Article

13203 ／むさしのし

Musashino City

Bell patron and founder were both local.

Anyoji Bell, Sakai bell founder

01 ／ Kichijoji and Nishikubo villages

Settlers moved in, and gave the villagesthe names of the places they had left.

In 1659 residents moved from the gate town of the Kichijoji temple at Suidobashi, and in 1662 from Nishikubo Shiroyama-cho, to open wasteland along the Itsukaichi road. Each took the name of the place they had left, becoming Kichijoji Village and Nishikubo Village.

Settlers from Suidobashi, 1659
Settlers from Nishikubo Shiroyama-cho, 1662
Villages named for earlier homes

02 ／ Koshin memorial stone

Thirty-odd names of village pioneers,women's names among them, are cut in stone.

The stone at the gate of Anyoji bears a Kanbun 5 (1665) date and thirty-odd names, women's among them. The city's guide calls these people closely tied to the opening of Kichijoji Village, and says 10 of them also appear in the previous year's land survey register.

Dated 1665 (Kanbun 5)
Thirty-odd names, women's included
City-designated tangible folk cultural property (1972)

03 ／ Zelkova avenue

On land planned for a road,zelkova were planted in two rows.

In 1924, when Seikei Gakuen moved from Ikebukuro, zelkova were planted in two rows on land planned for a road. They were chosen as a tree characteristic of the Musashino Plateau, and about 140 line the avenue. It is a city-designated natural monument (1971).

Planted in 1924
Two rows, about 140 trees
City-designated natural monument (1971)

Musashino City from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot June–November 2019)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

From Shinjuku in 15 minutes, from Tokyo in 29.

about 150,000 people
30 min to a city centre

On the JR Chuo Line (Rapid), Kichijoji Station is 14 minutes from Shinjuku and 29 from Tokyo Station at the fastest (October 2026 timetable; weekdays and weekends differ, and the slower figure is given). In 1889 the four villages of Kichijoji, Nishikubo, Sekimae and Sakai formed Musashino Village, which became a city in 1947.

People living here: 150,149people
Area: 10.98km²
Households: 78,054households
Rent (average for rentals): 91,615yen
Healthcare: 8 hospitals ／ 227 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —19 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Musashino City in Japan35.718°N 139.566°E

to TokyoJR Chuo Line (Rapid)29min
to ShinjukuJR Chuo Line (Rapid)14min

Travel times follow JR東日本の駅の時刻表（吉祥寺駅・中央本線中央線快速八王子・大月方面〈下り〉の平日・土曜休日の時刻表と、その列車ページ427枚）を2026-10-22に引き、東京・新宿の発から吉祥寺の着までを列車ごとに数えた (checked 2026-10-23). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 5 municipalities.

Territory of Musashino City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.

North to south

3.1km

Mitaka City, Nishitokyo City, Suginami Ward, Koganei City, Nerima Ward

Musashino City isthis kind of town.

01The Anyoji bell was cast in 1773 by a Sakai village founder surnamed Takahashi, for a patron from Kichijoji village; the city's guide calls it the only temple bell in the city, and it is a city-designated tangible cultural property
02Settlers from Suidobashi and Nishikubo Shiroyama-cho gave their new villages the names of the places they had left; the Koshin memorial stone at Anyoji carries thirty-odd names of those who opened Kichijoji Village
03The Seikei Gakuen zelkova avenue, about 140 trees planted in two rows on land planned for a road in 1924, is a city-designated natural monument; the city's guide says zelkova were chosen as a tree characteristic of the Musashino Plateau

See the town as it is now.

Facebookmusashinocity ↗

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Musashino City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes