Machida, Tokyo

is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 429,040, and a population density of 5,980 persons per km². Its total area is .

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 does not flow 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, including Tamagawa Gakuen, and Third Junior & Senior High School of Nihon University
 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
  - North Korean school

Transportation

Railway
  Odakyu Electric Railway - Odakyu Odawara Line
  -  -  
  Tokyu Corporation - Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line
  -  -  
  JR East - Yokohama Line
  - < -  -  -  - > -  -  -Although Hashimoto, Sagamihara, Yabe, Fuchinobe, Kobuchi Station are in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, they are all near the city border.
  Keio Corporation -  Keiō Sagamihara Line

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
 Tokichiro Aoyama (1958–1970, 3 terms)
 Katsumasa Oshita (1970–1990, 5 terms)
 Kazuo Terada (1990–2006, 4 terms)
 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 (closed in Feb 2017, 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

External links

Machida City Official Website 

Category:Cities in Tokyo
Category:Western Tokyo