Western Tokyo

Western Tokyo, also known as the Tama area (多摩地域, Tama chiiki), Tama region (多摩地方, Tama-chihō) or toka (都下), 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]

Western Tokyo
Western Tokyo (green) within Tokyo Prefecture
Country	Japan
Island	Honshū
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tokyo
Area
• 26 cities, 3 towns, 1 village	1,160 km^2 (450 sq mi)
Population  (October 1, 2018)
• 26 cities, 3 towns, 1 village	4,233,493
• Density	3,650/km^2 (9,500/sq mi)

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.[2]

Overview

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

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	0577,254	03,097	0186.38
02		Tachikawa	立川市	たちかわし	0180,214	07,398	0024.36
03		Musashino	武蔵野市	むさしのし	0147,607	13,443	0010.98
04		Mitaka	三鷹市	みたかし	0191,408	11,657	0016.42
05		Ōme	青梅市	おうめし	0134,857	01,305	0103.31
06		Fuchū	府中市	ふちゅうし	0263,835	08,965	0029.43
07		Akishima	昭島市	あきしまし	0111,942	06,456	0017.34
08		Chōfu	調布市	ちょうふし	0237,637	11,012	0021.58
09		Machida	町田市	まちだし	0433,938	06,065	0071.80
10		Koganei	小金井市	こがねいし	0124,712	11,036	0011.30
11		Kodaira	小平市	こだいらし	0194,757	09,496	0020.51
12		Hino	日野市	ひのし	0188,990	06,860	0027.55
13		Higashimurayama	東村山市	ひがしむらやまし	0150,101	08,757	0017.14
14		Kokubunji	国分寺市	こくぶんじし	0126,317	11,022	0011.46
15		Kunitachi	国立市	くにたちし	0075,022	09,205	0008.15
16		Fussa	福生市	ふっさし	0058,184	05,727	0010.16
17		Komae	狛江市	こまえし	0083,003	12,990	0006.39
18		Higashiyamato	東大和市	ひがしやまとし	0084,480	06,295	0013.42
19		Kiyose	清瀬市	きよせし	0075,400	07,370	0010.23
20		Higashikurume	東久留米市	ひがしくるめし	0116,309	09,030	0012.88
21		Musashimurayama	武蔵村山市	むさしむらやまし	0071,804	04,687	0015.32
22		Tama	多摩市	たまし	0147,822	07,036	0021.01
23		Inagi	稲城市	いなぎし	0090,774	05,051	0017.97
24		Hamura	羽村市	はむらし	0055,004	05,556	0009.90
25		Akiruno	あきる野市	あきるのし	0080,242	01,092	0073.47
26		Nishitōkyō	西東京市	にしとうきょうし	0203,258	12,905	0015.75
27		Mizuho	瑞穂町	みずほまち	0032,867	01,951	0016.85
28		Hinode	日の出町	ひのでまち	0017,226	00614	0028.07
29		Hinohara	檜原村	ひのはらむら	0002,073	00019.7	0105.41
30		Okutama	奥多摩町	おくたままち	0005,023	00022.3	0225.53
Overall					4,233,493	03,650	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

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

1. Tokyo Metropolitan Government: Municipalities within Tokyo
2. National Archives of Japan: 三多摩を東京府に編入