What is the Tama Islands Region?

◆Osawa Village Old Folk House

Surrounded by greenery and water, Osawa-no-Sato Park still retains the original scenery of Mitaka, which was once a farming village. The Osawa-no-Sato Old House that remains here is a typical farmhouse built in 35 (Meiji 1902), and is open to the public as a facility for displaying traditional folk tools and conducting hands-on learning programs. The park also works to preserve the precious native Mitaka Osawa wasabi.

◆Waterwheel (new)

The waterwheel "Shinguruma", which was built about 200 years ago, is a large commercial waterwheel with 14 pestles, a millstone, a sieve, an elevator, and a waterwheel with a diameter of 4.6 meters. It continued to rotate for 1968 years until the water flow changed due to the improvement work of the Nogawa River around 160. The operation of the waterwheel stopped due to the improvement work of the Nogawa River, but the eighth head of the family, Kiyoshi Minegishi, has carefully preserved the entire waterwheel, and the entire waterwheel device with its complex mechanism is still preserved in good condition today. It has been designated as a Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Tokyo as "Waterwheel Farm in Musashino (Nogawa River Basin)". It has also been certified as a Mechanical Heritage by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.

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▶Climate
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Mitaka City is located in the eastern part of the Tama region, almost in the center of Tokyo.
The city is served by the JR Chuo Line, Sobu Line, and Keio Inokashira Line. Mitaka Station is the starting station for local trains on the Sobu Line, and it takes about 15 minutes to Shinjuku and about 30 minutes to Tokyo Station, providing good access to the city center.
There are few train stations within the city, as the railway line runs around the perimeter of the city, but there is an extensive bus service.

The main stations are
・Mitaka Station on the Chuo Line
・Keio Inokashira Line "Inokashira Park Station"
・Mitakadai Station on the Keio Inokashira Line


There are many places to relax surrounded by nature, such as Inokashira Park, the Ghibli Museum, and the National Astronomical Observatory. The area is rich in nature and has a perfect living environment for raising children.
It is also known as a town where many famous writers, including novelists representing modern and contemporary Japanese literature, Dazai Osamu and Yamamoto Yuzo, lived. Along the leafy walking path "Wind Walk" along the Tamagawa Canal that runs from Mitaka Station towards Inokashira Park, there are historically and culturally valuable cultural properties and facilities, such as the Yamamoto Yuzo Memorial Museum, making it a town rich in culture.

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▶History and Culture
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The area was named "Mitaka" because the Tokugawa Shogunate's falconry grounds spanned the three territories of Setagaya, Fuchu, and Nogata. After the Meiji Restoration, ten villages in Kanagawa and Tokyo prefectures merged to form Mitaka Village.

During the Taisho period, victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake relocated to the city, and the population increased. During the Showa period, the population increased rapidly as military factories were established within the city during the war, and the city developed, but it was hit hard by repeated air raids by the US military, and the entire city area was reduced to burnt ruins.

After the war, the townscape was improved and it developed into a commuter town in the city center.


It is also famous as a city of writers, and many great writers, such as Dazai Osamu and Yamamoto Yuzo, have spent time here and published their works. As a result, the city is dotted with many facilities and monuments related to writers.

There are about 250 farming households in the city, and they grow vegetables and fruits. Vegetables such as broccoli, potatoes, cabbage, and corn are the most popular.
Among fruits, kiwi fruit is famous as a specialty of Mitaka City, and sweets and wine made from kiwi fruit are also produced.

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▶Local communities
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Citizens are actively involved in city government, with the city ranking first in the nation for "citizen participation in government" in a 2011 Business Innovation Survey.
One recent initiative was the establishment of the "Citizen Participation City Planning Council (nicknamed Machikoe)" as a new citizen participation initiative for the formulation of the Mitaka City Basic Concept and the 5th Mitaka City Basic Plan. In the council, citizen volunteers who were recruited through public recruitment etc. were divided into committees and groups based on themes, and in order to reflect the voices of the citizens in city administration, the citizen volunteers themselves listened to the voices of the city (citizens) through workshops and city walks, and based on the voices collected, they made policy proposals to the city as ideas for future city development. (The activities of this council ended in December 12.)

In addition, at "community schools," parents and local residents participate in school management, and the entire community works together to develop children's academic abilities, human skills, and social skills.

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▶Sightseeing and Activities
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▶Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
　https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/
A maze-like museum run by Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki. Experience the world of popular animation.
Tickets for Mitaka City and surrounding residents are also available.


▶Inokashira Park
　https://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/jimusho/seibuk/inokashira/index.html
It opened on May 1917, 6 (Taisho 5) as Japan's first suburban park, and celebrated its 1th anniversary in 2017.
It is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot and also a great place for bird watching. In addition to strolling alone, there are also facilities that everyone from children to seniors can enjoy, such as a zoo and an aquatic museum.


▶Osawa no Sato Old Folk House
　https://www.city.mitaka.lg.jp/c_service/076/076945.html
This old house conveys the traditions of wasabi cultivation and life in the past to the present day, and is home to a large commercial waterwheel called "Shinsha" that was built 200 years ago. It has been recognized as a Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Tokyo and a Mechanical Heritage Site by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.


▶National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
　https://www.nao.ac.jp/
With cutting-edge research facilities both in Japan and overseas, it is a research institute that plays a central role in astronomy research in Japan. Historical observation facilities remain on the Mitaka campus, which is also the headquarters, and the Observatory History Museum is open to the public at all times.


▶Mitaka Awa Dance
　https://mitaka-awaodori.com/
This traditional summer festival has been held since 1968 and is beloved as a symbol of summer in Mitaka. Many Awa Odori dance teams take part and perform powerful performances on the stage of Central Street at the south exit of Mitaka Station.

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▶Immigration Information
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With Mitaka Station at its center, the area offers good access to major cities, lush cityscapes and a good living environment, making it a popular town that consistently ranks highly in rankings of town livability.

In addition, we have positioned our business, which supports the development of all children from pregnancy through to child-rearing, as the "Welcome Baby Project Mitaka," and are implementing a variety of seamless child-rearing support measures from pregnancy through to child-rearing.