Machida, Tokyo
Machida
町田市 | |
|---|---|
 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°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture | Tokyo |
| Town settled | April 1, 1913 |
| City settled | February 1, 1958 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Joichi Ishizaka |
| Area | |
| • Total | 71.80 km2 (27.72 sq mi) |
| Population (April 2021) | |
| • Total | 428,851 |
| • Density | 6,000/km2 (15,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| 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 | Official website |
Machida (町田市, Machida-shi) is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 1 April 2021[update], the city had an estimated population of 428,851, and a population density of 6,000 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city 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 to 50 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. The highest point is Mount Kusato (elevation 364 meters) at the western end. There are few flatlands near Machida Station, the Sakai River flows to the west and south, and the Tsurumi River flows almost in the center of the city.
Surrounding municipalities
Climate
Machida has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Machida is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1621 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C.[2]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Machida increased rapidly from the 1960s.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 23,620 | — |
| 1930 | 26,669 | +12.9% |
| 1940 | 32,020 | +20.1% |
| 1950 | 52,486 | +63.9% |
| 1960 | 71,269 | +35.8% |
| 1970 | 202,499 | +184.1% |
| 1980 | 295,405 | +45.9% |
| 1990 | 349,050 | +18.2% |
| 2000 | 377,494 | +8.1% |
| 2010 | 426,827 | +13.1% |
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 modern municipalities system. 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 a residential area Machida on April 1, 1964, killing four people. 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.
Government
Machida has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 36 members, whose members are elected for a four-year term. Machida contributes four members to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tokyo 23rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Mayors
- Tokichiro Aoyama (1958–1970, 3 terms)
- Katsumasa Oshita (1970–1990, 5 terms)
- Kazuo Terada (1990–2006, 4 terms)
- Joichi Ishizaka (2006–present, 4th term incumbent)
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, including Tamagawa Gakuen, and Third Junior & Senior High School of Nihon University[4]
- 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.
- Then city also operates one special education school for the handicapped.
International schools
Transportation
Railway
Odakyu Electric Railway - Odakyu Odawara Line
Tokyu Corporation - Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line
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JR East JR East - Yokohama Line
Keio Corporation - Keiō Sagamihara Line
Highway
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
- Masashi Takeda, Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist
Local attractions
- Buaisō museum, former residence of the Shirasu family
- Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts
- Machida Squirrel Garden
- Tadao Park
- Grandberry Park (Grandberry Mall closed in Feb 2017,redeveloped and re-opened in November 2019)
Sports
- F.C. Machida Zelvia, a football club based in Machida
- Pescadola Machida, a futsal club based in Machida
References
- ^ "Machida city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ Machida climate data
- ^ Machida population statistics
- ^ "Home page (English)". Third Junior & Senior High School of Nihon University. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
- ^ "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 (in Japanese)
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