Okegawa, Saitama

Coordinates: 36°0′20.6″N 139°32′33.7″E / 36.005722°N 139.542694°E / 36.005722; 139.542694
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Okegawa
桶川市
Okegawa city hall
Okegawa city hall
Flag of Okegawa
Official logo of Okegawa
Location of Okegawa in Saitama Prefecture
Location of Okegawa in Saitama Prefecture
Okegawa is located in Japan
Okegawa
Okegawa
Coordinates: 36°0′20.6″N 139°32′33.7″E / 36.005722°N 139.542694°E / 36.005722; 139.542694
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureSaitama
Area
 • Total25.35 km2 (9.79 sq mi)
Population
 (December 2020)
 • Total75,218
 • Density3,000/km2 (7,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- TreeZelkova serrata
- FlowerAzalea
WebsiteOfficial website
Benibana Furusatokan Museum

Okegawa (桶川市, Okegawa-shi) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 December 2020, the city had an estimated population of 75,218 in 33,119 households and a population density of 3000 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 25.35 square kilometres (9.79 sq mi).

Geography[edit]

Okegawa is located in east-central Saitama Prefecture, most of the city area is on the Omiya plateau. The highest point is 25 meters above sea level in the northwest. The Arakawa River flows through the city. The Motoara River flows on the east side of the city, on the border with Kuki.

Surrounding municipalities[edit]

Saitama Prefecture

Climate[edit]

Okegawa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Okegawa is 14.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1367 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C.[2]

Demographics[edit]

Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Okegawa has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 11,048—    
1930 11,732+6.2%
1940 12,417+5.8%
1950 19,495+57.0%
1960 21,309+9.3%
1970 38,717+81.7%
1980 55,747+44.0%
1990 69,029+23.8%
2000 73,967+7.2%
2010 74,711+1.0%
2020 74,748+0.0%

History[edit]

During the Edo period, Okegawa-shuku was the sixth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō, with the surrounding area noted for its production of safflower.

The town of Okegawa was established within Iruma District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On January 1, 1955, Okegawa annexed the neighboring village of Kano, followed by the village of Kawataya on March 10, 1955. Okegawa was elevated to city status on November 3, 1970.

Government[edit]

Okegawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 19 members. Okegawa contributes one member to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 6th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy[edit]

Okegawa was traditionally known as a center for safflower production. The city now has a mixed economy, with a significant portion of its population commuting to Tokyo or Saitama city for work.

Education[edit]

  • Okegawa has seven public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education.

Transportation[edit]

Railway[edit]

JR EastTakasaki Line

Highway[edit]

Local attractions[edit]

Noted people from Okegawa[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Okegawa city official statistics" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ Okegawa climate data
  3. ^ Okegawa population statistics

External links[edit]

Media related to Okegawa, Saitama at Wikimedia Commons