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 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of early 2021, about 195,277 people live there. The city covers an area of about 159.82 square kilometers.

Geography of Kumagaya

Kumagaya is one of the biggest cities in northern Saitama Prefecture. It's about 60 kilometers from central Tokyo. Most of the city is located between the Tone River and the Arakawa River. The highest point in Kumagaya is Mikajiri Kannon, which is 83.3 meters high. The city is also known for its excellent groundwater.

Neighboring Cities and Towns

Kumagaya shares borders with several other places.

Saitama Prefecture

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

Gunma Prefecture

• Ōta
• Oizumi
• Chiyoda

Climate in Kumagaya

Kumagaya has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm summers and cool winters. There is usually little to no snowfall. The average temperature in Kumagaya is 14.0 °C. September is the wettest month, with about 1532 mm of rain each year. August is the hottest month, averaging around 25.8 °C. January is the coldest, with temperatures around 2.4 °C.

Kumagaya is famous for being one of the hottest places in Japan during summer. This happens because of hot winds. Winds from Tokyo and the Chichibu basin in the west meet over the city. The wind from Tokyo gets hotter because of the "urban heat island" effect. This means cities are warmer than rural areas. Also, a warm, dry wind called a Föhn blows from the Chichibu Mountains. These two winds combine, making Kumagaya very hot.

On August 16, 2007, Kumagaya set a record for the highest temperature in Japan at 40.9 °C. The city even has a catchphrase: "Very Hot! Kumagaya" (あついぞ！熊谷). On July 23, 2018, the national record was broken again. The temperature reached 41.1 °C in Kumagaya.

A very large hailstorm happened on June 29, 1917. The hailstones were huge, measuring 29.5 centimeters across and weighing 3.4 kilograms.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has a weather station in Kumagaya.

Population Trends

The number of people living in Kumagaya grew steadily until around the year 2000. Since then, the population has slowly decreased.

History of Kumagaya

Kumagaya has a long history. It was part of an old Japanese province called Musashi Province. Different samurai families controlled the area starting from the Heian period. One important family was the Kumagaya clan, which became powerful during the Kamakura period.

During the Edo Period, Kumagaya became a "post town" called Kumagai-shuku. These towns were important stops along major highways for travelers. In 1889, Kumagaya officially became a town.

• 1933: Kumagaya officially became a city.
• 1945: The city was affected by the Bombing of Kumagaya in World War II.
• 1967: Kumagaya hosted the 22nd National Sports Festival of Japan.
• 1973: A new City Hall was opened.
• 1986: Central Park was opened for everyone to enjoy.
• 1988: The city opened a Sports Park.
• 2004: Kumagaya hosted the 59th National Sports Festival.
• 2005: The towns of Ōsato and Menuma joined Kumagaya.
• 2007: The town of Kōnan also became part of Kumagaya.

Economy

Kumagaya is a key place for business and industry in northern Saitama. Many roads and three railway lines connect the city. While some people travel to Tokyo for work, Kumagaya also has many people who come from nearby towns to work there during the day. This means its daytime population is larger than its nighttime population.

Education

Kumagaya has one private university. The city government runs 30 public elementary schools and 17 public middle schools. The Saitama Prefectural Board of Education operates seven public high schools. There are also several vocational training schools and special education schools for students with disabilities.

Universities

• Rissho University—Kumagaya campus

Senior High Schools

• Kumagaya Boys' Senior High School
• Nishi-Kumagaya Senior High School
• Kumagaya Girls' Senior High School
• Menuma Senior High School
• Kumagaya Industrial Senior High School
• Kumagaya Agricultural Senior High School
• Kumagaya Business Senior High School

Middle Schools

Elementary Schools

Transportation

Railway Lines

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

Highways

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

Sister Cities

Kumagaya has a sister city relationship with:

• Invercargill, New Zealand

Local Attractions

• Kangi-in temple: This temple has special architecture that is recognized as a National Treasure.

Notable People from Kumagaya

• Kensei Hasegawa, a politician
• Masami Kuwashima, a racing car driver
• Dump Matsumoto, a professional wrestler
• Peach Momoko, an artist and writer

Images for kids

• 

  JR East logo

• 

  Chichibu Railway logo

See also

In Spanish: Kumagaya para niños