After the full return of the US Army Tachikawa base in 1977, art was incorporated into the town in a redevelopment project as a first step of making a "base town" to a "city of culture". FARET TACHIKAWA was born under the concept of "a city that reflects the world", “Make function to fiction" and "a city of surprises and discoveries". 109 pieces of artworks by 92 artists from 36 countries are scattered throughout the city. Received a high evaluation from city planning points of view, FARET TACHIKAWA has been awarded numbers of prizes such as the “City Planning Design Award” (Japan City Planning Institute) in 1994 and become widely known as a model of town development through art.
A local volunteer group "FARET Club" was formed in 1997, and continues activities such as artwork maintenance, guided tours and workshops with participated artists independently. In 2005, the “FARET TACHIKAWA Art Management Committee” was formed among the building owners, the City of Tachikawa and FARE Club, they keep working on restoration and recreational events currently held throughout the year.
After about 20 years since opening, FARET TACHIKAWA still draws attentions of people from all over the world.