Zama 座間市 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Zama City Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Zama inKanagawa Prefecture | |
  Zama | |
| Coordinates:35°29′N139°24′E / 35.483°N 139.400°E /35.483; 139.400 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture | Kanagawa |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.58 km2 (6.79 sq mi) |
| Population (June 1, 2021) | |
• Total | 130,667 |
| • Density | 7,433/km2 (19,250/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| Symbols | |
| • Tree | Osmanthus |
| • Flower | Sunflower |
| • Bird | Japanese tit |
| Phone number | 046-255-1111 |
| Address | 1-1-1 Midorigaoka, Zama-shi, Kanagawa-ken 252-8566 |
| Website | Official website |
Zama (座間市,Zama-shi) is acity located inKanagawa Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 June 2021[update], it had an estimated population of 130,667 and apopulation density of 7,400 persons per km2.[1] The total area is 17.58 square kilometres (6.79 sq mi). The city hosts theUnited States ArmyCamp Zama base.
Located in centralKanagawa Prefecture, Zama is approximately 50 kilometers from the center of Tokyo and 20 kilometers from Yokohama. It is divided into an alluvial lowland along theSagami River in the west and a plateau belonging to the Sagamino Plateau (Sagamihara Plateau) in the east. TheHikiji River, Mekushiri River, and the Hato River flow through Zama. The city is well known for its drinking water, which is cold in the summer and warm in the winter.[2]
Kanagawa Prefecture
Zama has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Zama is 14.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1632 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.6 °C.[3]
Per Japanese census data,[4] the population of Zama has grown steadily over the past 70 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 11,810 | — |
| 1960 | 15,402 | +30.4% |
| 1970 | 56,727 | +268.3% |
| 1980 | 93,503 | +64.8% |
| 1990 | 112,102 | +19.9% |
| 2000 | 125,694 | +12.1% |
| 2010 | 129,436 | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 132,325 | +2.2% |
The area around Zama has been settled since prehistoric times, andJōmon period remains have been found. The hamlet of "Izama" was apost station on the ancientTōkaidō road connectingKyoto with the provinces in theKantō region, and the area was part of thetenryō territory withinSagami Province during theEdo period administered directly by theTokugawa shogunate through a number ofhatamoto-class administrators. During the cadastral reforms after theMeiji Restoration in 1889, the area of present-day Zama consisted of five hamlets inKōza District, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The area remained very rural until the coming of theOdakyu Electric Railway in 1927 and theSagami Railway in 1935, which spurred development, but the area was mostly farmland when theImperial Japanese Army Academy was relocated to the Zama area in 1937. The increase in population led Zama Village to be promoted to Zama town the same year. However, in 1941, Zama Town and surrounding villages were merged intoSagamihara. In 1944, the Kōza Naval Arsenal of theImperial Japanese Navy was established in the area. It was closed with the end ofWorld War II, and the Imperial Japanese Army Academy was turned over to theUnited States Army to becomeCamp Zama.
In September 1948, Zama regained its status as a town independent of Sagamihara. The local economy received a significant boost with the building of aNissan automobile assembly plant in Zama in 1965, along with other industries. Zama became acity on November 1, 1971.
Zama has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 22 members. Zama contributes one member to the Kanagawa Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Kanagawa 13th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
After the Meiji era, mulberry fields and the raw silk industry dominated the local economy. Zama became heavily industrialized from the 1930s with production of equipment for the Japanese military, and this was followed in the 1950 and 1960s with automobile related production. However, with the economic recession in the 1990s Nissan production ended in 1995, and the economy of Zama suffered accordingly. The city has increasingly become acommuter town for nearby Sagamihara, Yokohama and Tokyo.
Zama has 11 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government. The city has three public high schools operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education, and the prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.
Odakyu Electric Railway –Odakyu Odawara Line
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| Sagamihara |
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