Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, Kantō Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Sayama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 January 2021, the city had an estimated population density of 3100 persons per km². The total area of the city is 45.51 square km (17.57 sq mi).

Geography Sayama is located in south-central Saitama Prefecture, on the alluvial lowland of the Iruma River, which flows through the city towards the north-east (toward Kawagoe). The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Iruma Air Base is located in the south of the city hall, 90% of which is in Sayama city area (and only 10% in Iruma city area).

Surrounding municipalities Saitama Prefecture • Hannō • Hidaka • Iruma • Kawagoe • Tokorozawa.

Demographics Per Japanese census data, the population of Sayama increased nearly fivefold from 1960 to 1990. It peaked at just over 160,000 people around the year 2000 and has declined since.

History During the Kamakura period, the area developed as a post station on the Kamakura Kaidō highway, as the dividing point on the routes to Kōzuke Province and Shimotsuke Province. The town of Irumagawa was established within Iruma District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On July 1, 1954, Irumagawa merged with the neighboring villages of Mizutomi, Kashiwahara, Okutomi, Hirokane, and Irima to create the city of Sayama.

The city was the location of the Sayama Incident, a 1963 murder and trial which resulted in the false accusation and conviction of an innocent man, a member of the Burakumin minority group, of murder.

Government Sayama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Sayama contributes two members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 9th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy Sayama is one of the major industrial centres of Saitama Prefecture, although it is also a bedroom community with over 15% of its population commuting to Tokyo for work. The city, along with neighboring Iruma, is a well known tea growing region, producing Sayama Tea.

Honda assembly plant Sayama is the location of an automobile assembly plant, which opened in 1964, for Honda/Acura vehicles, currently including the Fit, Honda Odyssey (international), CR-V, RLX, and Clarity and in the past the Accord, Prelude, Vigor, Inspire, Legend and Integra. The plant was briefly closed, but not damaged, following the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and restarted production in April 2011, albeit at lower production levels. In 2017, Honda announced that the Sayama plant will close in March 2022, after production of the Odyssey and Clarity models end. Honda will consolidate production at its Yorii factory for future models.

Other businesses The Lotte candy and food processing company operates a facility in Sayama.

Dai Nippon Printing Company, Ltd. imaging media division operates a large coating facility in the city.

Sankyo Flute Company is located in Sayama.

Sayama Haselfoods is the only baklava manufacturing facility in Japan. Located in Aoyagi, Sayama, Haselfoods also imports food products from the Mediterranean.

Education: University • Tokyo Kasei University – Sayama campus • Bunri University of Hospitality • Musashino Gakuin University.

Education: Primary and Secondary • Sayama has 15 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government, and four public high schools operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, there is one private elementary school, one private junior high school and two private high schools. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transport: Rail Seibu Railway - Seibu Shinjuku Line • Iriso - Sayamashi - Shin-Sayama

Seibu Railway - Seibu Ikebukuro Line • Inariyama-kōen

Transport: Road • Ken-Ō Expressway • National Route 16 • National Route 299 • National Route 407

Military facilities • Iruma Air Base.

Local attractions • Irumagawa Tanabata Matsuri. • Sayama Inariyama Park • Sayama Ski Area, an Indoor ski slope • Shimizu Hachiman-gu

Sport The Secom Rugguts rugby union team, and the Saitama Soccer Club of the Kantō Soccer League, are located in Sayama.