# Kasukabe, Saitama

Kasukabe (春日部市, Kasukabe-shi) is a special city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 233,278 in 108,328 households and a population density of 3,500 inhabitants per square kilometre (9,100/sq mi). The total area of the city is 66.00 square kilometres (25.48 sq mi). Kasukabe is famous for the production of kiri-tansu (桐箪笥), traditional tansu dressers made from paulownia wood. The cultural and economic value of the paulownia is reflected in its designation as the official town tree.

## Geography

Kasukabe is located in far eastern Saitama Prefecture, divided between the Shimosa Plateau and the Omiya Plateau by the Nakagawa lowlands and the Edogawa River. The eastern portion of the city is still rural, with the largest area of paddy fields in Saitama.

### Surrounding municipalities

* Chiba Prefecture
** Noda
* Saitama Prefecture
** Koshigaya
** Matsubushi
** Miyashiro
** Saitama
** Shiraoka
** Sugito

### Climate

Kasukabe has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kasukabe is 14.5 °C (58.1 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,408 millimetres (55.4 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.3 °C (79.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 2.8 °C (37.0 °F).

## Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kasukabe peaked around the year 2000 and has declined slightly since.

## History

The area of Kasukabe was part of ancient Musashi Province and has been settled since at least the Jomon period as evidenced by many shell middens and ancient burial mounds. During the Edo period, Kasukabe prospered as a post station on the Nikkō Kaidō highway linking Edo with Nikkō.
The town of Kasukabe was created within Minamisaitama District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On April 1, 1944, Kasukabe annexed the neighboring village of Uchimaki. On July 1, 1954, Kasukabe was elevated to city status after annexing the villages of Toyoharu, Takesato, Komatsu and Toyono. On October 1, 2005, old Kasukabe city and the town of Shōwa (from Kitakatsushika District) were merged into the new and expanded city of Kasukabe. Kasukabe was elevated to special city status on April 1, 2008, giving it increased local autonomy.

## Government

Kasukabe has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 32 members. Kasukabe contributes three members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 16th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

## Economy

Kasukabe is a regional commercial center with a mixed economy.

## Education

* Kyoei University
* Kasukabe has 22 public elementary schools and 11 public middle schools operated by the city government, and five public high schools operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education, including the Saitama Prefectural Kasukabe High School and Kasukabe Girls' Senior High School. In addition, there is one private combined middle/high school. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the disabled.

## Transportation
### Railway

Tōbu Railway - Tobu Skytree Line
* Takesato - Ichinowari - Kasukabe - Kita-Kasukabe
Tōbu Railway - Tobu Urban Park Line
* Toyoharu - Yagisaki - Kasukabe - Fujino-ushijima - Minami-Sakurai

### Highway

* National Route 4
* National Route 16

## Sister cities

* Pasadena, California, United States, friendship city since July 3, 1993. Pasadena's Junior Chamber of Commerce does an exchange program each summer, alternating every year with Kasukabe residents going to Pasadena one summer and Pasadena residents coming to Kasukabe the next summer.
* Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia, friendship city since April 29, 2007

## Local attractions

* Kasukabe Hachiman-gu
* Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel has a public entrance in Kasukabe. Also known as G-CANs, this huge underground flood control system was completed in 2009. The monumental main storage chamber, sometimes called the "underground temple", has been the setting for TV shows and commercials. It is open to tours.
* Ushijima Wisteria
* Uchiaki Park

### Shopping

Kasukabe is home to what was formerly one of the two Robinsons department stores in Japan, which became a Seibu department store in March 2013. The large, seven-story American-style store is a landmark for residents. It is located on the east side of Kasukabe Station. However, Seibu is scheduled to close its doors due to a shortage of business, likely caused by competition with Aeon Mall.
Close to the west entrance to the station is a shopping mall, known as Lala Garden, housing several chain retail stores, such as Uniqlo, Gap, ABC-Mart, as well as a supermarket, 100-yen shop, and more. There is also an Ito-Yokado on the west side of the station.
In March 2013, an Aeon mall opened on National Route 16, which shoppers can either reach by car, or by taking a regularly scheduled bus from the east entrance of the station. This mall, as well as Lala Garden, has a movie theatre.

## In popular culture

Kasukabe is the setting of the manga and anime series Lucky Star and Crayon Shin-chan. Shin-chan's creator Yoshito Usui also lived in Kasukabe.