Gyōda, Saitama Prefecture, Kantō Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Gyōda is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

Geography Gyōda is located in north-central Saitama Prefecture, with the Tone River separating it from Gunma Prefecture. The entire city is located on the alluvial plain of the Tone River and the Arakawa River. The altitude is 19.7 meters above sea level (Gyoda City Hall), and the city as a whole is around 20 meters above sea level. The highest point is 36 meters above sea level (in Saitama Kofun Park).

Surrounding municipalities Saitama Prefecture ◦ Kazo; ◦ Kōnosu; ◦ Kumagaya; ◦ Hanyū; Gunma Prefecture ◦ Chiyoda; ◦ Meiwa.

History Gyōda contains many Kofun period burial mounds and has been inhabited since prehistoric times. “Saitama” is a local place name within Gyōda, and is recorded in Nara period documents. During the Sengoku period, Oshi Castle famously withstood a siege by Ishida Mitsunari in 1590. During the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate, the castle was the centre of Oshi Domain, ruled by a branch of the Matsudaira clan until 1871, during which time the castle town prospered from its location on the Nakasendō highway.

The town of Gyōda was created within Kitasaitama District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On April 1, 1937, Gyōda annexed the neighboring villages of Nagano, Hoshikawa and Mochida. It was elevated to city status on April 23, 1949. From 1954–1955, the city expanded by annexing the neighboring villages of Araki, Suka, Kitakawahara, Saitama, Hoshimiya, and Ōi. On January 1, 2006, the village of Minamikawara (from Kitasaitama District) was merged into Gyōda.

Government Gyōda has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 20 members. Gyōda contributes one member to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 12th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Gyōda has a mixed economy of agriculture and light manufacturing, especially for automobile components. SHOWA Corporation, a global manufacturer of automotive, motorcycle and outboard suspension systems, is headquartered in the city.

Education • Institute of Technologists • Gyōda has 16 public elementary schools and eight public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transport: Rail JR East – Takasaki Line • Gyōda

Chichibu Railway – Chichibu Main Line • Bushū-Araki – Gyōdashi – Higashi-Gyōda – Mochida

Transport: Road • National Route 17 • National Route 125.