Iruma, Saitama
Iruma (入間市, Iruma-shi) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2016, the city had an estimated population of 148,460, and a population density of 3,320 persons per km². Its total area is 44.69 square kilometres (17.25 sq mi).
Iruma 入間市 | |
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Iruma City Hall | |
Flag Seal | |
![]() Location of Iruma in Saitama Prefecture | |
![]() ![]() Iruma Location of Iruma in Saitama Prefecture | |
Coordinates: 35°50′8.9″N 139°23′28.1″E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Kantō |
Prefecture | Saitama Prefecture |
Area | |
• Total | 44.69 km2 (17.25 sq mi) |
Population (February 2016) | |
• Total | 148,460 |
• Density | 3,320/km2 (8,600/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
- Tree | Zelkova serrata |
- Flower | Camellia sinensis |
- Bird | Eurasian skylark |
Phone number | 04-2964-1111 |
Address | 1-16-1toyooka, Iruma-shi, Saitama-ken 358-8511 |
Website | http://www.city.iruma.saitama.jp/ |
Geography
Located in the Sayama Highlands of far southern Saitama Prefecture, Iruma is bordered by Tokyo to the south. The Iruma River flows through the city.
Surrounding municipalities
- Saitama Prefecture
- Tokyo Metropolis
- Oume
- Mizuho
History
Iruma developed as a series of three post towns on the Nikkō Wakiōkan highway during the Edo period. The town of Toyooka and villages of Kaneko, Miyadera, Fujisawa and Higashikaneko were created within Iruma District, Saitama with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The Imperial Japanese Army Air Academy established an airfield in the area in 1938, which later developed into Iruma Air Base. On April 1, 1954 Higashikaneko became Seibu Town. On September 30, 1956, Toyooka, Kaneko, Miyadera, Fujisawa and Seibu merged to form the town of Musashi. Musashi was elevated to city status on November 1, 1966, becoming the city of Iruma. In 2017 Japan became the first country ever to elect an openly transgender man to any public office when Tomoya Hosoda was elected as a councillor for the city of Iruma.[1][2]
Economy
Iruma has a mixed economy with numerous industrial parks for light manufacturing and also serves as a regional commercial center. Due to its location, it is also a bedroom community for people commuting to the Tokyo metropolis for work. In terms of agriculture, Iruma and neighboring Sayama are famous for the green tea they produce.
Education
- Musashino Academia Musicae – Iruma campus
- Iruma has 16 public elementary schools, 11 public and one private middle school, and two public and four private high schools.
Transportation
Railway
- JR East - Hachikō Line
- Seibu Railway - Seibu Ikebukuro Line
- Musashi-Fujisawa --- Irumashi - Bushi - Motokaji
Highway
Ken-Ō Expressway National Route 16 National Route 299 National Route 463 National Route 407 National Route 468
Military facilities
- Iruma Air Base, located in Iruma and the neighboring the city of Sayama is a facility of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. The base holds an open house annually in early November. This air base was formerly known as Johnson Air Base while under the control of the United States Air Force.
Twin towns and sister cities
Iruma is twinned with:
Sado, Niigata, Japan (1986) Wolfratshausen, Germany,[3] since October 14, 1987 Fenghua, Zhejiang, China,[3] friendship city since May 16, 2000
Local attractions
- Iruma City Museum
Noted people from Iruma
- Wataru Kozuki, Takarazuka performer
- Yūsei Matsui, manga artist
- Junpei Yasuda, journalist
- Keisuke Ishii, professional wrestler
References
- Chloe Farand. "Japan becomes first country in the world to elect a transgender man to a public office". The Independent. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
- "Japan just elected its first trans man into public office · PinkNews". Pinknews.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
- "International Exchange". List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Archived from the original on 4 January 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Iruma, Saitama. |
- Official Website (in Japanese)