Musashi-Sakai Station
Encyclopedia
Musashi-sakai Station is located in Musashino City
, part of western Tokyo
, 23 km (14.3 mi) west of Shinjuku. It is served by the JR East Chūō Line
, and is also the northern terminus of the short Seibu Tamagawa Line
. It is not a major transfer station, and only local trains on the Chūō Line stop at Musashi-sakai. However, historically it is quite important, opening as one of the original stations on the then Kobu Railway in 1889. Today, it is the nearest train station to International Christian University
and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
headquarters. Tama (formerly Tamabochimae), the second stop on the line, serves The American School in Japan
, Nogawa Park
, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
, and other institutions.
The area around Musashi-sakai has the standard commercial activity common to suburban Tokyo train stations, with a branches of the Ito Yokado department store, JR-owned Hotel Mets, and the Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Bank
, as well as a shopping street with many restaurants and small shops on the north side. The station has the standard taxi rank and bus stops, servicing bus routes between there and Hibarigaoka Station
on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
to the north and Chōfu Station
on the Keiō Line to the south.
Currently, construction is underway to elevate the railway lines in order to alleviate congestion along the Chūō Line. Work was scheduled to continue until 2008 however, as of November 2009, the construction is unfinished. This has meant considerable change in the station layout over the past few years, with many temporary structures added including a shift of the Seibu Tamagawa line platform from within the JR station to a separate makeshift building. There have also been works to make the station wheelchair accessible, such as the installation of elevators, although these do not completely circumvent the necessity to climb flights of stairs, even for wheelchair users.
Musashino, Tokyo
is a city located in Tokyo, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 137,222 and a population density of 12,788.63 persons per km². The total area is 10.73 km².The city was founded on November 3, 1947...
, part of western Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, 23 km (14.3 mi) west of Shinjuku. It is served by the JR East Chūō Line
Chuo Main Line
The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
, and is also the northern terminus of the short Seibu Tamagawa Line
Seibu Tamagawa Line
The Tamagawa Line, or , part of the Seibu Railway system, is an 8.0 km railway line in the western suburbs of Tokyo. The line runs from Musashi-Sakai Station on the Chūō Main Line to Koremasa Station along the Tama River. The line has only six stations and is not connected to any other part of...
. It is not a major transfer station, and only local trains on the Chūō Line stop at Musashi-sakai. However, historically it is quite important, opening as one of the original stations on the then Kobu Railway in 1889. Today, it is the nearest train station to International Christian University
International Christian University
There are several rankings related to ICU, shown below.-Alumni rankings:According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings and the PRESIDENT's article on 2006/10/16, graduates from ICU have the 24th best employment rate in 400 major companies, and their average graduate salary is the 4th best in...
and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
The is an astronomical research organisation comprising several facilities in Japan, as well as an observatory in Hawaii. It was established in 1988 as an amalgamation of three existing research organizations - the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo, International Latitude...
headquarters. Tama (formerly Tamabochimae), the second stop on the line, serves The American School in Japan
American School in Japan
The American School in Japan was founded in 1902 and is an international private day school located in the city of Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan. The school consists of an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, all located on the Chōfu campus...
, Nogawa Park
Nogawa Park
-History:The land for the park was purchased from International Christian University in 1974. It had previously been used as a golf course by the school.-Geography:...
, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
TUFS is a specialized institution only in foreign language, international affairs and foreign studies, thus it is not as well-known as other big universities such as University of Tokyo and Kyoto University...
, and other institutions.
The area around Musashi-sakai has the standard commercial activity common to suburban Tokyo train stations, with a branches of the Ito Yokado department store, JR-owned Hotel Mets, and the Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Bank
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
is the largest bank in Japan, which was established on January 1, 2006, with the merger of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd. and UFJ Bank Ltd. The bank serves as the core retail and commercial banking arm of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group....
, as well as a shopping street with many restaurants and small shops on the north side. The station has the standard taxi rank and bus stops, servicing bus routes between there and Hibarigaoka Station
Hibarigaoka Station (Tokyo)
is a railway station in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Hibarigaoka is the 12th station from Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line.-History:The station opened on June 11, 1924 as Tanashimachi Station...
on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Seibu Ikebukuro Line
The is a commuter railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally terminates at Agano Station.The Seibu Chichibu...
to the north and Chōfu Station
Chofu Station (Tokyo)
is a Keio Corporation station located in Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan.-Station layout:This station has two ground-level island platforms.-Future development:...
on the Keiō Line to the south.
Currently, construction is underway to elevate the railway lines in order to alleviate congestion along the Chūō Line. Work was scheduled to continue until 2008 however, as of November 2009, the construction is unfinished. This has meant considerable change in the station layout over the past few years, with many temporary structures added including a shift of the Seibu Tamagawa line platform from within the JR station to a separate makeshift building. There have also been works to make the station wheelchair accessible, such as the installation of elevators, although these do not completely circumvent the necessity to climb flights of stairs, even for wheelchair users.