Kumagaya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kumagaya 熊谷市
Special city
Kumagaya City office
Flag Seal
Location of Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture
Kumagaya Location in Japan
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Saitama
First official recorded	late 6th century AD (official)
Town settled	April 1, 1889
City settled	April 1, 1933
Area
• Total	159.82 km2 (61.71 sq mi)
Population  (January 2021)
• Total	195,277
• Density	1,221.86/km2 (3,164.59/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	048-524-111
Address	2-47-1 Miyamachi, Kumagaya-shi 360-8601
Climate	Cfa
Symbols Bird Eurasian skylark Fish Pungitius Flower Sakura Tree Zelkova serrata

Kumagaya (熊谷市, Kumagaya-shi) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February  2021 (2021 -02-01)^[update], the city had an estimated population of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km². 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

• Gyōda
• Kōnosu
• Higashimatsuyama
• Fukaya
• Namegawa
• Ranzan
• Yoshimi

Gunma Prefecture

• Ōta
• Oizumi
• Chiyoda

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.

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. On July 23, 2018, the national record was broken again with a temperature of 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), surpassing the previous record of 41.0 °C (105.8 °F) recorded in Kōchi Prefecture in August 2013.

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.

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

Demographics

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

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.

• 1923: The village of Koizka (from Osato District) was annexed.
• 1927: The village of Narita (from Kita-Saitama District) was annexed.
• 1932: The village of Oohata (from Osato District) was annexed.
• 1933: Kumagaya was elevated to city status.
• 1941: The village of Sayada (from Osato District) was annexed.
• 1945: Bombing of Kumagaya in World War II
• 1954: The villages of Chujo, Beppu, Nara and Mishiri (all from Osato District) were annexed.
• 1955: The villages of Yoshioka, Ooi and Hoshimiya (all from Osato District) were annexed.
• 1967: 22nd National Sports Festival was held.
• 1973: New City Hall was opened.
• 1986: Central Park was opened.
• 1988: Saitama Exhibition was held.
• 1988: Sports Park was opened.
• 1994: Beppu-marsh Park was opened.
• 2004: 59th National Sports Festival was held.
• 2005: The city of Kumagaya annexed the towns of Ōsato and Menuma (both from Ōsato District)
• 2007: The town of Kōnan (from Ōsato District) was annexed.

Economy

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

• Kumagaya has one private university. There are 30 public elementary schools and 17 public middle schools operated by the city government, and seven public high schools operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, there are two public and six private vocational training schools. The prefecture also operates two special education schools for the handicapped.

Universities

• Rissho University—Kumagaya campus

Senior high schools

• Kumagaya Boys' Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷高等学校)
• Nishi-Kumagaya Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷西高等学校)
• Kumagaya Girls' Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷女子高等学校)
• Menuma Senior High School (埼玉県立妻沼高等学校)
• Kumagaya Industrial Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷工業高等学校)
• Kumagaya Agricultural Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷農業高等学校)
• Kumagaya Business Senior High School (埼玉県立熊谷商業高等学校)

Middle schools

Elementary schools

Transportation

Railway

JR East – Joetsu Shinkansen

• Kumagaya

JR East – JR East - Takasaki Line

• Kumagaya - Kagohara

Chichibu Railway - Chichibu Main Line

• Kumagaya - Kami-Kumagaya - Ishiwara - Hirose-Yachō-no-Mori - Ōasō

Highway

• National Route 17
• National Route 125
• National Route 140
• National Route 407

Sister cities

Kumagaya is twinned with:

• Invercargill, New Zealand

Local attractions

• Kangi-in temple with architecture designated as a National Treasure

Notable people from Kumagaya

• Kensei Hasegawa, Politician
• Masami Kuwashima, racing driver
• Dump Matsumoto, professional wrestler
• Peach Momoko, artist and writer