Kawagoe, Saitama
Kawagoe
川越市 | |
---|---|
Kerria | |
- Bird | Goose |
Phone number | 049-224-8811 |
Address | 1-3-1 Motomachi, Kawagoe-shi, Saitama-ken 350-8601 |
Website | Official website |
Kawagoe (川越市, Kawagoe-shi) is a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2021[update], the city had an estimated population of 353,214 in 162,210 households and a population density of 3200 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 109.13 square kilometres (42.14 sq mi). The city is known locally as "Little Edo" (小江戸, Koedo) after the old name for Tokyo, due to its many historic buildings.
Geography
Located in the
Surrounding municipalities
- Ageo
- Saitama
- Sakado
- Tsurugashima
- Tokorozawa
- Hidaka
- Fujimi
- Fujimino
- Miyoshi
- Kawajima
- Sayama
Climate
Kawagoe has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kawagoe is 14.2 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1448 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.5 °C.[2]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Kawagoe has increased steadily over the past century.
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1920 | 66,320 | — |
1930 | 75,690 | +14.1% |
1940 | 77,672 | +2.6% |
1950 | 100,407 | +29.3% |
1960 | 107,523 | +7.1% |
1970 | 171,029 | +59.1% |
1980 | 259,314 | +51.6% |
1990 | 304,852 | +17.6% |
2000 | 330,766 | +8.5% |
2010 | 342,670 | +3.6% |
2020 | 354,571 | +3.5% |
History
Kawagoe is part of ancient
During the
The town of Kawagoe was created within Iruma District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. A large part of the town was destroyed in a fire on May 13, 1893 and was rebuilt with many structures using construction techniques of traditional kura warehouses. On December 1, 1922 Kawagoe merged with neighboring Senba Village, and was elevated to city status, with a population of 30,359. It was the first municipality in Saitama Prefecture to receive city status. [citation needed]
The village of Tanomozawa was annexed in 1939. The city escaped World War II with only minor damage. The city expanded in 1955 by annexing the villages of Yoshino, Furuya, Minamifuruya, Takashina, Fukuhara, Daito, Kasumigaseki, Naguwashi and Yamada. In December 1999, the old core of Kawagoe was designated a Historic Preservation District. On April 1, 2003, Kawagoe was designated a core city with increased local autonomy.
Government
Kawagoe has a
List of Kawagoe mayors (from 1922)
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Education
Universities and colleges
- Toyo University - Kawagoe campus
- Tokyo International University
- Toho College of Music
- Shobi University
- Saitama Medical University – Kawagoe campus
Primary and secondary education
Kawagoe has 32 public elementary schools and 22 public middle schools operated by the city government, and one private elementary school and four private combined middle/high schools. The city has seven public high schools operated by the Saitama Board of Education, one by the Kawagoe city government and three private high schools. The prefecture also operates three special education schools for the handicapped.
Transportation
Railway
Seibu Railway - Seibu Shinjuku Line
- Minami-Otsuka
Highway
Cycling
The city of Kawagoe operates a bicycle sharing scheme in the city centre, with eight pickup/parking locations.[4]
Twin towns and sister cities
Kawagoe is
Japan
- Nakasatsunai, Hokkaido, since November 2002
- Obama, Fukui, since November 1982
- Tanagura, Fukushima, since January 1972
Worldwide
- Autun, France,[6] since October 2002
- Offenbach am Main, Germany,[6] since August 1983
- Salem, Oregon, United States, since August 1986
- Jacareí, São Paulo (state), Brazil, since August 1977
Local attractions
Kawagoe is famous for its
Sights
- Bell of Time (時の鐘, Toki no kane) is a bell tower originally built on the orders of Sakai Tadakatsu (酒井 忠勝) between 1624 and 1644. The present structure goes back to 1894, a year after the Great Fire of Kawagoe. It is a three-story tower measuring 16 meters in height. The tower has been telling time to the city's residents for 350 years and has been deemed as a symbol of the city. Currently, the bell can be heard four times a day (6 AM, 12 PM, 3 PM and 6 PM) [7]
- Confectionery Row (菓子屋横丁, Kashiya Yokochō) is a small backstreet alley where a dozen stores sell old-fashioned cheap sweets and snacks, most of which are priced at less than 50 yen. The location was known as a neighborhood where scores of confectionery manufactures lined the alley. Many tourists come here to enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere of the early .
- Kurazukuri Street (蔵造りの町並み, Kurazukuri no machinami) is lined with traditional warehouses constructed in a style called kurazukuri (蔵造り) and maintains the style of the Edo period. The city of Kawagoe started building kurazukuri-style warehouses in the aftermath of a great fire that consumed one-third of the old Kawagoe in 1893. The style was designed to be fireproof. Within and beyond the Kurazukuri Street, many warehouses from the 18th and 19th centuries can still be seen. The Kawagoe Kurazukuri Museum is located in a traditional warehouse built in 1893 and allows its visitors to walk around inside and experience the life of Edo merchants.[9][10] The artisan shops in the area include Machikan, a sword and knife manufacturer in operation for generations.[11]
Festivals
Notable people from Kawagoe
- Asada Nobuoki, General in the Imperial Japanese Army
- Ayaka Miyoshi, J-Pop idol and actress
- Hisako Higuchi, professional golfer
- Masachika Ichimura, actor
- Nanaka Suwa, voice actress
- Nobutaka Shiōden, General in the Imperial Japanese Army
- Yuzuho Shiokoshi, football player
- Sho Tsuboi, racing driver
References
- ^ "Kawagoe city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
- ^ Kawagoe climate data
- ^ Kawagoe population statistics
- ^ 川越市自転車シェアリングを実施します [Kawagoe to introduce bicycle sharing scheme] (in Japanese). Japan: City of Kawagoe. 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-01-13. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ 姉妹友好都市交流 [Twin cities] (in Japanese). Japan: Kawagoe International Center. 2003. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ a b "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 4 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
- ^ Kawagoe City website. Retrieved on 4 August 2019
- ^ Kawagoe City website Archived 2008-09-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 4 September 2008
- ^ Kawagoe Kuradukuri Museum website. Retrieved on 4 September 2008
- ^ "Japanese traditional houses, Kurazukuri". muza-chan.net. Muza-chan's Gate to Japan.
- ^ The Traditionalist Afar magazine
- ^ Kawagoe Festival official website Retrieved 21 January 2013
External links
- Kawagoe travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Official Website (in Japanese)
- Little Edo: The Ultimate guide to visiting the 400-year old district of Kawagoe (in Japanese)