Why Japan's only hiragana-named capital city rejected its own kanji in a public poll
In short: Saitama City is a unique anomaly in Japan. Despite being a major prefectural capital, its name is written entirely in hiragana script. This choice defied public opinion, which favored traditional kanji, yet government officials pushed forward with the phonetic spelling to create a distinct identity for the newly merged metropolis.
Formed in 2001 through the merger of Urawa, Ōmiya, and Yono, the city needed a name that reflected its new status. While the prefectural name Saitama is derived from the ancient Sakitama District mentioned in the 8th-century Man'yōshū poetry anthology, the city's naming process was a modern bureaucratic affair. In a public poll, residents preferred the kanji version (埼玉市) over the hiragana version (さいたま市), which actually finished in second place. Despite this, officials opted for the hiragana spelling, making it the only prefectural capital in Japan to use this script exclusively.
Located 20 to 30 km north of central Tokyo, Saitama functions as a critical satellite city and bed town within the Tokyo metropolitan area. Its geography is defined by the Ōmiya Plateau and lowlands carved by the Arakawa River, with no significant hills or mountains. The city is a major transportation hub, particularly Omiya Station, where all Shinkansen bullet trains stop. This connectivity supports a large commuter population; of the 747,000 residents, roughly 23.5% commute daily into the Tokyo Special Wards, earning them the nickname Saitama Tomin.
The city's governance is split between distinct centers: Urawa Ward serves as the administrative and political hub, while Omiya Ward acts as the commercial and transportation engine. Since its designation as a government ordinance city in 2003, Saitama has grown into a significant economic center, hosting global manufacturers and specialized industries like the traditional doll-making of Iwatsuki. Today, the city maintains a mayor-council government, with Hayato Shimizu serving as the directly elected mayor since his initial victory in 2009.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Saitama (city)
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