[Higashi-Okazaki Station / Evening Walk] (Okazaki, Aichi) The Demolished Building That Used to Define the Station Square

The station-front street at night. Two people walk side by side, talking and laughing, while the warm light of izakayas spills out behind them. Somewhat unusually, the heart of Okazaki city isn't centered on "Okazaki Station" but on "Higashi-Okazaki Station," with a row of restaurants and bars lining the square.

The Station and Its Surroundings

Plans are underway: an elevated station building is set to be completed in fiscal 2028, followed by a new station complex in fiscal 2029. By then, the whole look of this area will probably be quite different.

It was right in the middle of the evening commute. Office workers and students heading for the station were lined up at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to change.

Along the street were people standing outside, pulling in customers for places set back from the main road. Hard to tell if they were working for a hostess club or a free information booth.

Heading west along the station-front street, I came across a line forming outside Manpukuya, an iekei-style ramen shop. Iekei ramen really is popular everywhere you go.

I walked the station-front street all the way to Prefectural Road 483, turned back, headed north, and followed the riverside east — where a mixed-use complex including a hotel came into view. A pedestrian deck was already there, and apparently it will be expanded further as part of the redevelopment.

Comfortable-looking terrace seats lined the waterfront, and I passed a couple out on a date.

In the open courtyard-like space on the ground floor, students had gathered. Every single one of them was staring at their phone.

On my way back to the station, I spotted a man up ahead who had clearly had too much. His friends had him draped over their shoulders and were slowly making their way down the street.

A group finishing up at their first bar and looking for somewhere else to go — touts, both men and women, were calling out to them from every direction.

Video: Walking Around Higashi-Okazaki Station

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