Akishima, Tokyo


Akishima is a city located in the western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 113,542, and a population density of 6500 persons per km2. The total area of the city is.

Geography

Akishima is located on the left bank of the Tama River, about 35 kilometers west of central Tokyo. The Tamagawa Aqueduct flows in the northern part of the city. The city area generally slopes gently from northwest to southeast toward the Tama River, which flows to the south of the city. The altitude of the city area is 170.72 meters above sea level at the highest point and 76.68 meters at the lowest point. With the JR East Ome Line running east to west through the city as a boundary, housing estates, industrial parks, golf courses, and the Showa Memorial Park occupy a large area in the north. In the south, residential areas occupy a large proportion of the city area.

Surrounding municipalities

Akishima has a humid subtropical climate characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Akishima is 13.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1998 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.5 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Akishima has increased steadily over the past century.

History

The area of present-day Akishima was part of ancient Musashi Province, and a center for sericulture. In the post–Meiji Restoration cadastral reform of July 22, 1878, the area became part of Kitatama District in Kanagawa Prefecture. Haiji, Nakagami, and Sotoyatsu villages were created on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The entire district was transferred to the control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1893. The latter two villages merged on January 1, 1928, to form Shōwa Village. Following the dedication of Tachikawa Airfield, which was established in 1922, the surrounding area developed in the 1930s with large-scale munitions factories for aircraft manufacturing for the Imperial Japanese Army.
Shōwa was elevated to town status on January 1, 1941, and through merger with the village of Haiji on May 1, 1954, became the city of Akishima. The name comes from the kun'yomi of the first kanji in the name of the former town of Shōwa, and the on'yomi of the second kanji in the name of the former village of Haijima.

Government

Akishima has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Akishima contributes one member to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tokyo 25th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Akishima was developed as an industrial suburb of Tokyo, and still has large factories operated by Hoya Corporation, JEOL, Japan Aviation Electronics, Fostex, Shōwa Aircraft Industry Co., and others. The city is also a bedroom community for the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Education

Akishima has two public high schools operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education.
Akishima has 13 public elementary schools and six public junior high schools operated by the city government.
Municipal junior high schools:
  • Fukujima Junior High School
  • Haijima Junior High School
  • Seisen Junior High School
  • Showa Junior High School
  • Tamabe Junior High School
  • Zuiun Junior High School
Municipal elementary schools:
  • Azuma Elementary School
  • Fujimigaoka Elementary School
  • Hajima No. 1 Elementary School
  • Hajima No. 2 Elementary School
  • Hajima No. 3 Elementary School
  • Koka Elementary School
  • Kyosei Elementary School
  • Musashino Elementary School
  • Nakagami Elementary School
  • Seirin Elementary School
  • Tamagawa Elementary School
  • Tanaka Elementary School
  • Tsutsuji Gaoka Elementary School
Former municipal elementary schools:
  • Hajima No. 4 Elementary School - Merged into Hajima No. 1 in 2015
  • Tsutsuji Gaoka Kita Elementary School - Merged into Tsutsuji Gaoka in 2016
  • Tsutsuji Gaoka Minami Elementary School - Merged into Tsutsuji Gaoka in 2016
The city also has one combined private elementary, junior high, and high school:.

Transportation

Railroads

– Ōme Line
  • – – –
JR East – Hachikō Line
JR East – Itsukaichi Line
- Seibu Haijima Line

  • Highway

Local attractions