Fuchu: From Baba Daimon Zelkova Avenue to Okunitama-jinja Shrine, the Musashi Kokufu Site, and Fuchu City Kyodo-no-Mori Museum

History and Regional Charm

The city name "Fuchu" comes from the phrase "inside the provincial capital (kokufu)." During the Nara and Heian periods, the provincial capital of Musashi Province was located here. Musashi Province covered almost all of present-day Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo, as well as Kawasaki City and most of Yokohama City, except Totsuka, Seya and some other wards, in Kanagawa Prefecture.

When the provincial capital was established, the provincial governor (kokushi) gathered and enshrined the deities of the province together in this location. This is said to be the origin of Okunitama-jinja Shrine being called the Musashi Soja (general shrine of Musashi). North of the shrine stretches the Baba Daimon Zelkova Avenue, designated as a national natural monument. Legends of the father and son Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Minamoto no Yoshiie, as well as stories of Tokugawa Ieyasu, are passed down regarding the beginnings of this avenue.

This course traces Fuchu roughly southward from ancient times to the modern era, walking from the tree-lined avenue in front of the station, through the historic shrine and the ruins of the provincial administrative office, to a museum that represents the history and nature of Fuchu within a single park.

Main Highlights

• ​Baba Daimon Zelkova Avenue​​: A tree-lined approach extending approximately 600 meters north from the Otorii (grand torii gate) of Okunitama-jinja Shrine. As a zelkova avenue, it is considered the only one in Japan designated as a national natural monument. Walking north from the Otorii, a bronze statue of the 23-year-old Minamoto no Yoshiie stands on the sidewalk to your right.
• ​Okunitama-jinja Shrine​​: A shrine that enshrines Okunitama no Okami as the guardian deity of Musashi Province. Its origins are said to date back to the year 111 AD. The vermilion-lacquered main hall (honden) was completed in 1667, connecting three shrine structures side by side, and is a Tokyo Tangible Cultural Property. The annual grand festival on May 5 is known as the Kurayami Matsuri (Darkness Festival).
• ​Musashi Kokufu Site​​: The site of the kokuga (administrative center) of the Musashi provincial capital from the Nara and Heian periods, designated as a National Historic Site. The vermilion pillars beside the exhibition facility indicate the locations of building pillars found during excavations. Vermilion circles are also painted on the road beside the historic site.
• ​Fuchu City Kyodo-no-Mori Museum​​: Built as a "miniature of Fuchu" across roughly 14 hectares, featuring eight relocated and restored buildings dating from the Edo period to the early Showa period. Visitors can see a Western-style town hall from the Taisho period and a post office from the Meiji period. The main building houses a planetarium with a 23-meter diameter dome.

Suggested Route & Time Required

The estimated time required is approximately 5 hours. Leaving the South Exit of Fuchu Station on the Keio Line, you will reach Baba Daimon Zelkova Avenue in about a 2-minute walk. Walk south along the avenue and pass through the Otorii to visit Okunitama-jinja Shrine.

After worshiping, head east for about a 3-minute walk to reach the Musashi Kokufu Site. Another area of the same historic site, the Kokushi-no-tachi and Ieyasu Goten Historic Site Plaza, is located in front of Fuchuhonmachi Station, a short walk to the southwest.

Fuchu City Kyodo-no-Mori Museum is about 1.5 kilometers in a straight line south-southwest from the Musashi Kokufu Site. It is a 20-minute walk from Fuchuhonmachi Station. If you prefer not to walk, take Fuchu City's "Chu Bus" community bus (Kyodo-no-Mori Route) from the direction of Bubaigawara Station, get off at "Kyodo-no-Mori Sogo Taiikukan (Kyodo-no-Mori Museum East)", and walk for about 7 minutes. Inside the museum grounds is an area modeled on the "Hake," the Tachikawa terrace cliff that divides Fuchu City into north and south. Walking with an awareness of the areas above and below it helps in understanding how the "miniature of Fuchu" was constructed. For the return trip, it is a 20-minute walk to each of Fuchuhonmachi Station, Bubaigawara Station, or Koremasa Station.

Summary of the Experience

A tree-lined avenue resembling a green tunnel, a vermilion-lacquered main hall enshrining the guardian deity of Musashi Province, vermilion pillars marking ancient provincial buildings, and museum grounds lined with historic Fuchu structures. Take a full day to walk through this provincial capital town that gave Fuchu its name. Visiting in May during the Kurayami Matsuri or during the plum blossom festival season will reveal a different side of Fuchu.