Musashino

• • Toranoyu Iwaburo — This is an old Japanese bath house with rock walls. There are large changing areas, men's and women's baths, a small shop, and washing machines. — Address: Yahatacho 3-1-21 — Directions: from the Sekimae Sanchome bus stop, head ENE for 200 m; the bath house is on the north side of the road. — Hours: Th-Tu 16:00-22:00 — Price: Adults ¥450 — Phone: +81 422-52-3029

• • Adarsha — This Indian restaurant has several kinds of curry. Sets come with curry, rice, nan, and a salad. It also has all-you-can-drink specials. Serving staff speaks English. — Address: Sakai 2-14-10 — Directions: from Musashisakai Station's north exit, go west 100 m; take the passageway just north of Doutor and continue 50 m west; the restaurant is on the south side of the street — Hours: M-F 11:00-15:00, 17:00-23:00; Sa Su 11:00-23:00 — Price: Lunch ¥700-1200 — Phone: +81 422-36-2210 — Email: adarsha@e-kanji.jp — Website: https://adarsha.jp/
• • Atom — This Italian restaurant has pizza, fried food, and a big wine list. — Address: Sakai 2-2-9 — Directions: from the north exit of Musashisakai Station, go west 50 m and north 100 m; the shop is on the east side of the street — Price: Most menu items ¥500 — Phone: +81 422-56-2056
• • Gyoza no Manshu — This restaurant specializes in gyoza and also serves ramen and Chinese food. The sets are very large. — Address: 1F M-H Bldg, Sakai 2-2-18 — Directions: 200 m north of Musashisakai Station — Price: ¥500-1000 — Phone: +81 422-59-1201
• • Hong Kong — This Chinese restaurant has large meals that come with a main dish, soup, rice, salad, and pickles. — Address: Kichijoji Kitamachi 4-9-11 — Directions: across the street from the Musashino Shimin Bunkakaikan — Price: ¥500-1000 — Phone: +81 422-53-4234
• • Ikkyu — This restaurant serves standard Japanese izakaya fare. — Address: Asahi Freedeo B1F, Sakai 1-15-6 — Directions: 100 m E from the north exit of Musashisakai Station — Hours: 17:00-01:00 — Price: ¥1000-3000 — Phone: +81 422-55-8719 — Website: http://www.193.co.jp/
• • Janaki — This small Indian restaurant has many different kinds of curry. There are several different choices of nan, including a sweet chocolate nan and a very cheesy nan. The staff is very friendly. — Address: Sakai 1-12-2 — Directions: from Musashisakai Station's main exit, walk north 200 m to the first traffic light; head east for 100 m to find this place on your right, just before the traffic light — Price: ¥800-1600 — Phone: +81 422-52-0269
• • Kintoki — This is a small restaurant that serves multi-course "kaiseki" Japanese cuisine with an emphasis on vegetables. Along with the great flavors, the staff provide excellent explanations of the food and drink. Reservations are recommended. — Address: Nakamachi 1-23-13 — Directions: ten minutes' walk NE from Mitaka Station. — Price: ¥5000-8000 per person for food — Phone: +81 422-54-5580 — Website: http://kintoki-an.com/
• • Kouzushi — A small and tasty sushi place with bar and table seating. — Address: Sekimae 5-9-5 — Directions: on Route 7, halfway between Don Quixote and Musashino University, 50 m W of Seven-Eleven — Price: Lunch set ¥800 — Phone: +81 422-54-4001 — Website: https://yanagibashi-kouzusi.com/
• • Nakazaki — A Japanese shokudo with handmade soba. The house special is a katsudon set. — Address: Nishikubo 3-11-1 — Directions: A few blocks NW of the Musashino Post Office. — Hours: Daily 11:30-15:30, 17:00-21:00 — Price: Dishes ¥700-1200 — Phone: +81 422-53-1872
• • Ramen Time — This old shop serves tasty ramen and gyoza. — Address: Sekimae 5-9-6 — Directions: between the Sekimae Post Office and Seven-Eleven on Itsukaichi Kaido — Price: ¥500-900 — Phone: +81 422-55-4407
• • Restaurant Elle — This small eatery is a good lunch option for people visiting Musashino University. The servings are large. — Address: Sekimae 4-17-10 — Directions: across the street from the main gate of Musashino University, next to Seven-Eleven — Hours: 11:00-14:30, 17:00-20:30 — Price: ¥600-1200 — Phone: +81 422-55-0922
• • Sakura Sushi — A small sushi restaurant with a friendly and talkative chef. — Address: Sekimae 5-14-11 — Directions: several blocks SE of Don Quixote. — Hours: Tu-Su — Price: Lunch sets ¥900-1500, dinner sets ¥1200-2100 — Phone: +81 422-53-1006
• • Todairo — This small Chinese restaurant is often filled with the smell of tasty food. — Address: Sakai 2-2-3 — Directions: on the corner a block west from the north exit of Musashisakai Station — Hours: W-M 11:30-15:00, 17:00-22:00 — Price: ¥400-1000 — Phone: +81 422-52-0033 — Website: http://ramendb.supleks.jp/s/10415.html

• • Coffee Roast Musashisakai — This coffee roaster has a dozen kinds of beans. Order a cup, and if you like it, get a bag of beans roasted to take home. — Address: Kyonancho 3-1-5 — Directions: west 300 m from the south exit of Musashisakai Station — Price: ¥230 per cup — Phone: +81 422-31-5860 — Website: http://roast.jp/

The station areas at Kichijoji and Musashisakai have a fair number of shops. For a larger selection, take the Chuo Line to Shinjuku or elsewhere in Tokyo.

Musashino is not generally a business or tourist destination, it being largely residential. What hotels do exist are unlikely to have English speaking staff. Kichijoji has many hotels, though. To the east along the Chuo Line are Nakano and Shinjuku, with plenty of places from which to choose.

• • Hotel Mets Musashisakai — A nice hotel for families or people traveling on business. — Address: Kyonancho 2-1-8 — Directions: just east from the south exit to Musashisakai Station — Price: Single ¥7000-9000, double ¥10,000-13,000 — Phone: +81 422-32-5111 — Website: http://www.hotelmets.jp/musashisakai/

Within Musashino, travel by foot, bus or bicycle is practical. The roads here are not so crowded, so using a car is reasonable, too.

Musashino was formed as the result of a merger of several nearby neighborhoods. The most notable of these, Kichijoji is in itself a destination, and has its own article. Train travel is ubiquitous, so the second hub of the city is the area near Musashisakai Station. The remainder of the city is largely residential. There are several universities in the area, including Asia University and Musashino University.

The city is roughly squarish in shape, except that the south central part of the square is a part of Mitaka, the neighboring city to the south. The JR Chūō Line, which runs east-west through Musashino, has two stops in the city: Musashisakai (武蔵境, in the west) and Kichijoji (吉祥寺, in the east). Between those is Mitaka.