Machida, Tokyo

Machida 町田市
City
Machida City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Machida in Tokyo
Machida
Coordinates: 35°42′38″N 139°26′19″E / 35.71056°N 139.43861°ECoordinates: 35°42′38″N 139°26′19″E / 35.71056°N 139.43861°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tokyo
Area
• Total	71.80 km^2 (27.72 sq mi)
Population (February 2016)
• Total	429,040
• Density	5,980/km^2 (15,500/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Symbols
• Tree	Zelkova serrata
• Flower	Scarlet sage
• Bird	Common kingfisher
Phone number	042-722-3111
Address	1-20-23 Nakamachi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8520
Website	www.city.machida.tokyo.jp

One of the ponds of Yakushi-Ike Park in Machida

A road lined with cherry blossom trees in Machida

Machida (町田市 Machida-shi) is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, in the central Kantō region of Japan. As of 1 February 2016, the city had an estimated population of 429,040 and a population density of 5980 persons per km². Its total area was 71.80 square kilometres (27.72 sq mi)

Geography

Machida is located in the Tama Hills of southern Tokyo Metropolis, bordered by Kanagawa Prefecture on the west, south, and east. approximately 40-50 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. The Tama River flows through the city.

Surrounding municipalities

• Tokyo Metropolis
  • Tama
  • Hachioji
• Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Kawasaki
  • Yokohama
  • Sagamihara
  • Yamato

History

The area of present-day Machida was part of ancient Musashi Province. In the post-Meiji Restoration cadastral reform of July 22, 1878, the area became part of Minamitama District in Kanagawa Prefecture. The village of Machida was created on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of municipalities law. Minamitama District was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1893. Tama was elevated to town status on April 1, 1913. The town was bombed by American forces on May 24, 1945 during World War II

Machida expanded through annexation of the neighboring village of Minami on April 1, 1954, followed by the villages of Tsurukawa, Tadao and Sakai on February 1, 1958 to become the city of Machida. A USMC RF-8A crashed in Machida on April 1, 1964. From 1973, the Tama New Town development resulted in a rapid increase in population, turning the city into a bedroom community for Tokyo and Yokohama.

Education

Universities and colleges

• J. F. Oberlin University
• Kokushikan University
• Showa Pharmaceutical University
• Tamagawa University
• Tokyo Kasei-Gakuin University
• Tokyo Jogakkan College
• Hosei University - Machida campus
• Wako University
• Tsurukawa Women's Junior College

Primary and secondary education

• Machida has seven public high schools operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education, including Machida High School. There are also seven private high schools.
• The Machida city government operates 20 public middle schools and 42 elementary schools. There are also five private middle schools and three private elementary schools.

International schools

• West Tokyo Korean 2nd Elementary School - North Korean school^[1]

Transportation

Railway

■ Odakyu Electric Railway - Odakyū Odawara Line

• Machida - Tamagawagakuen-mae - Tsurukawa

■ Tokyu Corporation - Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line

• Minami-Machida - Suzukakedai - Tsukushino

■ JR East - Yokohama Line

• Aihara - <Hashimoto - Sagamihara - Yabe - Fuchinobe - Kobuchi> - Machida - Naruse -
  Although Hashimoto, Sagamihara, Yabe, Fuchinobe, Kobuchi Station are in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, they are all near the city border.

■ Keio Corporation - Keiō Sagamihara Line

• Tamasakai

Highway

• Tōmei Expressway
• Japan National Route 16
• Japan National Route 246

Politics

Machida is governed by a 26-member city council, whose members are elected for a four-year term.

Mayors

1. Tokichiro Aoyama (1958–1970, 3 terms)
2. Katsumasa Oshita (1970–1990, 5 terms)
3. Kazuo Terada (1990–2006, 4 terms)
4. Joichi Ishizaka (2006–2010, 3rd term incumbent)

Notable people from Machida

• Ami Onuki, half of the J-pop group Puffy
• Taiten Kusunoki, voice actor
• Megumi Toyoguchi, voice actress
• Satoshi Tajiri, creator of Pokémon; based Pallet Town on this town in the original Pokémon Red and Blue

Local attractions

• Buaisō museum, former residence of the Shirasu family
• Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts
• Machida Squirrel Garden
• Tadao Park
• Grandberry Mall

Sports

• F.C. Machida Zelvia, a football club based in Machida
• Pescadola Machida, a futsal club based in Machida

References

1. "ウリハッキョ一覧" (Archive). Chongryon. Retrieved on October 14, 2015.

External links

• Media related to Machida, Tokyo at Wikimedia Commons
• Machida travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Machida City official website (Japanese)