Saitama City

Saitama City (Omiya)

Saitama City is the prefectural capital of Saitama Prefecture, located about 20 to 30 km north of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Saitama city was formed in 2001 through a merger of Urawa, Omiya, and Yono cities, and is now the only city in the prefecture with population over 1 million.
It plays an important role as a station for Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen (bullet trains) as well as transportation points for many railways and expressways. The city is also known as an active base for football, being home to two professional J. League soccer teams.
Saitama Super Arena, which is equipped with the world's largest movable facility, the Railway Museum, that displays the largest railway model diorama in Japan with engine simulators, and other newly opened large-scale facilities in the city. On the other hand, longstanding sightseeing spots with remnants from the past can still be found such as Omiya Bonsai Village, attracting many Bonsai enthusiasts and lovers.