Ome, city in central Japan, on east central Honshu Island, in western Tokyo Prefecture about 45 km (about 28 mi) west of downtown Tokyo. Ome is on the Tama River where it descends from the Kanto Mountains to the Kanto Plain. It serves as a gateway to the mountains and Chichibu-tama National Park to the west and the farmlands and urbanized areas of the Kanto Plain to the east. Ome has long been known for its cotton textiles. Machinery manufacturing has been an important industry since the 1920s. The city's main train station is Ome Station. Connections to Tokyo are through the rail station at the city of Tachikawa, about 13 km (about 8 mi) to the east, by way of the Ome and Chuo passenger-rail lines of the Japan Railways system. The area around Ome Station is the city's main commercial district. Much of the eastern part of the city is subdivided into housing developments for commuters to central Tokyo. The northern and western parts of Ome are mountainous and heavily forested, with little development except along the Tama River and some golf courses in the hills. The Ome Railway Museum Park is a popular attraction. Ome originally developed as a post-station town (a settlement catering to travelers) during the Edo period (1603-1867). Ome has been one of the fastest growing areas of Tokyo Prefecture since the 1920s, when large-scale development began in the area to the west of Tokyo. Ome was established as a city in 1951. Population 138,202 (1999).
