Article

13114 ／なかのく

Nakano Ward

A 33.6 m tower once delivered water.

Former Nogata Water Tower

Photo by nerima99 (CC BY 3.0)

01 ／ Egota Hikawa Shrine

On the earthen stage before the kagura hall,the lions perform about nine dances.

At Egota Hikawa Shrine, the Egota lion dance is performed on an earthen stage before the kagura hall, from the Shihogatame dance to the Niwakusa dance, about nine in all. The hall was built in 1847 and is a ward-designated tangible cultural property. The ward newsletter says the dance was designated a Tokyo metropolitan intangible folk cultural property in 2017.

About nine dances
Kagura hall built in 1847
Metropolitan intangible folk cultural property (ward newsletter)

02 ／ Tetsugakudo Park

It began with the Shiseido halland grew into a park of 77 sites.

It began in 1904, when Inoue Enryo built the Shiseido hall, enshrining Buddha, Socrates, Kant and Confucius. Later, sites called the Seventy-Seven Spots, each expressing a philosophical idea, were laid out. The Tetsurimon gate stands at the entrance, and the park was designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 2020.

Shiseido hall of 1904
Seventy-Seven Spots
National Place of Scenic Beauty in 2020

03 ／ Elephant of Kyoho

The elephant that came to Edo was, after some ten years,taken in by Gensuke of Nakano Village.

In 1728, at Yoshimune's wish, two elephants from Vietnam reached Nagasaki, and the male set out for Edo overland. After spending some ten years at Hamagoten, it was taken in by Gensuke of Nakano Village. The site of the elephant shed is said to be around today's Asahigaoka Park.

Kyoho 13 (1728)
Some ten years at Hamagoten
Elephant shed said to have stood nearby

Nakano Ward from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot June–November 2019)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

Tokyo to Nakano in 18 minutes by Chuo Line rapid.

about 340,000 people
30 min to a city centre

On the JR Chuo Line (Rapid), the fastest trip from Tokyo Station to Nakano Station takes 18 minutes on weekdays and weekends alike (October 2026 timetable). Ward Office is about a 6-minute walk from the north exit of JR Nakano Station or from Nakano Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line. Five rivers flow between the plateaus of the ward.

People living here: 344,880people
Area: 15.59km²
Households: 208,093households
Rent (average for rentals): 86,553yen
Healthcare: 8 hospitals ／ 325 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —52 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Nakano Ward in Japan35.707°N 139.664°E

to TokyoJR Chuo Line (Rapid)18min

Travel times follow JR東日本の駅の時刻表（中野駅中央本線・中央線快速八王子・大月方面〔下り〕。平日 https://timetables.jreast.co.jp/2610/timetable/tt1104/1104030.html・土曜・休日 …/1104031.html）と、その中の中央特快・青梅特快・通勤快速の列車ページ（平日55本・土曜休日66本。https://timetables.jreast.co.jp/2610/train/<3桁>/<6桁>.html）。2026-10-22 に取得。作業のフォルダ $SP/tokyo-nakano/jr/（sp.py・pages/） (checked 2026-10-23). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 5 municipalities.

Territory of Nakano Ward

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.

North to south

6.6km

Suginami Ward, Shinjuku Ward, Nerima Ward, Shibuya Ward, Toshima Ward

Nakano Ward isthis kind of town.

01The former Nogata water tower, completed in 1929, is a reinforced-concrete tower 33.6 m high; it distributed water until 1966 and is a nationally registered tangible cultural property (registered January 15, 2010)
02The Egota lion dance is performed about nine dances long on the earthen stage before the kagura hall of Egota Hikawa Shrine; the ward newsletter says it was designated a Tokyo metropolitan intangible folk cultural property in 2017
03Tetsugakudo Park began with the Shiseido hall Inoue Enryo built in 1904 and became a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 2020; the elephant that came in 1728 was later taken in by Gensuke of Nakano Village

See the town as it is now.

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Nakano Ward official site ↗Wikipedia ↗