Kokubunji, Tokyo

Template:Nihongo is a city located in the western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. Template:As of, the city had an estimated population of 126,791, and a population density of 11,000 persons per km².<ref name="Kokubunji-hp">Template:Cite web</ref> The total area of the city was Template:Convert.

Geography

Kokubunji is located on the Musashino Terrace of western Tokyo, approximately in the geographic center of the Tokyo Metropolis. The city extends for about 5.68 kilometers east-to-west by about 3.86 kilometers north-to-south.

Surrounding municipalities

Tokyo Metropolis

Climate

Kokubunji has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kokubunji is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1647 mm, with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August (at around 25.5 °C) and lowest in January (at around 2.6 °C).<ref>Kokubunji climate data</ref>

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,<ref>Kokubunji population statistics</ref> the population of Kokubunji increased rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s and has continued to grow at a slower rate since then.

Template:Historical populations

History

The area of present-day Kokubunji was part of ancient Musashi Province, and was the site of the Nara period Provincial temple of that province. In the post-Meiji Restoration cadastral reform of 1878, the area became part of Kitatama District in Kanagawa Prefecture. The village of Kokubunji was created on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. Kitatama District was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1893. Kokubunji was elevated to town status in 1940, and to city status on November 3, 1964.

Government

Kokubunji has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Kokubunji, together with the city of Kunitachi, contributes two members to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Tokyo 19th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Kokubunji is the home of the Hitachi Central Research Laboratory, which contains one of the largest natural preserves in the area surrounding Tokyo.<ref>Hitachi Central Research Laboratory website Template:Webarchive, retrieved 28 January 2013</ref> The Railway Technical Research Institute, the technical research company under the Japan Railways group of companies is also located in Kokubunji.