Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama

Ward in Kantō, Japan

Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama Seal
Location of Iwatsuki-ku in Saitama
35°56′59.9″N 139°41′39.5″E / 35.949972°N 139.694306°E / 35.949972; 139.694306
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Saitama
City	Saitama
Area
• Total	49.17 km² (18.98 sq mi)
Population (March 2021)
• Total	112,862
• Density	2,300/km² (5,900/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
-Flower	Kerria japonica
Phone number	048-835-3156
Address	3-2-5 Honcho, Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 339-8585
Website	Official website

Iwatsuki-ku (岩槻区, Iwatsuki-ku) is one of ten wards of the city of Saitama, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, and is located in the northeastern part of the city. As of 1 March 2021^[update], the ward had an estimated population of 112,862 and a population density of 2,300 persons per km². Its total area was 49.17 square kilometres (18.98 sq mi).^[1]

Geography

Iwasuki Ward is within the Kantō Plain, in the northeast portion of Saitama City.

Neighboring Municipalities

Iwatsuki-ku is surrounded by Minuma-ku (west), Midori-ku (southwest), and the cities of Kawaguchi (south), Koshigaya (southeast), Kasukabe (northeast), Shiraoka (north), and Hasuda (northwest).

History

Iwatsuki developed from the Muromachi period as a castle town next to Iwatsuki Castle and the center of Iwatsuki Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. It was also a post town on the Nikkō Onari Kaidō connecting Edo with Nikko.

The modern town of Iwatsuki created within Minamisaitama District, Saitama with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On May 3, 1954, Iwatsuki merged with the neighboring villages of Niiwa, Wado, Kawadori, Kashiwazaki, Kawai and Jionji and was elevated to city status on July 1, 1954. On April 1, 2005, Iwatsuki merged with the city of Saitama, becoming Iwatsuki Ward.^[2] Iwatsuki is known as the "City of Dolls" (人形のまち Ningyō no Machi) due to a history of doll-making that dates back to the 17th century.^[3]

Education

Mejiro University – Saitama campus
University of Human Arts and Sciences
Iwatsuki-ku has 14 elementary schools, eight junior high schools, and four high schools, and one special education school.

Municipal junior high schools:^[4]

Hakuyo (柏陽中学校)
Iwatsuki (岩槻中学校)
Jionji (慈恩寺中学校)
Jouhoku (城北中学校)
Jounan (城南中学校)
Kawadoori (川通中学校)
Nishihara (西原中学校)
Sakurayama (桜山中学校)

Municipal elementary schools:^[5]

Higashi Iwatsuki (東岩槻小学校)
Iwatsuki (岩槻小学校)
Jionji (慈恩寺小学校)
Jouhoku (城北小学校)
Jounan (城南小学校)
Kamisato (上里小学校)
Kashiwazaki (柏崎小学校)
Kawadoori (川通小学校)
Kawai (河合小学校)
Niiwa (新和小学校)
Nishihara (西原小学校)
Ota (太田小学校)
Tokuriki (徳力小学校)
Wado (和土小学校)

Transportation

Railway

Tōbu Railway – Noda Line

Iwatsuki - Higashi-Iwatsuki

Highway

Tōhoku Expressway – Iwatsuki Interchange
National Route 16
National Route 122
National Route 463

Sister cities

Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada (1996) ^[6]

Local attractions

Iwatsuki Castle

Noted people from Iwatsuki

Takeru Satoh, actor

References

^ "Saitama city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
^ "Saitama City" (pdf). International City Planning Association for Technical Exchanges. INEX. p. 27. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
^ "Iwatsuki Area". Japan: The Official Guide. Japan National Tourism Organization. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
^ "市立学校一覧中学校（区別）". Saitama City Institute of Education (さいたま市立教育研究所). Retrieved 2023-01-02.
^ "市立学校一覧小学校（区別）". Saitama City Institute of Education (さいたま市立教育研究所). Retrieved 2023-01-03.
^ "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.