Tachikawa 立川市
City
Tama Intercity Monorail viewed from Green Springs
Flag Seal
Location of Tachikawa in Tokyo
Tachikawa
Coordinates: 35°41′39.2″N 139°25′10.8″E / 35.694222°N 139.419667°E / 35.694222; 139.419667
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tokyo
First official recorded	8th century (official)
Town settled	December 1, 1924
City settled	December 1, 1940
Government
• Mayor	Daishi Sakai (from September 2023)
Area
• Total	24.36 km2 (9.41 sq mi)
Population  (March 1, 2021)
• Total	184,383
• Density	7,600/km2 (20,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Zelkova serrata
• Flower	Magnolia kobus
Phone number	042-523-2111
Address	1156-9 Izumi-cho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo 190-8666
Website	Official website

Showa Memorial Park

Tachikawa (立川市, Tachikawa-shi) is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 1 March 2021, the city had an estimated population of 184,383 in 93,428 households, and a population density of 7600 persons per km².^[1] The total area of the city is 24.36 square kilometres (9.41 sq mi).

Geography

Tachikawa is located on the Musashino Terrace of western Tokyo, approximately 40 km west of the center of Tokyo. The Tama River flows between Tachikawa and the neighboring city of Hino. The Tamagawa-jousui (Tamagawa Aqueduct) flows north of the city, with a great promenade on both banks.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Tachikawa has increased steadily over the past century.

History

The area of present-day Tachikawa was part of ancient Musashi Province and was controlled from the Heian period through then Sengoku period by the Tachikawa clan. In the Edo period, it was little more than a village along the Koshu Kaido. In the post-Meiji Restoration cadastral reform of July 22, 1878, the area became part of Kitatama District in Kanagawa Prefecture In the Meiji period, the opening of what would later become the Chuo Main Line in 1889 led to a large-scale land development and on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities law, the village of Tachikawa was created. Kitatama District was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1893. Tachikawa Airfield Was established in 1922 by the Imperial Japanese Army, and Tachikawa was elevated to town status the following year. On December 1, 1940, Tachikawa was elevated to city status. Before the war, Tachikawa was a military town centered on Tachikawa Airfield, and even after the war, it was a major base for the US military until 1977.

Notable people

• Alan Hale (astronomer) co-discovered Comet Hale–Bopp^[6]

Government

Tachikawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 28 members. Tachikawa contributes two members to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tokyo 21st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Tachikawa is a regional commercial center, and is also a commuter town for downtown Tokyo. It is the central city of the populous "Tokyo Santama district", and commercial facilities such as department stores and offices are concentrated around Tachikawa Station. Agriculture is now largely vestigial, but Tachikawa was formerly known for its production of udo.

Education

Transportation

Local attractions

• Showa Memorial Park, an expansive leisure and recreational facility operated by the national government, occupies 1.49 square kilometres of land that was formerly part of Tachikawa Air Base in Tachikawa and neighboring Akishima.
• Tachikawa Velodrome

Sister city relations

•  USA - San Bernardino, California, USA since December 23, 1959

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tachikawa, Tokyo.

• Tachikawa City Official Website (in Japanese)