza near Nakano Station reaches completion.

• Nakano Sun Plaza: concert hall, hotel facilities
• Arai Yakushi Shingon Buddhist temple
• Nakano Broadway: otaku building (several floors of arcades, manga, anime, idol, music, toy, subculture specialty shops)

• Erika Haneda, singer, actress
• Marika Matsumoto, voice actress, actress
• Akira Nagoya, actor (1930–2003)
• Yone Noguchi, writer (1875–1947)
• William Plomer, writer (1903–1973)
• Ryuichi Sakamoto, musician, composer
• Takanohana Koji, 65th yokozuna in sumo
• Yuji Tanaka, comedian
• Wakanohana Masaru, 66th yokozuna in sumo

Public elementary and middle schools are operated by the Nakano City Board of Education. Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.

• Fuji High School
• Minorigaoka High School
• Musashigaoka High School
• Nakano Technical High School
• Saginomiya High School
• Yotsuya Commercial High School

• Shumei University (Tokyo headquarters)
• Tokyo Polytechnic University
• University of Tokyo Nakano campus
• Kokusai Junior College

Nakano Ward is served by the JR East Chūō and Sobu lines, the Seibu Shinjuku Line, the Tokyo Metro Tozai and Marunouchi subway lines, and the Toei Oedo subway line.

• JR Chūō Main Line: Higashi Nakano and Nakano Stations
• Seibu Shinjuku Line: Arai Yakushi-mae, Numabukuro, Nogata, Toritsu Kasei, Saginomiya Stations
• Tokyo Metro
  • Marunouchi Line
    • Shin Nakano, Nakano Sakaue Stations
    • Honancho Branch Line: Nakano Fujimicho, Nakano Shimbashi, Nakano Sakaue Stations
  • Tozai Line: Nakano, Ochiai (although the station is in Shinjuku, some entrances are in Nakano) Stations
• Toei Oedo Line: Nakano Sakaue, Higashi Nakano, Shin-ekoda Stations

National Routes 4, 5, 8, 14 and 25, among others, serve Nakano.

• Nakano Shopping Mall - A vibrant outdoor arcade,
• Guts Soul - Nakano Yakiniku Resaturant. Famous for their traditional "vagimo" dish of marbled American pork.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nakano, Tokyo.

• Official website Template:En icon