Sayama

Sayama is located in south-central Saitama Prefecture, on the alluvial lowland of the Iruma River, which flows through the city towards the northeast (toward Kawagoe) . The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Iruma Air Base is located in the south of the city hall, 90% of which is in Sayama city area (and only 10% in Iruma city area).

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Sayama increased nearly fivefold from 1960 to 1990. It peaked at just over 160,000 people around the year 2000 and has declined since.

During the Kamakura period, the area developed as a post station on the Kamakura Kaidō highway, as the dividing point on the routes to Kōzuke Province and Shimotsuke Province. The town of Irumagawa was established within Iruma District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On July 1, 1954, Irumagawa merged with the neighboring villages of Mizutomi, Kashiwahara, Okutomi, Hirokane, and Irima to create the city of Sayama.

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.[4]

Sayama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Sayama contributes two members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 9th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Sayama is one of the major industrial centers of Saitama Prefecture, although it is also a bedroom community with over 15% of its population commuting to Tokyo for work. The city, along with neighboring Iruma, is a well known tea growing region, producing Sayama Tea.

• Iruma Air Base

• Worthington, Ohio, United States[9] since November 1, 1999
• Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China[10] (friendship city) since July 8, 1996
• Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, South Korea,[10] since July 4, 1973

Hirose bridge, over the Iruma River

• Irumagawa Tanabata Matsuri.[11][12]
• Sayama Ski Area, an Indoor ski slope[13]
• Sayama Inariyama Park
• Shimizu Hachiman-gu

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

• Asteroid 4461 Sayama was named after the city.

• Matsushige Ohno, politician
• Shiori Kazama, director, The Mars Canon[14]
• Mitsuo Hashimoto, manga artist
• Yohei Hayashi, footballer
• Ryuji Hijikata, professional wrestler
• Tetsurō Araki, anime director
• Kensuke Kazama, photographer

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sayama, Saitama.

• Official Website (in Japanese)