Saitama Prefecture (埼玉県)

Saitama Prefectur\e (埼玉県) is a prefecture of Japan in the Kanto Region of Honshu. The prefecture, whose capital is called Saitama City, has a area of 3,797 sq km, making it the 39th biggest prefectures out of the 47 in the country. It has a population of 7.2 million (2011 estimate), ranking it the 5th most populous. The prefecture is within the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of the cities in Saitama can also be regarded as suburbs of Tokyo.

Sogan-ji Temple, Kazo, Saitama Prefecture


A landlocked prefecture, Saitama Prefecture is bordered by Tokyo Metropolis to the south, Chiba Prefecture to the east as defined by the Edo River, Ibaraki Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture to the northeast, Gunma Prefecture to the northwest defined by the Tone River and Kanagawa River, Nagano Prefecture to the west and Yamanashi Prefecture to the southwest.

Formerly a major agricultural region in the 19th century, Saitama Prefecture experiences rapid urbanization after the Second World War, as the urban spread of Tokyo turned the former agricultural lands of Saitama into residential and commercial suburbs.

Chichibu Kawase Festival, Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture

Going to Saitama Prefecture

The Omiya Railway Station in Saitama City is the main transportation hub of the prefecture. It is connected to the Tohoku Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train lines. Northbound Shinkansen trains from Tokyo reaches Omiya station in 25 minutes. Reserved seats cost ¥2800 while non-reserved ones ¥1580. If you hold a Japan Rail Pass or JR East Rail Pass, then your fare is covered.

For a much lower fare but still the same time, take the regular trains on the Tohoku and Takasaki lines. They run from Ueno Railway Station in Tokyo to Omiya station in 25 minutes but costs only ¥450. The reason the bullet trains don't reach any faster is because they are limited to a 110 kph limit by residential noise restriction laws.

Cities of Saitama Prefecture

Tourist Attractions of Saitama Prefecture

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