Tokorozawa 所沢市 | |
|---|---|
 Tokorozawa Sakura Town | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Tokorozawa in Saitama Prefecture | |
  Tokorozawa | |
| Coordinates:35°47′58.6″N139°28′7″E / 35.799611°N 139.46861°E /35.799611; 139.46861 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture | Saitama |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Masatoshi Onozuka (since October 2023) |
| Area | |
• Total | 72.11 km2 (27.84 sq mi) |
| Population (February 2024) | |
• Total | 343,298 |
| • Density | 4,761/km2 (12,330/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Phone number | 04-2998-1111 |
| Address | 1-1-1 Namiki, Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama-ken 359-8501 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | Eurasian skylark |
| Flower | Camellia sinensis |
| Tree | Ginkgo biloba |
Tokorozawa (所沢市,Tokorozawa-shi) is acity located inSaitama Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 February 2024[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 343,298 in 168,939 households and apopulation density of 4761 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 72.11 square kilometres (27.84 sq mi).
Tokorozawa is located in the central part of theMusashino Terrace in southern Saitama, about 30 km west of central Tokyo. Tokorozawa can be considered part of the greater Tokyo area; its proximity to the latter and lower housing costs make it a popularcommuter town. The Higashikawa and Yanasegawa rivers that flow from the Sayama Hills flow to the eastern part of the city, and finally reach the Arakawa River. The Yamaguchi Reservoir (commonly known asLake Sayama) is mostly located within city boundaries;Lake Tama also touches the south-western part of the city.
The area aroundTokorozawa Station's west exit is built up as a shopping district with several department stores. Prope Street is a popular shopping arcade.
Tokorozawa has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Tokorozawa is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1647 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.3 °C.[2]
| Climate data for Tokorozawa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.0 (66.2) | 23.3 (73.9) | 26.2 (79.2) | 32.0 (89.6) | 33.8 (92.8) | 36.5 (97.7) | 39.8 (103.6) | 38.7 (101.7) | 37.4 (99.3) | 32.3 (90.1) | 26.0 (78.8) | 25.7 (78.3) | 39.6 (103.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) | 10.0 (50.0) | 13.3 (55.9) | 18.7 (65.7) | 23.2 (73.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 29.8 (85.6) | 31.3 (88.3) | 27.0 (80.6) | 21.4 (70.5) | 16.2 (61.2) | 11.5 (52.7) | 19.8 (67.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.7 (38.7) | 4.5 (40.1) | 7.8 (46.0) | 13.1 (55.6) | 17.8 (64.0) | 21.2 (70.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 26.2 (79.2) | 22.4 (72.3) | 16.8 (62.2) | 11.1 (52.0) | 6.2 (43.2) | 14.7 (58.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.6 (30.9) | −0.2 (31.6) | 2.9 (37.2) | 7.9 (46.2) | 13.2 (55.8) | 17.5 (63.5) | 21.5 (70.7) | 22.6 (72.7) | 19.0 (66.2) | 13.3 (55.9) | 7.2 (45.0) | 1.9 (35.4) | 10.5 (50.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −7.8 (18.0) | −6.6 (20.1) | −5.2 (22.6) | −2.1 (28.2) | 4.8 (40.6) | 10.7 (51.3) | 13.6 (56.5) | 16.3 (61.3) | 9.3 (48.7) | 4.5 (40.1) | −0.8 (30.6) | −4.3 (24.3) | −7.8 (18.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 50.9 (2.00) | 47.0 (1.85) | 98.3 (3.87) | 110.1 (4.33) | 125.8 (4.95) | 166.7 (6.56) | 172.4 (6.79) | 190.4 (7.50) | 233.2 (9.18) | 212.6 (8.37) | 75.0 (2.95) | 47.3 (1.86) | 1,529.5 (60.22) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.0 | 5.2 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 10.2 | 12.4 | 12.2 | 10.0 | 12.0 | 10.4 | 7.0 | 4.9 | 106.3 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 202.8 | 184.2 | 179.1 | 183.8 | 182.1 | 120.8 | 148.2 | 177.3 | 132.4 | 134.4 | 161.7 | 183.9 | 1,985.8 |
| Source:JMA[3][4] | |||||||||||||
Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Tokorozawa has recently plateaued after several decades of strong growth.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 33,723 | — |
| 1930 | 39,103 | +16.0% |
| 1940 | 41,874 | +7.1% |
| 1950 | 52,188 | +24.6% |
| 1960 | 65,903 | +26.3% |
| 1970 | 136,611 | +107.3% |
| 1980 | 236,476 | +73.1% |
| 1990 | 303,040 | +28.1% |
| 2000 | 330,100 | +8.9% |
| 2010 | 341,924 | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 342,464 | +0.2% |
Archaeological research has shown that the vicinity of Tokorozawa was settled from about 20,000 years ago.Tokorozawa Shinmei Shrine has a traditional establishment of 110 AD.Hatogamine Hachiman Shrine is believed to date from 921 AD. During theKamakura period, theKamakura Kaidō ran through the area and the area was host to a series of battles fought in May 1333 that were part of theGenko War that ultimately ended theKamakura Shogunate. These include the 1333Battle of Kotesashi and theBattle of Kumegawa. Kotesashi was again the site of another battle nineteen years later. During theEdo period (1603–1867) the area's major industry wassericulture. It was also an important trading center, being located at the intersection of roads connectingEdo with the towns ofHachioji,Chichibu,Kawagoe andFuchu.
The town of Tokorozawa was created within Iruma District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.
Tokorozawa became the site of Japan's first air base and air service academy in 1911. The base was used through the end ofWorld War II and fell under the control of theUnited States Armed Forces after the war. The US returned most of its property in Tokorozawa to Japan in 1971, but retains a communications facility in the city which is operated by the374th Airlift Wing of theFifth Air Force, based atYokota Air Base to the southwest. The facility houses antennas for communications with USAF aircraft in the region. Much of the land returned to Japan has been converted into the publicTokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park.
Tokorozawa was elevated to city status on November 3, 1950. In 1955, Tokorozawa annexed the neighboring villages of Yanase and Mikajima, and assumed its present boundaries. The development of large scale public housing and railroad development led to a rapid population increase in the 1960s. Tokorozawa was the site of theClay pigeon shooting event in the 1964Tokyo Olympics.[6]
Tokorozawa was designated as aspecial city with increased local autonomy in 2002. It currently meets the conditions to be designated as acore city but has yet to receive this designation.
Tokorozawa has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 34 members. Tokorozawa contributes four members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part ofSaitama 8th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
Tokorozawa houses theTokyo Area Control Center, which controls airspace in theKantō,Jōetsu,Tōhoku,Chūbu, andHokuriku regions and a portion of theKansai region.[7]
Tokorozawa is the headquarters of Seibu Holdings, the parent company ofSeibu Railway andTokorozawa Station forms a hub in the Seibu Railway network which serves western Tokyo and southern Saitama. Tokorozawa is at the intersection of Seibu's two main lines, which respectively run toIkebukuro Station andSeibu Shinjuku Station in central Tokyo. Several Seibu group companies, including its railway and bus divisions, are headquartered in the vicinity ofTokorozawa Station. Seibu owns an amusement park, baseball stadium (Seibu Prince Dome) and velodrome (Seibu-en Velodrome) in the "Seibu-en" district near Lake Tama in the southwestern corner of the city.
Citizen Holdings operates a watch factory in Tokorozawa.
Prefectural high schools:
Seibu Railway -Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Seibu Railway -Seibu Shinjuku Line
Seibu Railway -Seibu Sayama Line
Seibu Railway -Seibu Yamaguchi Line
Tokorozawa istwinned with:
Decatur, Illinois, United States from May 6, 1966
Changzhou,Jiangsu, China from April 20, 1992[8]
Anyang, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea from April 17, 1998[8]
The TokorozawaMatsuri is a festival held each year in October and features traditional Japanese parade floats (mikoshi ),taiko drums, andsamba dancers.
A two-day festival featuring music, cultural and sports exhibitions, community group activities and food booths takes place in late October in Kokukoen Park on the grounds of the former airfield. A similar 1-day festival, theShimin Bunka Fair, takes place in early April in the park.
The city and local business community decorates the west side of Tokorozawa station with holiday lights from early December through mid March, and separate lighting ceremonies featuring local musicians, politicians, and sports figures are conducted for various portions of the lighted areas.
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Tokorozawa travel guide from Wikivoyage| Saitama |
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