Higashimatsuyama, Saitama
Geography. Higashimatsuyama is located in the geographic center of Saitama Prefecture. Surrounding municipalities. Saitama Prefecture Climate. Higashimatsuyama has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen "Cfa") characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Higashimatsuyama is 14.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1351 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.6 °C. Demographics. Per Japanese census data, the population of Higashimatsuyama peaked in early 1990s. History. Higashimatsuyama developed as  a castle town from the Kamakura period, and was ruled as an outlier of Kawagoe Domain (later Maebashi Domain) during the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The town of Matsuyama was established within Hiki District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Matsuyama merged with the villages of Ooka, Karako, Takasaka and Nomoto on July 1, 1954, and was elevated to city status as Higashimatsuyama. Government. Higashimatsuyama has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 21 members. Higashimatsuyama, together with the towns of Kawashima and  Yoshimi, contributes two members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 11th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. Economy. Traditionally the economy of Higashimatsuyama was dominated by sericulture and silk weaving. Modern Higashimatsuyama has several industrial parks with a wide variety of light and medium manufacturing. Due to its geographic location, the city also serves as a bedroom community. Transportation. Railway. Tobu Railway – Tobu Railway - Tōbu Tōjō Line