An old dyeing district where dyed cloth is hung over the Myoshoji River every February
For three days every February, lengths of dyed cloth are hung crosswise over the Myoshoji River, and shops around Nakai Station hang dyed noren curtains at their doors. This event, called Some no Komichi, is resident-led and recreates the sight, common until the Showa 30s (1955–64), of freshly dyed cloth being rinsed in the river. The next one takes place February 19 to 21, 2027. On ordinary days, the area is mostly residential: the three chome of Kami-Ochiai are home to about 15,000 people, with about 3,500 people working there.
The place name Ochiai refers to the confluence of the Kanda River and the Myoshoji River here. From the early Showa period through the Showa 30s, more than 300 dye-related businesses gathered along the banks of the two rivers, making the area one of the three great dyeing centres alongside Kyoto and Kanazawa. Artisans and artists carrying on the craft still gather in this area today. The Hayashi Fumiko Memorial Hall in Nakai 2-chome is the house that Hayashi Fumiko, author of Horoki (Diary of a Vagabond), built in 1941; wild plants bloom in the garden through all four seasons. Manga artist Akatsuka Fujio's studio is nearby, and real shop names from Nakai often appear in his manga. Ochiai Chuo Park is built on top of a sewage treatment plant. Between the two stations there are three train lines in total; public transit ranks 36th out of Tokyo's 219 neighborhoods, and everyday convenience ranks 63rd—both in the upper range.
From our street photos, cleanliness ranks 207th out of Tokyo's 219 neighborhoods, and sidewalks rank 197th—both in the lower range. Seibu's Nakai Station and the Oedo Line's Nakai Station are separated by the Myoshoji River, with no passageway connecting them, so transferring means exiting the station first and walking along a stretch of surface road. Ochiai Station sits beneath Waseda-dori, on the border between Shinjuku Ward and Nakano Ward, with exits scattered across four towns in the two wards.
In 1927, Seibu Shinjuku Line's Nakai Station opened. In 1930, Hayashi Fumiko moved to Ochiai, the same year Horoki was published. In 1932, Ochiai Town was incorporated into Tokyo City. In 1965, the residential address system was implemented, creating the present-day Nakai 1-chome and 2-chome. In 1966, the Tozai Line's Ochiai Station opened. In 1997, the Oedo Line's Nakai Station opened, making Nakai a transfer station.
Compared with the 219 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.
64 blocks · Curated boundary · Data version 2026-10-12
Compared against the Tokyo neighborhoods in this guide; metrics without enough data are not ranked. Shopping counts convenience stores plus the nearer of a supermarket or a traditional market (public and private retail markets); night markets, vendor zones and shopping-street shops are not counted. Transit is rail-first with a lower weight for buses.
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TidyMap rates the street environment and everyday convenience. It does not assess the home itself, safety, noise or actual living experience. Street environment scores use AI assessments of imagery; convenience scores use public facility data.
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