Sayama, Saitama

Sayama
狭山市
City

Flag

Location of Sayama in Saitama Prefecture
Sayama

Location in Japan

Coordinates: 35°51′N 139°25′E / 35.850°N 139.417°ECoordinates: 35°51′N 139°25′E / 35.850°N 139.417°E
Country Japan
Region Kantō
Prefecture Saitama Prefecture
Area
 • Total 49.04 km2 (18.93 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)
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 Prefecture, Japan. Sayama translates as "sitting on a mountain”. The city was founded on July 1, 1954.

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

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

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]

Dai Nippon Printing Company, Ltd. imaging media division operates a large coating facility in the city.

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

Hirose bridge, over the Iruma River
Sayama City Center and City Hall

Sister cities

References

  1. ↑ "JNTO Japan event calendar|contents". Jnto.go.jp. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  2. ↑ "Tanabata Festivals in Japan". Gojapan.about.com. 2012-04-09. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  3. ↑ "The Sayama Case ｜ IMADR". Imadr.org. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  4. ↑ "Indoor Snowboarding in Japan". Paul Hartrick. 2008-11-17. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  5. ↑ "Honda Worldwide | History". World.honda.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  6. ↑ "Honda Worldwide | May 17, 2006 "Honda Builds New Automobile Plant in Japan With Annual Production Capacity of 200,000 units"". World.honda.com. 2006-05-17. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  7. ↑ "The Assembly Line Is Rolling Again, Tenuously, at Honda in Japan". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  8. ↑ "LOTTE". LOTTE. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  9. ↑ "Shiori Kazama". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  10. ↑

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sayama, Saitama.