The temple town of Arai Yakushi, where stalls fill the grounds on the 8th, 18th and 28th of every month
The closest neighborhoods in the same city.
Walking from Arai-Yakushimae Station toward the temple gate, the whole street is lined with shops—this kind of street that grows up in front of a temple is called a monzen-cho. On the 8th, 18th, and 28th of every month is Arai Yakushi's ennichi festival day, when the grounds fill with stalls and crowds. The well water on the grounds is also open for anyone to draw.
Arai Yakushi's official name is Baishoin, the largest temple in Nakano City, and its north side adjoins Arai Yakushi Park directly.
In 2020, two out of every three households in this neighborhood lived alone, higher than Nakano City overall; more than 60% of homes were privately rented.
For everyday shopping, this neighborhood ranks 53rd out of 395 neighborhoods in Tokyo, the highest-ranking category for this neighborhood.
Walking north to the neighborhood's northern edge brings you to Tetsugakudo Park, free to enter, about 12 minutes on foot from the station. The Myoshoji River splits the park into north and south halves; the north half has a baseball field and tennis courts, and in spring it's also a spot for cherry blossom viewing.
The Seibu Shinjuku Line only stops as a Local at this station; the previous station is Nakai and the next one is Numabukuro. There are several bus routes from in front of the station to Nakano Station; walking along Waseda-dori to Nakano Station takes about 10 minutes.
In 2020, about 217 people lived per hectare in this neighborhood. Based on our street photos, buildings rank 289th out of 395 neighborhoods in Tokyo, also toward the lower end. Healthcare ranks 159th, so you may need to walk a bit further for medical care.
The station is undergoing undergrounding construction, so you have to use a temporary overpass bridge to get in and out, and the north exit is also temporary. The platform is built on a sharp curve, so inbound trains always sound their horn before entering the station.
The place name "Arai" comes from a new well dug here during the Sengoku period. Baishoin was founded in the Tensho era; according to legend, Tokugawa Hidetada's daughter Tofukumon'in prayed here to cure her eye disease, and the temple has been known ever since for protecting eyesight.
In 1927, Arai-Yakushimae Station opened, and the station was named after this temple. Along Waseda-dori in the southern part of Kamitakada, temples cluster together to form a temple town; Manshoin Koun-ji temple has the grave of Kira Yoshinaka.
Tetsugakudo Park on the northern edge began with the Shiseido hall built in 1904 by Inoue Enryo, the founder of Toyo University; in 2020, it was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty.
About 2.4 kilometers of the Seibu Shinjuku Line between Nakai and Nogata will be moved underground; the project runs until March 2034, and once complete it will eliminate 7 railroad crossings.
Arai-Yakushimae and Numabukuro will become underground stations, each platform equipped with elevators and escalators.
Compared with the 395 Tokyo neighborhoods in this guide (scores 0–10)
Hospitals with inpatient beds (2020 data), public elementary and junior high schools whose catchment covers this area, high schools and universities within 1 km, stations, parks of 1 ha or more, and large shopping malls and department stores. Many Tokyo junior high students attend private schools, so junior high catchments are only a guide.
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