Machida

Machida (町田市 Machida-shi) is a city in Tokyo Prefecture, Japan. The city is west of Tokyo's 23 downtown wards, bordering on Kanagawa. Machida City has relatively more nature than any other city in Tokyo. The town has been the setting for many manga and video games.

Understand
It is the third most populous city in Tokyo. Machida is a city with a city and nature. The area in front of Machida station is busy with department stores and shopping areas, but away from the station you will find quiet residential areas, greenery and parks. Minami-Machida has been redeveloped with commercial facilities and a park at Grandberry Park (グランベリーパーク). In front of Machida, you will find a variety of shops and brands, and almost everything you need is available. Once you've done the necessary shopping, you can relax in the park.

Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokémon, spent his childhood in this town, and Tajiri says that his experience of playing in the nature of Machida, where he was called "Dr. Insect", has been used in creating Pokémon. A Pokémon manhole has been set up in Serigaya Park near the house where Tajiri lived. It is also the town where the raccoon dog (Tanuki) moves to in the last scene of the Studio Ghibli movie Pom Poko.

History
Machida has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The oldest stone tool found in Machida City is about 23,000 years old. Around 16,500-2,800 years ago (Jomon period), people built settlements. A reproduction of a house from those days stands in the Honmachida Ruins Park (本町田遺跡公園).

The Kamakura-kaido road runs through the city. This road network connected Kamakura, the capital of the 12th century, with various places. As a stopping point for the road, a post town was established in Machida and prospered. It is said that there was a castle built in those days, but it has been replaced by a temple and a park. The Ruins of Idesawa Castle and the Ruins of Idesawa Battlefield are the Sugawara Shrine (菅原神社).

It also became prosperous as a transit point for the "Silk Road" that brought silk produced in Hachioji to Yokohama in the late 17th century. There are many old establishments with a long history. Established in 1884, Kakishimaya (柿島屋), which supported "Silk Road" from long ago as a horse broker. Established in 1895, Masaya Shoten (柾屋商店), Machida's oldest dry goods store. Established in 1919, Tomisawa Shoten (富澤商店), which mainly deals in confectionery materials. Established in 1787, Oka Naozaburo Store (岡直三郎商店), a soy sauce brewer and distributor.

During the war of the 20th century, Machida was spared from the fires of war, and the post-war reconstruction of the city prospered quickly. The Machida Nakamise shopping street (町田仲見世商店街), which evolved from the post-war black market, retains the atmosphere of the 20th century.

Climate

 * Average spring temperatures are highs of 15-25 °C and lows of 4-17 °C. There is a rainy season around June, when spring turns to summer.
 * Average summer temperatures are highs of 25-33 °C and lows of 20-23 °C, which is 1 to 2 degrees cooler than in the center of Tokyo. It's hot and humid, but the wind feels cooler than in the city center because of the many green areas. Be careful of sudden showers in summer.
 * Average autumn temperatures are highs of 17-22 °C and lows of 7-15 °C. There is a rainy season around September, when autumn turns to winter.
 * Average winter temperatures are highs of 10-15 °C and lows of minus 2-5 °C. It can snow enough to accumulate for a day or two.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

By train
Machida is a major stop on the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku, and the JR Yokohama Line between Yokohama and Hachioji.

Nearly all Odakyu trains out of Shinjuku stop at Machida. The fastest ways to reach Machida from Shinjuku are by the Odakyu Rapid Express (快速急行, marked with orange text) and Express trains (急行, written in red text). These trains depart frequently, every 10 minutes or less, and reach Machida from Shinjuku in about 29 to 35 minutes (¥360). Slower Semi-Express (準急) or local trains can take about 45 to 55 minutes. Machida is also the first stop on all Limited Express services that run to Hakone. They take about the same time as a Rapid Express, but incur an additional ¥400 surcharge. However, for that price you get your own comfortable seat, similar to those on a bullet train, so reserving a seat on this train especially during rush hour can make your ride a lot more pleasant.

JR Yokohama Line trains make runs to Machida from Hachioji (20–30 minutes, ¥290) and Yokohama (30–40 minutes, ¥380). More frequent trains from Yokohama depart from nearby Higashi-Kanagawa (東神奈川) station.

The Yokohama Line offers the best connection from the Tokaido Shinkansen to Machida via Shin-Yokohama station (15–20 minutes, ¥290).

There is no charge for JR trains with the Japan Rail Pass.

By bus
Kanachu and Keio bus companies jointly offer daily services to Machida from Narita and Haneda airports. (There is only one service, depending on the time of the day, you may get Kanachu or Keio service.)

By train
Trains run on the Odakyu Line, the JR Yokohama Line and the Tokyu Denentoshi Line. The Odakyu Line, Tokyu Denentoshi Line and Keiō Sagamihara Line run from northeast to southwest along Kanagawa Prefecture, and the JR Yokohama Line runs from southeast to northwest along Kanagawa Prefecture. Trains run along the border of the prefecture, so buses are the main way to get around in Machida. Trains run along the border between prefectures, so buses are the main way to get around inside Machida.
 * Odakyuu Lune (小田急線)
 * JR Yokohama Line (JR横浜線)
 * Tokyu Denentoshi Line (東急 田園都市線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)
 * JR Yokohama Line (JR横浜線)
 * Tokyu Denentoshi Line (東急 田園都市線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)
 * Tokyu Denentoshi Line (東急 田園都市線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)
 * Tokyu Denentoshi Line (東急 田園都市線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)
 * Tokyu Denentoshi Line (東急 田園都市線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)
 * Tokyu Denentoshi Line (東急 田園都市線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)
 * Keiō Sagamihara Line (京王 相模原線)

By bus
You can get to Machida by bus. There is a bus service from Machida station to various places in the city. Smart cards such as Suica can be used for easy payment.

On foot
Tourist attractions are concentrated in the Machida station area, Minami-Machida area, and Yakushiike area. You can get to each area by train or bus, and you can visit the tourist sites in the area on foot.

Buy
Fashion stores include: Jorna, Lumine, OIOI, Modi, and Tokyu Twins. These are all near Machida station on both the Yokohama and Odakyu lines.

Eat
Machida is an area with many ramen shops. There is also a restaurant specializing in rare soy sauce dishes and a horse meat restaurant. There are too many other restaurants in Machida to mention. Here are some of the distinctive shops.

Medical consultation

 * Holiday and nighttime treatment
 * Holiday and nighttime treatment



Go next

 * Sagamihara
 * Tama
 * Inagi
 * Hachioji
 * Zama
 * Yamato
 * Yokohama
 * Ebina
 * Atsugi