Traveling Aispo-kun
IG Arena × Yanagihara-dori Shopping Street and Their Surroundings

In this series, Aispo-kun takes you on a journey of exploration to spots related to sports teams and athletes based in Aichi Prefecture. Following on from the previous article, this article is one of the special features that invites you to a stroll through the shopping streets around IG Arena, a new facility that has attracted general attention. This article focuses on Yanagihara-dori Shopping Street, a short walk from the arena. As a mixture of nostalgic traces of the Showa era and the breath of a new age, this street is dotted with spots that deserve your visit before and after watching a match. Why not enjoy trying some gourmet food and strolling through the street while immersing yourself in nostalgia?

[For more details about IG Arena, click here.] (Japanese page)

2025年7月グランドオープン 徹底紹介！これがIGアリーナだ！

Specialty Rice Ball Store Namihei

Crafted rice balls that are delicious even after going cold

Namihei is a specialty rice ball store that features rice balls made of freshly cooked rice and carefully selected ingredients. Carefully made one by one after an order is placed, its rice balls are known for being fluffy and warm, and delicious even after going cold. In addition to rice balls with traditional fillings, such as salmon and kelp, seasonal creative rice balls are also popular. The store has an eat-in area. It is also recommended that you enjoy rice balls as a pre- and after-match light meal or take them back home for yourself or someone else.

Address: 4-2-2 Yanagihara, Kita-ku, Nagoya City
Tel: 052-915-7337

African Goods Store & Cafe Gallery Baobab-no-ki

A relaxation spot for the locals, with a wide lineup of African goods and Japanese cheap sweets

Baobab-no-ki is both a store-cum-gallery that deals in Tanzanian contemporary art pieces, goods, and snacks and a prep school. The store-cum-gallery is filled with unique goods imported directly from Tanzania, such as kangas, Tanzanian fabrics for everyday use, and picture books depicting African folk tales in the contemporary Tingatinga painting style. It provides a place for interaction between people from different age groups, with its owner’s activities contributing to creating a lively atmosphere along the street.

Address: 102, Watabe Building, 1-26-2 Yanagihara, Kita-ku, Nagoya City
Tel: 090-8339-1708

men.LEON

A ramen shop known for its rich, addictive miso flavor.

The signature dish of this ramen restaurant is rich miso ramen served in two varieties: spicy miso and regular. The restaurant also serves a wide variety of other dishes, such as mazesoba (noodles mixed in sauce) and soy sauce ramen. Customers use either counter seats in the restaurant or a shared space next to it. In the shared space, you can enjoy ramen while relaxing even with your pet.

Address: 4-5-1 Yanagihara, Kita-ku, Nagoya City
Tel: 052-913-2101

Nagoya Zokei University

Campus with a wide variety of spaces for artworks

The campus of Nagoya Zokei University boasts multiple galleries of different sizes, where special exhibitions and collaborative exhibitions with external organizations are held throughout the year. An art festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 18 and Sunday, October 19, with various enjoyable features, such as exhibitions, pop-up stores, and stage performances. Check out the university’s website for details!

Address: 2-4-1 Meijo, Kita-ku, Nagoya City
HP: nzu.ac.jp

The “Sustainable Community Plan” event will take place this year again to allow visitors to freely enjoy themselves in the town surrounding Yanagihara-dori Shopping Street!

This event is held as part of a project to achieve community building that never gets “out of breath,” under the concept of “sustainable community building” based on a Sustainable Community Plan. The project is a collaboration between local industries, academia and government in Kita-ku, Nagoya City, under the joint leadership of Aichi Gakuin University, Nagoya Zokei University, Nagoya City Youth Friendship Plaza, and Yanagihara-dori Shopping Street.

Continuing from last year’s plan, Sustainable Community Plan 2025 envisions an exploration for new ways to enjoy the town in pursuit of the theme “Town activities in freestyle.” This year’s event is aimed at developing, proposing, and putting into practice unrestrained ideas for how to get involved in the town. Feel free to join the event to discover new charms of the town. Check out the event’s official Instagram account for details!

Date: Sunday, December 7, 2025
Addresss: Various spots in the Meijo Park and Yanagihara-dori areas, Kita-ku, Nagoya City
Instagram: @sasutenamachi