city, Tokyo to (metropolis), Honshu, Japan. It lies along the Chūō Line (railway), east of Tokyo city. In 1922 an army airfield was constructed nearby, and large munitions and aircraft factories were concentrated in the city. After World War II the military installations were taken over by the U.S. Air Force; the air base was returned to Japan in 1977. Tachikawa is now a commercial centre and railway hub. The airfield is used by small craft. The city also serves as a residential suburb of the Tokyo–Yokohama Metropolitan Area. Pop. (2005) 172,566.