Okegawa

• Name — Okegawa • Type — City • Blank Emblem Type — Emblem • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Japan • Subdivision Type1 — Region • Subdivision Name1 — Kantō • Subdivision Type2 — Prefecture • Subdivision Name2 — Saitama • Leader Title — Mayor • Area Total Km2 — 25.35 • Population Total — 75218 • Population As Of — December 2020 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Time Zone1 — Japan Standard Time • Utc Offset1 — +9 • Custom Label Sec1 — City Symbols • Custom Label1 Sec1 — - Tree • Custom Data1 Sec1 — Zelkova serrata • Custom Label2 Sec1 — - Flower • Custom Data2 Sec1 — Azalea • Custom Label3 Sec1 — - Bird • Illustration — Benibana Furusatokan Museum

Okegawa is located in east-central Saitama Prefecture, most of the city area is on the Omiya plateau. The highest point is 25 meters above sea level in the northwest. The Arakawa River flows through the city. The Motoara River flows on the east side of the city, on the border with Kuki.

Saitama Prefecture • Ageo • Hasuda • Ina • Kawajima • Kitamoto • Kōnosu • Kuki

Okegawa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Okegawa is 14.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1367 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.7 °C.

Per Japanese census data, the population of Okegawa has recently plateaued after a long period of growth.

During the Edo period, Okegawa-shuku was the sixth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō, with the surrounding area noted for its production of safflower. The town of Okegawa was established within Iruma District with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. On January 1, 1955, Okegawa annexed the neighboring village of Kano, followed by the village of Kawataya on March 10, 1955. Okegawa was elevated to city status on November 3, 1970.

Okegawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 19 members. Okegawa contributes one member to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 6th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Okegawa was traditionally known as a center for safflower production. The city now has a mixed economy, with a significant portion of its population commuting to Tokyo or Saitama city for work.

• Okegawa has seven public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government, and two public high schools operated by the Saitama Prefectural Board of Education.

JR East – Takasaki Line • Okegawa

• – Okegawa-Kita Interchange, Okegawa-Kano Interchange • Route

• Honda Airport • Kawataya Kofun cluster • Okegawa Gion Festival • Okegawa-shuku

• Masahiro Motoki, actor • Michiyo Tsujimura, agricultural chemist