Machida City　町田市

Located at the most southern side of Musashino’s 5 cities, Machida city is a residential area for people working in central Tokyo and has many green areas. Besides the cultivation of various vegetation, such as tomatoes and eggplants, rice cropping and livestock production are its main industries. Around Yakushi-ike Park and Machida Squirrel Garden, you can see scenes of these kinds of industries, while there are also many academic and cultural facilities, such as Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, universities, and research institutions.

　Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts

Ukiyo-e, Japanese woodcut prints, had a big impact globally on the painting arts of the 19th century. Their motifs were neither religious nor aristocratic, and their designs and colors were often largely deformed. As such, they especially had a great influence on the Impressionist painters. Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts houses more than thirty thousand pieces of such art, and you can even trace through the history of engraved print arts there. Visitors there can appreciate diverse works, from those of famous Japanese artists such as Katsushika Hokusai and Hiroshige Utagawa, to those of European’s like Edouard Manet, Maurice Denis, and Pablo Picasso.

　Yakushi-ike Park

Yakushi pond was originally created as a reservoir for rice paddy fields. Both rice paddy fields and the flood control to maintain them were essential to ancient Japanese people. Now two old houses with thatched roofs built in Edo era have been relocated to this park, so visitors can experience what an old Edo citizen’s life was like. The former residence of the Nagai Family, one of these is a nationally important cultural property. Enter either one of the houses and you can see robust pillars, beams and an open hearth in the floor. The experience helps you understand how Japanese people lived in those days.

　Machida Squirrel Garden

Adjacent to Yakushi-ike Park, visitors can find Machida Squirrel Garden. This garden was originally established for children with special needs. Machida city supported their futures by giving them opportunities to work there. Indeed, it is a facility shaped by the thoughtful traditions of the Musashino people. There are now about 200 squirrels that entertain its visitors, especially children. Visitors can also buy packets of sunflower seeds and feed the squirrels from their palms. However, it is advised that visitors borrow a hand mitt from the park office to avoid getting scratched by the squirrels’ sharp claws.