is the capital and the most populous
city||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
of
Saitama Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū. 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 floods of residents commute each day....
in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of 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...
, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of
Urawawas 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...
,
Ōmiyais a ward of Saitama city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is in the Greater Tokyo Area and about 25 km north of central Tokyo. Ōmiya-ku is surrounded by Nishi-ku , Kita-ku , Minuma-ku , Urawa-ku , Chūō-ku , and Sakura-ku of Saitama city.Ōmiya-ku is the most active commercial and business centre in...
,
YonoYono was a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The town of Yono began on April 1, 1889. On July 15, 1958, Yono became a city. The city existed between cities of Urawa and Ōmiya. On May 1, 2001 it merged with Ōmiya and Urawa to form the new capital City of Saitama...
and
Iwatsukiis a ward of Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan since April 1, 2005 when the city of Iwatsuki was incorporated into Saitama City.-Population and Area:The first population count was held on July 1, 2006 and the ward had an estimated population of 111,723...
. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the
Greater Tokyo AreaThe Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Japan consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo . In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, including the , , , and others....
and lying 15 - 30
kilometreThe kilometre , symbol km is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second....
s north of central
Tokyo, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the city of Tokyo in the eastern part of the prefecture, totaling over 8 million people....
, many of its residents commute into Tokyo.
History
The city was founded on May 1, 2001, and was designated on April 1, 2003 as a government ordinance. For the histories of Urawa, Ōmiya and Yono before the merger, see
Urawa-ku and Saitama, Ōmiya-ku and Saitama and Yono and Saitama, respectively.
On April 1, 2005, it merged with the city of Iwatsuki to its east, which became a new
wardA 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...
,
Iwatsuki-kuis a ward of Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan since April 1, 2005 when the city of Iwatsuki was incorporated into Saitama City.-Population and Area:The first population count was held on July 1, 2006 and the ward had an estimated population of 111,723...
.
Geography
The city is located 20 to 30 km north of central Tokyo, roughly at the center of the
Kantō PlainThe is the largest plain in Japan located in the Kanto Region of central Honshū. The total area 17,000 sq km covers more than half of the Region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, and Tochigi Prefecture...
. Within Saitama Prefecture, the location corresponds to the southeastern portion bordered by Ageo City, Hasuda City, and Shiraoka Town to the north; Asaka City, Kawaguchi City, Toda City, and Warabi City to the south; Koshigaya City to the east; Kasukabe City to the northeast; and Kawagoe City, Shiki City, and Fujimi City to the west.
Situated within the Kantō Plain, the city is topographically comprised by lowlands and plateaus, mostly falling below 20 m above sea level, with no mountain ranges or hills within the city boundaries. The western portion of the city lies on the lowland created by the
Arakawa RiverThe Arakawa River 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 empties into Tokyo Bay, spanning 173 kilometers...
along with those created by small rivers such as the Moto-Arakawa River,
Shiba RiverThe is a tributary of the Arakawa River that mainly runs through the eastern part of Saitama Prefecture. The river has and in Okegawa, Saitama as points of origin and flows through Ageo, Minuma, Kawaguchi, and Hatogaya, and connects to the Arakawa River....
, and Ayase River. The rest of the area mostly resides on the Ōmiya Plateau lying in the north-south direction. Dispersed in this region, major rivers flow southward, almost paralleling to one another.
Wards
Saitama has ten
wardsA 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...
(
ku), which were assigned official colours as of April 2005:
| ■1 - Chūō-ku Chūō-ku is a ward of Saitama City, Japan. It is surrounded by Sakura-ku , Minami-ku , Urawa-ku and Ōmiya-ku of Saitama city....
|
中央区 |
(Rose red) |
| ■2 - Iwatsuki-ku is a ward of Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan since April 1, 2005 when the city of Iwatsuki was incorporated into Saitama City.-Population and Area:The first population count was held on July 1, 2006 and the ward had an estimated population of 111,723...
|
岩槻区 |
(Ochre) |
| ■3 - Kita-ku is a ward of Saitama city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, occupying the northern part of the city. It is surrounded by Minuma-ku , Ōmiya-ku , Nishi-ku of Saitama city and Ageo city .- History :...
|
北区 |
(Dark green) |
| ■4 - Midori-ku is one of the ten wards of Saitama located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.-Geography:Midori-ku is located at the south-eastern corner and covers an area part of former Misono Village and an eastern section of former Urawa City. A wide area of green farmland, Minuma Rice Paddies, forms the central...
|
緑区 |
(Green) |
| ■5 - Minami-ku 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...
|
南区 |
(Lemon yellow) |
| ■6 - Minuma-ku Minuma-ku is a ward of Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, occupying the northeastern part of the city. It is surrounded by Iwatsuki-ku , Midori-ku , Urawa-ku , Ōmiya-ku , Kita-ku of Saitama city and cities of Ageo and Hasuda .-History:Until May 1, 2001 it was an eastern part of Ōmiya city...
|
見沼区 |
(Sky blue) |
| ■7 - Nishi-ku is one of the ten wards of Saitama located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.-External links:*...
|
西区 |
(Blue) |
| ■8 - Ōmiya-ku is a ward of Saitama city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is in the Greater Tokyo Area and about 25 km north of central Tokyo. Ōmiya-ku is surrounded by Nishi-ku , Kita-ku , Minuma-ku , Urawa-ku , Chūō-ku , and Sakura-ku of Saitama city.Ōmiya-ku is the most active commercial and business centre in...
|
大宮区 |
(Orange) |
| ■9 - Sakura-ku Sakura-ku is a ward of Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, occupying the southwestern part of the city. It is surrounded by Nishi-ku, Ōmiya-ku , Chūō-ku ,Minami-ku of Saitama city and cities of Asaka, Shiki and Fujimi .Saitama University is headquartered in Sakura-ku.The name of Sakura-ku...
|
桜区 |
(Cherry blossom pink) |
| ■10 - Urawa-ku Urawa is a ward of Saitama City, Japan. It is surrounded by Midori-ku , Minami-ku , Chūō-ku , Ōmiya-ku , and Minuma-ku of Saitama city....
|
浦和区 |
(Red) |
Economy
The economy of the city is basically as one of the commercial centres in the Greater Tokyo Area and as a business centre to serve Saitama Prefecture, North Kantō, and northeast Honshū.
Manufacturing includes automotive, food, optical, precision and pharmaceutical products.
Iwatsukiis a ward of Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan since April 1, 2005 when the city of Iwatsuki was incorporated into Saitama City.-Population and Area:The first population count was held on July 1, 2006 and the ward had an estimated population of 111,723...
is famous for manufacturing of
hinamatsuriThe Japanese , or Girls' Day, is held on March 3, the third day of the third month. Platforms with a red hi-mōsen are used to display a set of representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period....
dolls and ornate
kabutoA kabuto is a helmet used with traditional Japanese armour as worn by samurai. It features a strong bowl, the "hachi", which protects the crown of the head, a suspended series of articulated plates to protect the neck, and often a crest of the clan .A kabuto was usually constructed from three to...
(
samuraiis the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
helmets).
BiotechnologyBiotechnology is technology based on biology, agriculture, food science, and medicine. Modern use of the term usually refers to genetic engineering as well as cell- and tissue culture technologies...
is an important industry in the city.
Transportation
Saitama is a regional
transportation hubA transport hub or transport interchange is a location where passengers and cargo are exchanged across several mode of transport. Hubs make out the center of spoke-hub distribution paradigms, allowing passengers and cargo to be transported from one place to another without a direct service...
for both passengers and freight.
Ōmiya Stationis a railway stationlocated in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama, Japan.It is the busiest station in Saitama Prefecture and one of the hub stations in the Greater Tokyo Area for the East Japan Railway Company as well as one of the main gateways from Greater Tokyo to the Tōhoku and Hokuriku regions along with...
, part of the
ShinkansenThe is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the now long network has expanded to link most major cities on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū at speeds up to...
high-speed train network, serves as the biggest railway hub in the prefecture. The
MusashinoThe is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company .It links Tsurumi Station in Yokohama with Nishi-Funabashi Station in Chiba Prefecture, forming a 100 kilometer unclosed loop around central Tokyo...
and
Saitama RailwayThe Saitama Railway Line is the continuation of the Namboku Line, starting at Akabane-Iwabuchi station in Tokyo and ending at Urawa Misono Station in Saitama...
lines offer connections at other stations. The
Shutois a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the .Most routes consist of elevated roadway above other roads or over water, and have many sharp curves which require caution to drive safely...
,
Tokyo GaikanThe 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...
and
TōhokuThe is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned by Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company.-Naming:Tōhoku refers to the Tōhoku region, the northernmost region on the island of Honshū....
expresswaysThe expressways of Japan make up a large network of freeway-standard toll roads.- History :Following World War II, Japan's economic revival led to a massive increase in personal automobile use...
serve the city.
National HighwayJapan has a nationwide system of distinct from the expressways. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and other government agencies administer the national highways. Beginning in 1952, Japan classified these as Class 1 or Class 2. Class 1 highways had one- or two-digit numbers, while...
Routes 16, 17, 122, 298 and 463 also serve the city.
The closest major airports are
Haneda Airport, located in Ōta, Tokyo, south of Tokyo Station, Japan, is one of the two primary airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area. It is commonly known as ....
and
Narita International Airportis an international airport located in Narita, Chiba, Japan, in the eastern portion of the Greater Tokyo Area. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east southeast of Narita Station....
, both about two hours away.
Honda Airportis a private airfield in the town of Kawajima, Hiki District, and the city of Okegawa, both in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Another name for it is Okegawa Airfield. The operator is Honda Airways, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co. Ltd.-Data:...
in
Okegawais a city located in Saitama, Japan. It was founded on November 3, 1970, and as of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 73,881 and the density of 2,924.82 persons per km²...
is for
general aviationGeneral aviation is one of two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and offers no scheduled transport services. Commuter helicopter flights to Narita Airport are offered from
Kawajimais a town located in Hiki District, Saitama, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 23,028 and a density of 551.97 persons per km². The total area is 41.72 km².-External links:* in Japanese...
http://www.heli-express.com/index.html?lan=en.
Politics and Government
The directly-elected, executive mayor is Sōichi Aikawa, an
independentIn politics, an independent is a politician who is not affiliated with any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do not feel that any major party addresses...
backed by the
Liberal Democratic PartyThe , frequently abbreviated to LDP or , is a centre right, conservative political party and the largest party in Japan. It had been one of the most consistently successful political parties in the democratic world...
and
KomeitoThe , New Komeito Party, or NKP is a centre-right political party in Japan founded by members of the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai. . The , New Komeito Party, or NKP is a centre-right political party in Japan founded by members of the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai. . The , New Komeito...
. On May 24, 2009 Aikawa lost his bid for reelection against Hayato Shimizu who was backed by the opposition
DPJThe is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. After the 2009 election the DPJ became the ruling party in the House of Representatives, defeating the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party and gaining the largest number of seats in both the House of...
. The city assembly of Saitama has 64 elected members.
Universities
- Mejiro University
is a private university in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded 1918 in Kumamoto, Kumamoto. It was chartered as a women's junior college in 1963. In 1994 it opened as a four-year college. The school also has facilities in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture.-External links:* ...
- Nihon University
Nihon University is the largest university in Japan. Akiyoshi Yamada, the minister of justice, founded Nihon Law School in October 1889....
Faculty of Law
- The Open University of Japan
is a distance learning university which has students all over Japan; it accepted its first students in 1985.Although founded by the national government initiative with a single-issue law and heavily subsidised by the government, it is established by as a , the University classified as a private...
Omiya Study Center
- Saitama University
Saitama University is a Japanese national university located in a suburban area of Sakura-ku, Saitama City capital of Saitama Prefecture in Tokyo Metropolitan Area....
- Shibaura Institute of Technology
The , abbreviated as , is a private university of Technology in Japan....
- University of Human Arts and Sciences
is a private distance learning university with headquarters in Saitama, Saitama, Japan, established in 2000. It has a satellite campus in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1953.-External links:*...
- Urawa University
is a private university in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, established in 2003. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1946.-External links:*...
Junior Colleges
- Kokusai Gakuin Saitama Junior College
is a private junior college in Saitama, Saitama, Japan, established in 1983. Though the institution is coeducational, female students greatly outnumbers male students. In July 2004 it was selected for Good Practice, a grant program by the Ministry of Education....
- Urawa University Junior College
High Schools
- Omiya High School
- Urawa High School
- Urawanishi High School
Sports
Saitama is home to two
J. LeagueThe , or , is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class ranking by the AFC. Currently, J...
football (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
teams: the popular
Urawa Red Diamondsis a professional football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League. One of Japan's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for eight of the J-League's fifteen season history. In 2007 the team attracted an average gate of over 46,000, the highest...
, formerly owned by
MitsubishiThe , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
, and
Omiya Ardijais a professional football club which play in the J. League, and are based in Ōmiya-ku in Saitama, Japan. Its "hometown" as designated by the league is the whole of Saitama city, which is shared with neighbours Urawa Red Diamonds...
, formerly owned by
NTTNTT may refer to:*Nippon Telegraph and Telephone, a telephone company that dominates the telecommunication market in Japan**Its group companies can be found at :Category:NTT*Name That Tune, a now defunct game show...
.
The city and
Tokorozawais a city in Saitama, Japan. It is located in the central part of the Musashino plain, about 30 km west of downtown Tokyo. Tokorozawa can be considered part of the greater Tokyo area; its proximity to the latter and lower housing costs make it a popular bedroom community.-Location:Tokorozawa...
are home to the Japan Professional
BasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
League team the
Saitama BroncosThe is a men's professional basketball club based in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It calls the whole prefecture home and its main home arenas are Tokorozawa Civic Gymnasium and Saitama Super Arena in Chūō-ku, Saitama City...
.
- Urawa Red Diamonds
is a professional football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League. One of Japan's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for eight of the J-League's fifteen season history. In 2007 the team attracted an average gate of over 46,000, the highest...
- J. LeagueThe , or , is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class ranking by the AFC. Currently, J...
football (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
- Omiya Ardija
is a professional football club which play in the J. League, and are based in Ōmiya-ku in Saitama, Japan. Its "hometown" as designated by the league is the whole of Saitama city, which is shared with neighbours Urawa Red Diamonds...
- J. LeagueThe , or , is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class ranking by the AFC. Currently, J...
football (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
- Saitama Broncos
The is a men's professional basketball club based in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It calls the whole prefecture home and its main home arenas are Tokorozawa Civic Gymnasium and Saitama Super Arena in Chūō-ku, Saitama City...
- bj leaguebj-league , is a professional basketball league in Japan that began on November 5, 2005. The ten team league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference, and the Western Conference. It had its inaugural All-Star game in 2006. One of its major sponsors is Spalding.The bj-league operates...
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
(The base is Saitama Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū. 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 floods of residents commute each day....
,main is Saitama-Education:* Kokusai Gakuin Saitama Junior College, a private junior college in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan* Saitama Gakuen University, a private university in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan...
,Tokorozawa.)
- Saitama Seibu Lions - NPBbaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
Mass media
Most of Saitama Prefecture's mass media presence is concentrated in this city. See
Mass media in Saitama PrefectureThis article lists and describes the features of mass media based in Saitama Prefecture of Japan. Most are based in the capital and most populous city Saitama City's Urawa ward. Unless mentioned otherwise the language isJapanese....
for details.
Origin of the name "Saitama"
The name "Saitama" originally comes from the Sakitama (埼玉郡) district of what is now the city of
Gyōdais a city located in Saitama, Japan.As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 85,781 and a density of 1,393.68 persons per km². The total area is 61.55 km².The city was founded on May 3, 1949.- Transportation :...
in the northern part of what is now known as Saitama Prefecture. "Sakitama" has an ancient history and is mentioned in the famous 8th century poetry anthology Man'yōshū. The pronunciation has changed from Sakitama to Saitama over the years.
With the merger of
Urawawas 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...
,
Ōmiyais a ward of Saitama city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is in the Greater Tokyo Area and about 25 km north of central Tokyo. Ōmiya-ku is surrounded by Nishi-ku , Kita-ku , Minuma-ku , Urawa-ku , Chūō-ku , and Sakura-ku of Saitama city.Ōmiya-ku is the most active commercial and business centre in...
, and
YonoYono was a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The town of Yono began on April 1, 1889. On July 15, 1958, Yono became a city. The city existed between cities of Urawa and Ōmiya. On May 1, 2001 it merged with Ōmiya and Urawa to form the new capital City of Saitama...
it was decided that a new name, one fitting for this newly-created prefectural capital, was needed. The prefectural name "Saitama" (埼玉県) was changed from
kanjiare the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet . The Japanese term kanji literally means "Han characters".- History :Chinese characters first came to Japan on...
into
hiraganais a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
, thus Saitama City (さいたま市) was born. It is the only prefectural capital in Japan whose name is always written in hiragana, and belongs to the list of hiragana cities.
However, Saitama written in hiragana (さいたま市) actually finished in second place in public polling to Saitama written in kanji (埼玉市). Despite this, government officials decided to name the new city Saitama in hiragana, not kanji. In third place in the poll was Ōmiya (大宮市). In fourth was Saitama (彩玉市), written with an alternative kanji for "sai" (彩) which means "colorful". The "sai" (埼) used in the prefectural name is a rare form of a common character (崎) that means cape or promontory.
Sister cities
Saitama has six sister cities.
TolucaToluca, formally: Toluca de Lerdo is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the western...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(1979)
ZhengzhouZhengzhou , formerly called Zhengxian is a prefecture-level city, and the capital of Henan province, People's Republic of China.-History:...
,
ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
(1981)
HamiltonHamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's seventh largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
(1984)
RichmondRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
,
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(1994)
NanaimoNanaimo is the second largest city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City"...
,
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(1996)
PittsburghPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(1998)
Visitor attractions
- Akigase Park
- Besshonuma Park
- Hikawa Shrine
- John Lennon Museum
is a museum located inside the Saitama Super Arena in Chuo-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. It was established to preserve knowledge of John Lennon's life and musical career. It permanently displays Lennon's widow Yoko Ono's collection of his memorabilia as well as other displays. The museum...
- Minuma
or is an area of paddy fields and other agricultural fields along the Minuma Irrigational Canal. The area encompasses 1260 hectares and straddles across five wards of the city of Saitama...
- Railway Museum
- Sonic City
- Saitama Stadium 2002
- Saitama Super Arena
is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. Its spectator capacity is 37,000 at maximum settings.This main arena capacity is between 19,000-22,500 when events such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice hockey, gymnastics, boxing, mixed martial arts and...
External links