Minami-ku, Saitama
Encyclopedia
is one of the ten wards
of Saitama
located in Saitama Prefecture
, Japan
.
On April 1, 1889, various mergers took place in Kitaadachi District
. On the same date in 1932, further mergers resulted in the formation of the town of Urawa
. This town became a city with the same name in 1934. Separately, the village of Mutsuji became a town in 1938, and in 1942 it was absorbed into Urawa, still with the name Mutsuji. The following year saw further consolidation of surrounding territory, resulting in the formation of the village of Misasa. Mergers continued throughout the 1950s, and in 2001, the most recent merger formed the city of Saitama. When it became a city designated by government ordinance in 2003, it established Minami-ku as one of its wards.
Many facilities are located in Minami-ku. The city has a ward office there, as well as a culture center. There are two public parks, a horse-racing track, and a swimming pool, which in winter serves as a skating rink. Minami-ku is home to Lotte Urawa Stadium, second home field of the Chiba Lotte Marines
baseball team. A theme park, Musashi Urawa Ramen Academy, is in the ward.
The Arakawa River
and several others drain the area. Minami has three bodies of water: Besshonuma, Shirahatanuma, and Saiko.
Transportation facilities include railway stations and highways. East Japan Railway Company
(JR East) has three stations on three lines serving Minami-ku. The Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
is nearby, and National highway Routes 17 and 298, together with the Route 17 bypass, carry vehicular traffic.
Actor-singer Takashi Sorimachi
and actress Yūko Takeuchi
are from Minami-ku.
This article incorporates material from 南区 (さいたま市) (Minami-ku (Saitama City)) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on May 17, 2008.
Wards of Japan
A is a subdivision of one of the cities of Japan that is large enough to have been designated by government ordinance. Wards are used to subdivide each city designated by government ordinance...
of Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
located in Saitama Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
On April 1, 1889, various mergers took place in Kitaadachi District
Kitaadachi District, Saitama
is a district located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.As of September 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 36,979 and a density of 2,498.58 persons per km². The total area is 14.80 km²...
. On the same date in 1932, further mergers resulted in the formation of the town of Urawa
Urawa, Saitama
was a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, until it merged into the city of Saitama together with two other cities, Omiya and Yono, on May 1, 2001. In 2003, the former area of Urawa became Urawa-ku, Midori-ku, Minami-ku, and Sakura-ku, which are wards of the city of Saitama...
. This town became a city with the same name in 1934. Separately, the village of Mutsuji became a town in 1938, and in 1942 it was absorbed into Urawa, still with the name Mutsuji. The following year saw further consolidation of surrounding territory, resulting in the formation of the village of Misasa. Mergers continued throughout the 1950s, and in 2001, the most recent merger formed the city of Saitama. When it became a city designated by government ordinance in 2003, it established Minami-ku as one of its wards.
Many facilities are located in Minami-ku. The city has a ward office there, as well as a culture center. There are two public parks, a horse-racing track, and a swimming pool, which in winter serves as a skating rink. Minami-ku is home to Lotte Urawa Stadium, second home field of the Chiba Lotte Marines
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
baseball team. A theme park, Musashi Urawa Ramen Academy, is in the ward.
The Arakawa River
Arakawa River
The is one of the principal rivers flowing through Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. The point of origin is on Mount Kobushi in Saitama Prefecture, and the Arakawa River empties into Tokyo Bay, spanning 173 kilometers. The drainage basin covers 2,940 square kilometers...
and several others drain the area. Minami has three bodies of water: Besshonuma, Shirahatanuma, and Saiko.
Transportation facilities include railway stations and highways. East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
(JR East) has three stations on three lines serving Minami-ku. The Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Overview:The name Gaikan refers to the route's status as an outer ring road for Tokyo. The expressway is also referred to simply as Gaikan for short...
is nearby, and National highway Routes 17 and 298, together with the Route 17 bypass, carry vehicular traffic.
Actor-singer Takashi Sorimachi
Takashi Sorimachi
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is mostly famous for having portrayed Eikichi Onizuka in the live-action drama adaptation of the popular manga series Great Teacher Onizuka, and the assassin O in Hong Kong action film Fulltime Killer....
and actress Yūko Takeuchi
Yuko Takeuchi
is a Japanese actress. She made her big break with NHK's television series Asuka and JT Green's commercial. She has gone on to star in many TV shows, movies, and commercials....
are from Minami-ku.
External links
This article incorporates material from 南区 (さいたま市) (Minami-ku (Saitama City)) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on May 17, 2008.