Western Tokyo

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Western Tokyo
Western Tokyo (green) within Tokyo Prefecture
Western Tokyo (green) within Tokyo Prefecture
CountryJapan
IslandHonshū
RegionKantō
PrefectureTokyo
Area
 • Total1,160 km2 (450 sq mi)
Population
 (October 1, 2018)
 • Total4,233,493
 • Density3,600/km2 (9,500/sq mi)

Western Tokyo, known as the Tama area (多摩地域, Tama chiiki), Tama region (多摩地方, Tama-chihō) or toka (都下) locally, in the Tokyo Metropolis consists of 30 ordinary municipalities (cities (市 shi), towns (町 machi) and one village (村 mura)), unlike the eastern part which consists of 23 special wards.[1]

Before it was transferred to Tokyo in 1893, the Tama area, then also still often referred to as the "three Tama" (三多摩, san-Tama) (referring to the West, North and South Tama counties it consisted of) had formed the Northern part of Kanagawa Prefecture.[2]

Overview

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Whereas in the east of Tokyo Metropolis the 23 special wards occupy the area that was formerly Tokyo City, the west consists of 30 other ordinary municipalities: cities (Nos. 1–26), towns (Nos. 27, 28, 30) and a village (No. 29).

List of cities, towns and village

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No. Flag Name Japanese (kanji) Hiragana Population
(as of October 2016)
Density
(/km²)
Area
(km²)
01 Hachiōji 八王子市 はちおうじし
577,254
3,097
186.38
02 Tachikawa 立川市 たちかわし
180,214
7,398
24.36
03 Musashino 武蔵野市 むさしのし
147,607
13,443
10.98
04 Mitaka 三鷹市 みたかし
191,408
11,657
16.42
05 Ōme 青梅市 おうめし
134,857
1,305
103.31
06 Fuchū 府中市 ふちゅうし
263,835
8,965
29.43
07 Akishima 昭島市 あきしまし
111,942
6,456
17.34
08 Chōfu 調布市 ちょうふし
237,637
11,012
21.58
09 Machida 町田市 まちだし
433,938
6,065
71.80
10 Koganei 小金井市 こがねいし
124,712
11,036
11.30
11 Kodaira 小平市 こだいらし
194,757
9,496
20.51
12 Hino 日野市 ひのし
188,990
6,860
27.55
13 Higashimurayama 東村山市 ひがしむらやまし
150,101
8,757
17.14
14 Kokubunji 国分寺市 こくぶんじし
126,317
11,022
11.46
15 Kunitachi 国立市 くにたちし
75,022
9,205
8.15
16 Fussa 福生市 ふっさし
58,184
5,727
10.16
17 Komae 狛江市 こまえし
83,003
12,990
6.39
18 Higashiyamato 東大和市 ひがしやまとし
84,480
6,295
13.42
19 Kiyose 清瀬市 きよせし
75,400
7,370
10.23
20 Higashikurume 東久留米市 ひがしくるめし
116,309
9,030
12.88
21 Musashimurayama 武蔵村山市 むさしむらやまし
71,804
4,687
15.32
22 Tama 多摩市 たまし
147,822
7,036
21.01
23 Inagi 稲城市 いなぎし
90,774
5,051
17.97
24 Hamura 羽村市 はむらし
55,004
5,556
9.90
25 Akiruno あきる野市 あきるのし
80,242
1,092
73.47
26 Nishitōkyō 西東京市 にしとうきょうし
203,258
12,905
15.75
27 Mizuho 瑞穂町 みずほまち
32,867
1,951
16.85
28 Hinode 日の出町 ひのでまち
17,226
614
28.07
29 Hinohara 檜原村 ひのはらむら
2,073
19.7
105.41
30 Okutama 奥多摩町 おくたままち
5,023
22.3
225.53
Overall:
4,233,493
3,650
1,160

The towns of Hinode, Mizuho, and Okutama, and the village of Hinohara make up the non-contiguous Nishitama District.

The offshore islands of Tokyo (including the Bonin, Volcano, Izu island chains, and the uninhabited islands of Okinotorishima and Minamitorishima) are not considered part of Western Tokyo.

History

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Under the Ritsuryō system, Western Tokyo was part of Musashi Province. The provincial capital was at Fuchū. The provincial temple (kokubunji) was at Kokubunji and the principal shrine (ichinomiya) was at Tama.

Western Tokyo previously consisted of three districts:

  • Nishi-Tama District (西多摩郡, Nishi-Tama-gun) (lit. "Western Tama") encompassed the present-day cities of Akiruno, Fussa, Hamura, and Ōme; in addition to the four municipalities (3 towns and a village) that still remain a part of the district.
  • Minami-Tama District (南多摩郡, Minami-Tama-gun) (lit. "Southern Tama") covered the area now occupied by Hachiōji, Hino, Inagi, Tama, and Machida. With the formation of Inagi (the last city to be created in Tokyo in 1971), Minamitama District ceased to exist.
  • Kita-Tama District (北多摩郡, Kita-Tama-gun) (lit. "Northern Tama") consisted of the locations of the present-day cities of Akishima, Chōfu, Fuchū, Higashikurume, Higashimurayama, Higashiyamato, Kiyose, Kodaira, Koganei, Kokubunji, Komae, Kunitachi, Mitaka, Musashimurayama, Musashino, Nishitokyo, and Tachikawa, as well as some land now in Setagaya. With the establishment of the city of Musashimurayama in 1970, Kitatama District ceased to exist.

References

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