Sayama, Saitama

Sayama
狭山市
—  City  —

Flag
Location of Sayama in Saitama
Sayama
 
Coordinates:
Country Japan
Region Kantō
Prefecture Saitama
Area
 • Total 49.04 km2 (18.9 sq mi)
Population (October 1, 2010)
 • Total 157,453
 • Density 3,210.71/km2 (8,315.7/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree Camellia sinensis (Tea plant)
- Flower Azalea
- Bird Azure-winged Magpie
Website City of Sayama

Sayama (狭山市 Sayama-shi?), formerly known as Irumagawa, is a city located in Saitama, Japan. Sayama translates as "sitting on a mountain”. The city was founded on July 1, 1954.

As of October 1, 2010, the city had an estimated population of 157,453 and a density of 3,210.71 persons per km². The city's total area is 49.04 km².

The current Mayor is Yukinari Nakagawa(仲川幸成) elected in 2003.

Contents

Geography

Sayama is bordered by the cities of Kawagoe, Tokorozawa, Iruma, Hannō, and Hidaka.

The Iruma River flows through the city.

Population history

Transportation

Ken-Ō Expressway, Route 16, Route 299 and Route 407 pass through Sayama. Train stations include Iriso Station, Inariyama-kōen Station, Sayamashi Station, and Shin-Sayama Station.

History and culture

Sayama is host to one of Japan's best known Tanabata (Star) festivals each August, the Irumagawa Tanabata Matsuri.[1][2]

The city was the location of the Sayama Incident, a 1963 murder and trial which resulted in the false accusation and conviction of an innocent man, a member of the Burakumin minority group, of murder.[3]

The city has an Indoor ski slope, the Sayama Ski Area.[4]

The Secom Rugguts rugby union team, and the Saitama Soccer Club of the Kantō Soccer League, are located there.

The Iruma Air Base is located there, as is the Bunri University of Hospitality and Musashino Gakuin University.

Asteroid 4461 Sayama was named after the city.

Business

Honda assembly plant

Sayama is the location of an assembly plant, which opened in 1964, for Honda/Acura vehicles, currently including the Fit, CR-V, Acura TSX and RL, and in the past the Accord, Prelude, Vigor, Inspire, Legend and Integra.[5][6] The plant was briefly closed, but not damaged, following the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and restarted production in April 2011, albeit at lower production levels.[7]

Other businesses

The Lotte candy and food processing company operates a facility in Sayama.[8]

The Sankyo Flute Company is located there.

The city, along with neighboring Iruma, is a well known tea growing region, producing Sayama Tea.

People from Sayama

Sister cities

References

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sayama,_Saitama Sayama, Saitama] at Wikimedia Commons