Nikke Colton Plaza is a large shopping center located in Onitaka, Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture. Opened in 1988, the complex has become a familiar destination for local residents, offering a wide range of specialty stores, restaurants, entertainment facilities, and services.
The shopping center originally opened with Daiei Ichikawa Colton Plaza and Printemps as its major anchor stores. Today, it combines shopping and leisure facilities in a spacious complex that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Nikke Colton Plaza was developed on the former site of the Nakayama Factory, which had been operated by Nippon Keori, a Japanese textile manufacturer. The company’s Colton Plaza division took responsibility for operating the new commercial complex.
The site covers approximately 142,200 square meters, with a total floor area of approximately 127,000 square meters. The commercial floor area is approximately 55,290 square meters, while the parking facilities can accommodate around 2,500 vehicles.
Its large scale allows visitors to combine shopping, dining, entertainment, sports, and cultural experiences in a single destination.
The Nippon Keori Nakayama Factory began operations in 1920 and continued production until 1982. After the factory closed, plans were developed to transform its extensive site into a large shopping center.
Selecting the major tenants took time, and Daiei and Printemps were eventually selected as the anchor stores. The original proposal called for a shopping center with approximately 72,700 square meters of retail space, together with parking for 2,000 cars and bicycle parking for 2,000 bicycles.
However, the scale of the project was reduced following opposition from local shopping associations.
Discussions with local merchants involved various opinions regarding the size and design of the proposed complex. Nippon Keori reduced the scale of its original plan, while Daiei also had to reconsider the size of its proposed store.
After extensive negotiations, the project officially moved forward under the name Nikke Colton Plaza in 1986, eventually leading to the opening of the complex in 1988.
When it opened, Nikke Colton Plaza attracted considerable attention as one of the largest shopping centers in the Kanto region. Its innovative scale attracted numerous inspection and study groups from other areas.
During its early years, both the Printemps anchor store and the specialty-store area achieved annual sales exceeding 10 billion yen, giving the center a strong start.
Printemps later withdrew in 1996, and the space was converted to the current Daiei operation. From 2015, the Daiei store was also developed as a test location for the company’s new Food Style Store concept.
Nikke Colton Plaza is divided into three main areas: the Center Mall, West Mall, and East Mall. Each area contains a different combination of shops and facilities.
The parking areas are also divided into red, yellow, and green sections, making it easier for visitors to identify the area closest to their destination.
The Daiei Ichikawa Colton Plaza store is particularly important to local residents. It underwent a major renovation in 2014 and developed into a Food Style Store offering a broader range of food and everyday products.
With fashion, furniture, electronics, sports, books, children’s goods, and everyday necessities all represented, the complex functions as a convenient shopping destination for the surrounding community.
To the south of Nikke Colton Plaza is an area known as Nikke Chinju no Mori, or the “Nikke Guardian Shrine Forest.” It includes Orihime Shrine and the Garden of Handcrafts, providing a quieter green space within the large commercial complex.
Orihime Shrine was established during the early Shōwa period and enshrines Amaterasu Ōmikami, the central deity of the shrine. The existing shrine building was constructed in 1936. Its roof was renovated in 1971, changing it from thatched roofing to copper-sheet roofing.
The Garden of Handcrafts was established beginning in 2003 as a garden for growing plants used in textiles and natural dyeing.
Plants such as mallow, indigo, and safflower are cultivated here. The harvested plants are used in workshops for local children, giving the garden an educational role as well as preserving traditional craft knowledge.
The garden also serves as a gathering place for local craft artists. Every October, it hosts the outdoor craft exhibition “Kōbō kara no Kaze”, meaning “Wind from the Workshops,” where visitors can discover handmade crafts and meet creators.
The third floor of the West Mall is home to TOHO Cinemas Ichikawa Colton Plaza.
The cinema originally opened in 1999 under the name “Virgin Cinemas Ichikawa Colton Plaza.” It now has nine screens and welcomes many visitors who come to enjoy the latest movies.
The cinema adds another entertainment option to the shopping center, making the complex suitable for spending several hours or even an entire day.
Every August, Nikke Colton Plaza hosts the Colton Bon Odori, a traditional summer dance event that has become a popular seasonal tradition for local residents.
The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, an alternative event called the Colton Summer Festival was held instead.
Events such as these help connect the large commercial complex with the local community and provide visitors with an opportunity to experience Japanese summer traditions.
A free shuttle bus operates from Motoyawata Station, providing convenient access to the shopping center.
Ichikawa City’s community buses also serve the area. Both the Southern Route and Northeastern Route operate to nearby stops at the Chiba Museum of Science and Industry, providing another public transportation option.
Nikke Colton Plaza is a large-scale commercial complex where shopping, entertainment, nature, traditional culture, and community activities come together.
Visitors can browse a wide variety of stores, watch movies, enjoy sports and dining, and explore the peaceful grounds of Orihime Shrine and the Garden of Handcrafts.
Its history as the former site of a major textile factory also gives the complex an interesting connection to the industrial development of Ichikawa. For travelers exploring the area around Ichikawa and western Chiba Prefecture, Nikke Colton Plaza offers a convenient place to experience both modern urban life and elements of local history and culture.