Kumagaya
熊谷市
Special city
Kumagaya City office
Kumagaya City office
Flag of Kumagaya
Flag
Official seal of Kumagaya
Seal
Location of Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture
Location of Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture
Kumagaya is located in Japan
Kumagaya
Kumagaya
Coordinates: 36°8′50.6″N 139°23′19.1″E / 36.147389°N 139.388639°E / 36.147389; 139.388639
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureSaitama
First official recordedlate 6th century AD (official)
Town settledApril 1, 1889
City settledApril 1, 1933
Government
 • MayorTetsuya Kobayashi (from November 2021) (Ind.)
Area
 • Total159.82 km2 (61.71 sq mi)
Population
 (January 2021)
 • Total195,277
 • Density1,200/km2 (3,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number048-524-111
Address2-47-1 Miyamachi, Kumagaya-shi 360-8601
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdEurasian skylark
FishPungitius
FlowerSakura
TreeZelkova serrata

Kumagaya (熊谷市, Kumagaya-shi) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 159.82 square kilometres (61.71 sq mi).

Geography

Kumagaya is one of the largest cities in northern Saitama Prefecture. About two-thirds of the city area is located between the Tone River and the Arakawa River alluvial fan, approximately 60 km from central Tokyo and 45 km from the prefectural capital at Saitama City. The highest point in the city is Mikajiri Kannon, which is located on the Kushibiki plateau at an altitude of 83.3 meters. The city is known for its abundant and high quality ground water.

Surrounding municipalities

Saitama Prefecture

Gunma Prefecture

Climate

Kumagaya has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kumagaya is 14.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1532 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.8 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.4 °C.[2]

Kumagaya is known for being one of the hottest areas in summer in Japan. This is caused by very hot winds from Tokyo and the Chichibu basin in the west of the prefecture. In central Tokyo, the summer monsoon enhanced by sea breeze is heated by the urban heat island. Also, from the Chichibu Mountains, the Föhn blows. The two winds converge above the city at about 2 p.m.

On August 16, 2007, the city recorded air temperature of 40.9 °C (105.6 °F), breaking the 74-year record for the highest temperature recorded in Japan. "Very Hot! Kumagaya" (あついぞ！熊谷) is a catchphrase of the city.[3] On July 23, 2018, the national record was broken again with a temperature of 41.1 °C (106.0 °F),[4] surpassing the previous record of 41.0 °C (105.8 °F) recorded in Kōchi Prefecture in August 2013.[5]

There was a large hailstorm on June 29, 1917 at about 5 p.m. The hailstones had a diameter of 29.5 centimetres and weighed 3.4 kilograms.[6]

The Japan Meteorological Agency maintains a local meteorological observatory in Kumagaya.

Climate data for Kumagaya, Saitama (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1896−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 23.0
(73.4) 		27.0
(80.6) 		26.9
(80.4) 		32.7
(90.9) 		36.2
(97.2) 		39.8
(103.6) 		41.1
(106.0) 		40.9
(105.6) 		39.7
(103.5) 		33.8
(92.8) 		27.6
(81.7) 		26.3
(79.3) 		41.1
(106.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.8
(49.6) 		10.8
(51.4) 		14.3
(57.7) 		19.9
(67.8) 		24.6
(76.3) 		27.1
(80.8) 		30.9
(87.6) 		32.3
(90.1) 		27.9
(82.2) 		22.1
(71.8) 		16.8
(62.2) 		12.0
(53.6) 		20.7
(69.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.3
(39.7) 		5.1
(41.2) 		8.6
(47.5) 		13.9
(57.0) 		18.8
(65.8) 		22.3
(72.1) 		26.0
(78.8) 		27.1
(80.8) 		23.3
(73.9) 		17.6
(63.7) 		11.7
(53.1) 		6.5
(43.7) 		15.4
(59.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.4
(31.3) 		0.3
(32.5) 		3.6
(38.5) 		8.6
(47.5) 		13.9
(57.0) 		18.3
(64.9) 		22.3
(72.1) 		23.3
(73.9) 		19.7
(67.5) 		13.7
(56.7) 		7.2
(45.0) 		1.8
(35.2) 		11.0
(51.8)
Record low °C (°F) −10.5
(13.1) 		−11.6
(11.1) 		−8.7
(16.3) 		−4.5
(23.9) 		0.3
(32.5) 		7.8
(46.0) 		11.8
(53.2) 		13.0
(55.4) 		8.4
(47.1) 		0.5
(32.9) 		−4.0
(24.8) 		−9.8
(14.4) 		−11.6
(11.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 36.5
(1.44) 		32.3
(1.27) 		69.0
(2.72) 		90.7
(3.57) 		115.1
(4.53) 		149.5
(5.89) 		169.8
(6.69) 		183.3
(7.22) 		198.2
(7.80) 		177.1
(6.97) 		53.5
(2.11) 		30.9
(1.22) 		1,305.9
(51.43)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 7
(2.8) 		7
(2.8) 		1
(0.4) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		1
(0.4) 		16
(6.4)
Average rainy days 3.1 3.8 7.6 8.4 9.6 11.7 12.1 9.9 11.4 9.3 5.4 3.5 95.8
Average snowy days 1.1 1.2 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 3
Average relative humidity (%) 53 52 55 60 64 73 76 74 75 71 65 58 65
Mean monthly sunshine hours 217.0 199.8 203.2 197.1 192.0 133.9 146.0 169.3 131.6 144.1 171.6 200.9 2,106.5
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (Avreages: 1981-2010, Extremes: 1896-present)[7][8]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[9] the population of Kumagaya peaked around the year 2000 and has declined since.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1950 126,910—    
1960 134,508+6.0%
1970 156,955+16.7%
1980 178,610+13.8%
1990 200,246+12.1%
2000 206,446+3.1%
2010 203,180−1.6%
2020 194,415−4.3%

History

Kumagaya was part of ancient Musashi Province and was controlled by various samurai clans from the Heian period. One of these clans, the Kumagaya clan, rose to prominence during the Kamakura period. During the Edo Period, the area was divided between the holdings of Oshi Domain and tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate. Kumagai-shuku developed as a post town on the Nakasendō highway during this period. After the Meiji restoration, the town of Kumagaya was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889.

Government

Kumagaya has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 30 members. Kumagaya contributes three members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Saitama 11th district and Saitama 12th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Administration

Mayors

November 6, 2021 to present[citation needed]

Economy

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2016)

Kumagaya is a major industrial and commercial center within northern Saitama. Eight national highways and three railway lines serve the city. While many people commute towards south Tokyo, its daytime population is larger than the night population thanks to commuters from surrounding towns.

Education

Universities

Senior high schools

Middle schools

Elementary schools

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Joetsu Shinkansen

JR East – JR East - Takasaki Line

Chichibu Railway - Chichibu Main Line

Highway

Twin towns and sister cities

Kumagaya is twinned with:

Local attractions

Notable people from Kumagaya

References

  1. ^ "Kumagaya city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ Kumagaya climate data
  3. ^ 「あついぞ！」→「夏の陣」 熊谷名物・大温度計看板がデザイン変え継続. 東京新聞 TOKYO Web (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  4. ^ "Japan: Heat spikes to 41.1C near Tokyo as high temps to continue until August".
  5. ^ "Japan heatwave: Temperature hits new historic record 41.1C, says Japanese weather agency". The Independent. 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  6. ^ かぼちゃの大きさの雹（ひょう）について. Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  7. ^ "平年値（年・月ごとの値）". 気象庁. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  8. ^ "観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）". 気象庁. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  9. ^ Kumagaya population statistics
  10. ^ "Sister Cities". Archived from the original on 2014-11-12. Retrieved 2014-10-19.

External links

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