Kunitachi

Kunitachi is a college town in the western part of metropolitan Tokyo, roughly 30 minutes from the city center by train. The area lies between the Tama and Nogawa rivers and is shaped by a central boulevard called Daigaku Dori, which runs from Kunitachi Station to the riverbank and is lined with cherry trees and zelkova trees.

In the 1920s, Kojiro Tsutsumi acquired the land and developed it into a planned residential area with wide streets and green spaces to create a university district. Hitotsubashi University later moved to the town and has shaped the academic character of the area ever since.

The Former Honda Family Home, over 300 years old and registered as a Tangible Cultural Property, shows how families lived during the Edo period. Visitors can walk through the wooden structure and see the room layout and everyday objects that tell the story of domestic life in earlier centuries.

The JR Chuo Main Line connects the town directly to central Tokyo, while the Nambu Line provides additional routes to neighboring areas. Daigaku Dori is accessible for pedestrians and cyclists and is a good route for walking, especially in spring during cherry blossom season.

Yabo Tenman-gu was founded in 903 and is considered the oldest Tenmangu shrine in the Kanto region. Visitors can see wood carvings there and watch free-roaming poultry that live on the shrine grounds.