Mitaka (三鷹市, Mitaka-shi) is a city in the Western Tokyo region of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 1 March 2021[update], the city had an estimated population of 190,403, and a population density of 12,000 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city was 16.42 square kilometres (6.34 sq mi).[2]
Mitaka
三鷹市 | |
|---|---|
Clockwise from top: Mitaka City Hall; Inokashira Park; the Ghibli Museum; the entrance of International Christian University campus | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Mitaka in Tokyo | |
  Mitaka | |
| Coordinates: 35°41′0.8″N 139°33′34.3″E / 35.683556°N 139.559528°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture | Tokyo |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Takashi Kawamura (since April 2019) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.42 km2 (6.34 sq mi) |
| Population (March 2021) | |
| • Total | 190,403 |
| • Density | 12,000/km2 (30,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Symbols | |
| • Tree | Ginkgo biloba |
| • Flower | Malus halliana |
| Phone number | 042-558-1111 |
| Address | 1-1-1 Nozaki, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8555 |
| Website | Official website |
Geography
editMitaka is located on the Kantō Plain, just outside the 23 special wards of Tokyo Metropolis, which are on its eastern borders. The Tamagawa Aqueduct canal, which runs alongside Mitaka station, has an important place in history, built in 1653 to feed the local metropolis. It is also the place where novelist Osamu Dazai died by suicide in 1948. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan is located in Mitaka.
Surrounding municipalities
editClimate
editMitaka has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Mitaka is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1647 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.1 °C.[3]
Demographics
editPer Japanese census data,[4] the population of Mitaka increased rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1994 there were 2,585 foreign residents in Mitaka, including 726 from North and South Korea, 713 from China, 441 from the United States, 114 from the Philippines, and 108 from the United Kingdom. Of all municipalities in Japan, Mitaka had the highest proportion of Chinese returnees.[5]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 5,725 | — |
| 1930 | 8,218 | +43.5% |
| 1940 | 24,247 | +195.0% |
| 1950 | 54,820 | +126.1% |
| 1960 | 98,038 | +78.8% |
| 1970 | 155,693 | +58.8% |
| 1980 | 164,526 | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 165,564 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 171,612 | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 186,083 | +8.4% |
| 2020 | 195,391 | +5.0% |
History
editThe area of present-day Mitaka was part of ancient Musashi Province. In the post-Meiji Restoration cadastral reform of 22 July 1878, the area became part of Kitatama District in Kanagawa Prefecture. The village of Mitaka was created on 1 April 1889 with the establishment of modern municipalities law. Kitatama District was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on 1 April 1893. Mitaka was raised to town status in 1940. In 1949, the Mitaka incident, one of a series of unexplained fatal train accidents around the same period of time, occurred at Mitaka Station.[6] Mitaka City was officially founded on 3 November 1950. A motion to merge with neighboring Musashino City failed in 1955 by only a single vote in the Mitaka city assembly.
Government
editMitaka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 28 members. Mitaka contributes two members to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tokyo 22nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
editMitaka is primarily a bedroom community for Tokyo. A number of animation studios, including Pierrot,[7] Silver Link. and Telecom Animation Film[8] have their corporate headquarters in Mitaka. A short-lived video game manufacturer TAD Corporation was founded and headquartered in the same location.[9][10][11] Subaru Tecnica International has its headquarters in Mitaka.[12]
Education
editColleges and universities
edit- Graduate University for Advanced Studies – Department of Astronomical Science, School of Physical Sciences
- International Christian University – Japan's oldest and largest American-style university, founded on 15 June 1949.
- Japan Lutheran College
- Kokugakuin Tochigi Junior College
- Kyorin University – School of Medicine, Kyorin University Hospital (at Hospital Campus); Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Social Studies, Faculty of Foreign Studies (at Inokashira Campus)
- Tokyo Union Theological Seminary
- University of Tokyo – the Institute of Astronomy, Faculty of Science; Mitaka International Hall of Residence[13]
Primary and secondary schools
edit- Mikata city operates 15 public elementary schools and seven public middle schools. There is also one private elementary school and three private middle schools.
- Mitaka Secondary School (東京都立三鷹中等教育学校) is operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. There are also four private high schools, including part of the campus of the International Christian University High School.
Private primary and secondary schools:
- Taisei High School
- Kokugakuin Kugayama Junior High/High School
- Hosei University Junior and Senior High School (法政大学中学高等学校)
- Musashi International School, formerly Little Angels International School[14]
Public junior high schools:[15]
- No. 1 Junior High School (第一中学校)
- No. 2 Junior High School (第二中学校)
- No. 3 Junior High School (第三中学校)
- No. 4 Junior High School (第四中学校)
- No. 5 Junior High School (第五中学校)
- No. 6 Junior High School (第六中学校)
- No. 7 Junior High School (第七中学校)
Public elementary schools:[15]
Transportation
editRailway
edit Keio Corporation - Keio Inokashira Line
Highway
editLocal attractions
edit- Ghibli Museum
- Inokashira Park
- Nogawa Park
- Yuzo Yamamoto Memorial Museum
Notable people from Mitaka
edit- Hiroki Azuma, cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher
- Masahiro Chono, professional wrestler (originally from Seattle, Washington)
- Akira Fuse, singer
- Tsubasa Honda, actress, model
- Ryo Kimura, actor
- Satoshi Ohno, singer, actor, and member of Arashi
- Yoshikazu Tanaka, businessman, founder of GREE, Inc.
- Yūko Tsushima, author, fiction writer, essayist and critic
- Eiji Wentz, singer, actor, entertainer, and member of the singer-songwriter duo WaT
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Mitaka city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ Mitaka City home page
- ^ Mitaka climate data
- ^ Mitaka population statistics
- ^ Maher, John C. (1995), "The Kakyo: Chinese in Japan", Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 16 (1–2): 125–138, doi:10.1080/01434632.1995.9994596 - (published online 14 September 2010) CITED: p. 135."
- ^ The Three Big Rail Mysteries that Defined Japan’s Summer of 1949
- ^ "Company Profile Archived 2010-02-12 at the Wayback Machine." Studio Pierrot. Retrieved on 26 February 2010.
- ^ "[1] Archived 2011-09-12 at the Wayback Machine."
- ^ Latest Status Info
- ^ Image Trademark Trademark Application of TAD CORPORATION – Serial Number 74117580 :: Justia Trademarks
- ^ 74117580 – Trademarks411, Trademark Search Made Simple
- ^ STI company profile. Retrieved on 2 October 2012.
- ^ "Housing Office | Housing Information | Mitaka International Hall of Residence".
- ^ "[2]." Formerly Little Angels International School. Retrieved on 28 June 2022. "Musashi International School (Mitaka Campus) [...] 9-7-14,Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-0013, Japan." – Japanese address:（三鷹校）[...] 〒181-0013 東京三鷹市下連雀9-7-14"
- ^ a b "三鷹市の学校ホームページ". Mitaka Schools. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
External links
edit- Mitaka City Official Website (in Japanese)