Sasebo is a small city with a vibrant commercial core. Most stores and businesses are within a couple blocks of the 20 minute walk shown below:
The main commercial area is unified by a continuously roofed arcade (全蓋アーケード) fully three fifths of a mile in length. It is managed by two Shotengai Associations.
Sankacho (aka Sun Plaza) in the NW half:
Yonkacho in the SE half:
The following diagram shows downtown Sasebo on the left side:
- green = covered shopping arcades
- orange = pedestrian street
- orange outline = slow street (where curves have been added to road to slow down cars)
- red outline = extra wide sidewalks linking commercial core to JR Sasebo Station
- magenta outline = walkable area (accessible without crossing any wide roads)
NW end of the shopping arcade:
The arcade roof passing over a park:
The SE end of the shopping arcade:
Photospheres:
- inside the shopping arcade
- street crossing in sankacho
- inside yonkacho
- on the pedestrian mall orthogonal to shopping arcade
- on the slow street parallel to shopping arcade
