Kunitachi, Tokyo

Kunitachi 国立市
City
Kunitachi City Hall
Flag Seal
Location of Kunitachi in Tokyo
Kunitachi
Coordinates: 35°41′2.1″N 139°26′29″E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tokyo
Government
• Mayor	Kazuo Sato (since April 2011)
Area
• Total	8.15 km2 (3.15 sq mi)
Population  (February 2016)
• Total	75,867
• Density	9,310/km2 (24,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Ginkgo biloba
• Flower	Prunus mume
• Bird	Great tit
Phone number	042-576-2111
Address	2-47-1 Fujimi-dai, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo 186-0501
Website	www.city.kunitachi.tokyo.jp

Kunitachi (国立市, Kunitachi-shi) is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 1 February 2016, the city had an estimated population of 75,867, and a population density of 9,310 persons per km². Its total area is 8.15 square kilometres (3.15 sq mi).

Geography

Kunitachi is located in the Musashino Terrace of central Tokyo Metropolis. Kunitachi is known for its broad main avenue, Daigaku Dori (University Avenue). This cherry-tree-lined boulevard stretches from Kunitachi Station on the Chūō Main Line toward the banks of the Tama River.

Surrounding municipalities

• Tokyo Metropolis
  • Fuchu
  • Kokubunji
  • Tachikawa
  • Hino

History

Kunitachi lies along the historical Kōshū Kaidō, a route that connected Edo with Kofu in the province of Kai (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture). The modern villages of Yaho, Aoyagi and Yabo were created within Tama District of Kanagawa Prefecture during the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The district was transferred from Kanagawa to Tokyo in 1893. The three villages were merged to form Kunitachi town in 1951. Kunitachi was elevated to city status on January 1, 1967.

Education

• Hitotsubashi University.
• Kunitachi has eight public and three private elementary schools, and three public and one private middle schools.
• The two public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. There are also three private high schools.
• The city was originally home to Kunitachi College of Music. The tertiary-level branch of the conservatory is now located far outside the city, but its attached high school and business affiliate, Kunitachi Gakki (Western Tokyo's largest community music center), remain in central Kunitachi.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East – Chūō Main Line
  • Kunitachi
• JR East – Nambu Line
  • Yaho - Yagawa

Highway

• Chūō Expressway
• Japan National Route 20

Local attractions

• Yabo Tenman-gū, a Shinto shrine established in 903 AD

External links

• Kunitachi City Official Website (in Japanese)