Nishibori Rosa 西堀ローサ

 

Nishibori Rosa, Furumachi, Chuo Ward, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture. It is a shopping arcade that started in 1976 called “Largest Underground Mall on the Sea of Japan Coast”. It opened during the peak of the bubble economy and there were many families living near the area at that time, so at its peak, recorded 5 billion yen (approx. $34 million) in annual sales in 1991 (Heisei 3). After the bubble burst the  performance rapidly deteriorated and as people left for work else where it became much less crowded. A succession of young-oriented complexes like Niigata WITH, Placa Niigata , NEXT21 , Billboard Place , and Decky 401 , as well as large-scale suburban commercial facilities, were built in the city and Rosa would need to pivot or be lost to time. Sales started to stagnate by 1997 (Heisei 9) where it was the start as it fell below 3 billion yen.

It that had symbolized a hub of socializing at cafes, clothing trends, and great restaurants. The name Nishibori Rosa means The Romance that Goes West with Nishibori meaning the west or to go west, while rosa means rose and is connected to romance or courage. In the Heisei era it was a starting point for many trends and crowded with young people and was a place where young people could show off their expressions of fashion. Part of its appeal was from those who had shopped at Mitsukoshi Department Store and Daiwa Department Stores. 

Staple Stores: The staple stores in Nishibori Rosa were integral to its identity as a part of the area and played a key role in the underground in the area of Furumachi. As many know in Japan the outside of a social place is up above ground and then the next layer of a place is in it's underground arcades that is especially important in places like Niigata where people look to run and warm up from the snow. Shopping arcade culture is a cultural and social hub in Niigata. 

My Coffee Club: My Coffee Club, known for its calm atmosphere, is closing its doors on March 31st 2025. After a renewal, it will reopen under the new name, “Watashi no Coffee Shop,” once a new location is found.

Lavic: a shop specializing in towels, essential oils, and bath products, will be relocating to Horinouchi Minami. Its current Nishibori Rosa location closes on March 16th 2025, with plans for a mid-April opening at the new site.

It was compared and judged as better than the Yaechika (Yaesu Chikagai) arcade underneath Tokyo Station, the above mall in Tokyo Station, as it is still compared today, but with the thought of what happened that made it fall behind when being compared again in 2020s. Because of this it came to the conversation why the Nishibori Rosa isn’t as elegant or as entertaining as the mall in Tokyo Station and as a whole the area is compared to that part of Tokyo. The decline happened after Large-scale stores moved into the area and customer traffic and the Japan Bubble Burst. At its peak the annual sales were over 5 billion yen (34 million dollars) and fallen to 250 million yen (2.5 million dollars). Nowadays its in need of structural rebuilding.

Masao Kaneko (64) works for Niigata Underground Development Co, which had previously operated Nishibori Rosa and is connected to the area as a place he grew up and works to revitalize it back to its strongest times from his time. The company had borrowed 900 million Yen and were not able to pay it back, so the company would be disbanded, so it is seen that part of this could have been the Pandemic. In 2024 October tenants would be directed to move out and find other places as the company would close its doors as was explained to its private meeting to its shareholders. 

There is however Taichi Nagai (35) works for an advertising company and for another company that works at solving Local Issues that adapted the Nagoya Fushimi Underground events that raised interest in Pubs and Eateries with a Next-generation appeal. There are ongoing efforts to revive Nishibori Rosa through regional revitalization initiatives. Young entrepreneurs, including those working on similar projects with underground arcades are considering new business models to bring new life to the area, even after the permanent closure on March 31, 2025. At 7:00 PM, Nishibori Rosa quietly ended its nearly half-century journey, leaving behind a rich legacy of community, memories, and everyday life in downtown Niigata.

Closure, over the years, the city of Niigata invested 5.3 billion yen to support it with loans and infrastructure upgrades like elevators. However, with changing times and declining foot traffic, the arcade came to its final day. This is a effect of the low birth rate, difficulty in finances, and less families living in the area. Nishibori Rosa will bloom someday if things get better in Niigata City, if population growth returns.

https://www.yaechika.com/english/