Yoshikawa, Saitama

Yoshikawa 吉川市
City
Yoshikawa City office
Flag Seal
Location of Yoshikawa in Saitama Prefecture
Yoshikawa Location of Yoshikawa in Saitama Prefecture
Coordinates: 35°53′37.9″N 139°50′29.1″E / 35.893861°N 139.841417°ECoordinates: 35°53′37.9″N 139°50′29.1″E / 35.893861°N 139.841417°E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Saitama Prefecture
Area
• Total	31.66 km^2 (12.22 sq mi)
Population (February 2016)
• Total	69,970
• Density	2,210/km^2 (5,700/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Tree	Osmanthus
Phone number	048-982-5111
Address	2-1-1 Yoshikawa, Yoshikawa-shi, Saitama-ken 342-8501
Website	Official website

Yoshikawa (吉川市 Yoshikawa-shi) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, in the central Kantō region of Japan. As of 1 February 2016, the city had an estimated population of 69,970 and a population density of 2210 persons per km². Its total area was 31.66 square kilometres (12.22 sq mi).

Geography

Located in far eastern Saitama Prefecture, Yoshikawa is on the central reaches of the Edo River and the Naka River, and is approximately 20 kilometers from downtown Tokyo.

Surrounding municipalities

• Saitama Prefecture
  • Koshigaya
  • Sōka
  • Misato
  • Matsubushi
• Chiba Prefecture
  • Nagareyama
  • Noda

History

The area of modern Yoshikawa was tenryō territory within Shimōsa Province during the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The village of Yoshikawa was created within Kitakatsushika District, Saitama with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was raised to town status on November 1, 1915. On March 1, 1955, Yoshikawa annexed the neighboring villages of Asahi and Miwanoe. The population began to rapidly increase in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Yoshikawa was elevated to city status on April 1, 1996.

Economy

Due to this location, Yoshikawa is primarily a bedroom community with over 19% of its population commuting to the Tokyo metropolis for work. The area was historically known for its production of catfish.

Education

Yoshikawa has eight elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East - Musashino line
  • Yoshikawa - Yoshikawa-Minami

Highway

• Jōban Expressway
• Japan National Route 4

Twin towns and sister cities

Yoshikawa is twinned with:

• Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States,^[1] since May 26, 1996
• Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan since April 15, 1997

Noted people from Yoshikawa

• Yuji Nakazawa, professional soccer player
• Akira Hokuto, professional wrestler

References

1. "US-Japan Sister Cities by State". Asia Matters for America. Honolulu, HI: East-West Center. Retrieved 20 November 2015.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)