Musashino



Musashino (武蔵野市 Musashino-shi) is a city in western Tokyo.

Understand
Musashino was formed as the result of a merger of several nearby neighborhoods. The most notable of these, Kichijoji is in itself a destination, and has its own article. Train travel is ubiquitous, so the second hub of the city is the area near Musashisakai Station. The remainder of the city is largely residential. There are several universities in the area, including Asia University and Musashino University.

The city is roughly squarish in shape, except that the south central part of the square is a part of Mitaka, the neighboring city to the south. The JR Chūō Line, which runs east-west through Musashino, has two stops in the city: Musashisakai (武蔵境, in the west) and Kichijoji (吉祥寺, in the east). Between those is Mitaka.

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

By train
The JR Chūō Line (中央本線) connects Musashino with Shinjuku and Tokyo Station to the east. Mitaka, one stop east of Musashisakai, is a transfer point for several other train lines.

Get around


Within Musashino, travel by foot, bus or bicycle is practical. The roads here are not so crowded, so using a car is reasonable, too.

By train
By train, the JR Chuo Line has stops at Kichijoji, the neighboring Mitaka, and Musashisakai.

By bus
There are several bus companies that have routes in Musashino. The train runs east/west through the city, and for north/south travel, it is probably best to take a taxi or catch a bus from Musashisakai.

Buy
The station areas at Kichijoji and Musashisakai have a fair number of shops. For a larger selection, take the Chuo Line to Shinjuku or elsewhere in Tokyo.

Sleep
Musashino is not generally a business or tourist destination, it being largely residential. What hotels do exist are unlikely to have English speaking staff. Kichijoji has many hotels, though. To the east along the Chuo Line are Nakano and Shinjuku, with plenty of places from which to choose.

Go next
Musashino is bordered on the west by Koganei, on the east by Mitaka, and on the north by Nishitokyo. These cities are easily accessible by bus or bicycle.

Ride the JR Chuo train for another ten or twenty minutes to reach Nakano or Shinjuku. The Chuo Line ends at Tokyo Station, the shinkansen terminus.
 * Higashikurume
 * Kodaira
 * Higashimurayama
 * Kokubunji
 * Chofu