Musashino, Tokyo
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is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
located in the western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. , the city had an estimated
population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of 147,754 in 78,614 households, and a
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
of 13,000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Based on the 2019 survey by SUUMO, the Kichijoji neighborhood of Musashino was the third most desirable place to live in central Japan. Popular attractions in Musashino include Kichijōji; a residential and shopping neighborhood with malls such as Atre Kichijoji, recreational areas such as Inokashira Park, Musashino Chuo Park, Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium and Musashino Sports Complex.


Geography

Musashino is located in the Musashino Terrace of central Tokyo Metropolis. It is bordered by the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo. Musashino is composed of the following neighborhoods: Kichijoji Kitamachi, Kichijoji Higashi Cho, Kichijoji Honcho, Kichijoji Minamicho, Kyonan Cho, Gotenyama, Sakai, Sakurazuki, Sekimae, Nakacho, Nishikubo, Midoricho, and Yahata Cho. Kichijōji includes the source of the Kanda River.


Surrounding municipalities

Tokyo Metropolis * Koganei * Mitaka *
Nerima is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City. , the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons ...
* Nishitōkyō *
Suginami is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself as Suginami City in English. As of June 1, 2022, Suginami has an estimated population of 588,354 and a population density of 17,274 pe ...


Climate

Musashino has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Musashino is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1647 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.1 °C.


Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Musashino increased rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, but has remained relatively constant over the past 50 years.


History

The area of present-day Musashino was part of ancient Musashi Province. In the post-
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
cadastral reform of July 22, 1878, the area became part of Kitatama District in
Kanagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
. The village of Musashino was created on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of modern municipalities law. Kitatama District was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1893. Musashino was elevated to town status in 1928. Nakajima Aircraft Company had an aircraft engine plant in Musashino, which became a target for American bombers in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Musashino was elevated to city status on November 3, 1947.


Government

Musashino has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 26 members. Musashino contributes one member to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tokyo 18th district of the
lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...
of the
Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
.


Economy

Musashino is largely a
commuter town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
for central Tokyo. The ''
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
'' and ''
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
'' company Coamix has its headquarters in the Kichijōji neighborhood of Musashino. At one time Studio Ghibli was located in Kichijōji."The Animerica Interview: Takahata and Nosaka: Two Grave Voices in Animation." '' Animerica''. Volume 2, No. 11. Page 11. Translated by ''Animerica'' from: Takahata, Isao. ''Eiga o Tsukurinagara, Kangaeta Koto'' ("Things I Thought While Making Movies") '' Tokuma Shoten'', 1991. Originally published in '' Animage'', June 1987. This is a translation of a 1987 conversation between Takahata and Akiyuki Nosaka. "Kichijoji is the Tokyo area where "Studio Ghibli," frequent Takahata collaborator Hayao Miyazaki's studio, is located. ..Ed." Several other animation studios are located in Musashino, including J.C.Staff, Artland, Studio Ponoc, Production I.G, Bee Train, Wit Studio, Silver Link and Tatsunoko Production. The electrical engineering and software company Yokogawa Electric has its headquarters in Nakacho, Musashino. Tokyo Musashino City FC, a football (soccer) club, is also located there.


Education


Universities and colleges

* Asia University * Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing * Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University * Seikei University


Primary and secondary schools

*Musashino has 12 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the Musashino city government. There are also three private elementary schools, two private middle schools and two private combined middle/high schools. *The city has two public high schools operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. Metropolitan secondary and high schools: * Tokyo Metropolitan Musashi Senior High School & Junior High School * Musashino Kita High School Municipal junior high schools: * No. 1 Junior High School ( 第一中学校) * No. 2 Junior High School ( 第二中学校) * No. 3 Junior High School ( 第三中学校) * No. 4 Junior High School ( 第四中学校) * No. 5 Junior High School ( 第五中学校) * No. 6 Junior High School ( 第六中学校) Municipal elementary schools: * No. 1 Elementary School ( 第一小学校) * No. 2 Elementary School ( 第二小学校) * No. 3 Elementary School ( 第三小学校) * No. 4 Elementary School ( 第四小学校) * No. 5 Elementary School ( 第五小学校) * Honjuku Elementary School * Inokashira Elementary School * Kyonan Elementary School * Onoden Elementary School * Sakurano Elementary School * Sekimae Minami Elementary School * Senkawa Elementary School Private schools: * Fujimura Girls' Junior and Senior High School * Kichijo Girls' School (junior and senior high school) * Seikei Junior and Senior High School * Shotoku Gakuen Junior and Senior High School


International schools

*Little Angels International School (now Musashi International School Tokyo), a private international school, previously had a campus in Kichijōji, Musashino." " (). Little Angels International School. Retrieved on March 9, 2015. "Little Angels International School 4-9-15, Honcho, Kichijoji, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-0004 (〒180-0004 東京都武蔵野市吉祥寺本町4-9-15)"


Transportation


Railways

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...
Chūō Line (Rapid) * * (northern part of the station is located in Nakacho, Musashino) * 40px Keio Corporation - Keio Inokashira Line * - Seibu Tamagawa Line *


Highways

*Musashino is not served by any national highways or expressways


Local attractions

* Inokashira Park *Musashino Central Park * Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium *Musashino Sports Complex


Sister cities

* Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do,
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* Gangdong District,
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*
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,
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Musashino in popular culture

* Satoshi Kon's anime series '' Paranoia Agent'' and Oyuki Konno's shōjo novel series ''
Maria-sama ga Miteru , often shortened to , is a Japanese light novel series written by with illustrations by Reine Hibiki. Originally written as a short story in 1997, Shueisha published 37 light novel volumes from April 1998 to April 2012. The story f ...
'' take place in Musashino. * Shōhei Ōoka's 1951 novel ''A Wife in Musashino (Musashino Fujin)'' is a drama in which a moral and stoic woman, trapped in a loveless marriage with a selfish and morally decadent man, becomes implicated against her will in what looks like an affair with her younger cousin. The story ends tragically as she is let down by him as well as by her husband. Kenji Mizoguchi made the story into a film in 1951, starring Kinuyo Tanaka and Masayuki Mori. * Innocent Grey's 2007 visual novel '' Kara no Shoujo'' features many scenes set in Musashino in 1956. Inokashira Park in particular serves as a pivotal setting for much of the story. * In the '' Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō'' manga by Hitoshi Ashinano, Musashino is the "former capital of the East" in a post-Apocalyptic Japan in which the ocean level continually rises, implying Tokyo itself had been submerged many years before it. * In the anime '' Shirobako'' the animation studio is named Musashino Animation. *In the manga series '' Great Teacher Onizuka'', Onizuka lives in Musashino and his first job is at Musashino Public High School. He later gets a job at a private school in Kichijōji.


References


External links

*
Musashino City Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Tokyo Western Tokyo