Hino, Tokyo
Geography. Hino is in Western Tokyo. The city has three geographical regions. The western part is called the Hino plateau, approximately 100 meters above sea level. The southern part is Tama Hills, between 150 and 200 meters above sea level. The eastern part of the city is an alluvial plain of the Tama River. Surrounding municipalities. Tokyo Metropolis Climate. Hino has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen "Cfa") characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hino is 13.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1647 mm with September  as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.9 °C. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Musashino increased rapidly in the 1950s through 1980s, but has remained relatively constant for the past 40 years. History. The area of present-day Hino was part of ancient Musashi Province. During the Edo period, the village of Hino developed as a post station on the Kōshū Kaidō. In the post-Meiji Restoration cadastral reform of 1871, Hino-juku became part of Kanagawa Prefecture. In the  reorganization of districts in 1889, Hino-juku came under the jurisdiction of Minamitama District. The entire district was transferred to the control of Tokyo Prefecture on April 1, 1893, at which time Hino-juku was proclaimed Hino Town under the modern municipalities system. The area of the town expanded through annexation of neighboring villages in 1901 and 1958. On November 3, 1963, Hino was elevated to city status. Government. Hino has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 24 members. Hino contributes two members to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. In  terms of national politics, the city is part of Tokyo 21st district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. Hino is largely a regional commercial center and bedroom community for central Tokyo. Hino is the hometown of Orient Watch Co., Ltd. established in 1950 by Shogoro Yoshida. On December 22, 2008, operations of Seiko Epson's Tokyo sales office began at Seiko Epson's Hino Office. Previously operations were at the World Trade Center in Minato, Tokyo. Hino also houses the headquarters of Hino Motors, a Toyota Group company producing semi-trailer trucks (British and Irish: articulated  lorries), box trucks and buses. Education. Primary and secondary. Hino has 17 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the Hino City Board of Education, and three public high schools operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. Transportation. Railway. JR East – JR East – Chūō Main Line