Kumagaya City

Saitama's first National Treasure hall.

Kangi-in Shōden-dō

Photo by tak1701d (CC BY 3.0)

01 ／ Shōden-dō

Paid for by ordinary people,a main hall covered in carvings.

The Kangi-in Shōden-dō (歓喜院聖天堂), the main hall of Menuma Shōdenzan (妻沼聖天山), was completed in 1779. Its cost was borne not by the shogunate or feudal lords but by ordinary people, mainly from Menuma. Covered in carvings by craftsmen who had also worked on repairs at Nikkō Tōshō-gū, it is called "Saitama Nikkō". About seven years of restoration in the Heisei era brought back its colours, and it became a National Treasure in 2012.

Completed 1779
Paid for by ordinary people
National Treasure, 2012

02 ／ Heat

Turning the heat to its advantage:"Atsuizo! Kumagaya".

When the heatwave of 2004 drew attention to Kumagaya's heat, the city turned it to its advantage and launched "Atsuizo! Kumagaya" (あついぞ！熊谷, "It's hot, Kumagaya!"). It recorded 40.9°C in 2007 and 41.1°C in 2018, each the highest in Japan at the time. From May to October, cooling mist sprays automatically in front of Kumagaya Station when it is 28°C or hotter and other conditions are met.

Atsuizo! Kumagaya, 2004
41.1°C in 2018
Cooling mist at the station

03 ／ Uchiwa Festival

Instead of red rice,they handed out fans.

This is the annual festival of Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社), held since the Edo period. Red was believed to ward off evil, and red rice (sekihan) handed out at the festival became its speciality. Later a restaurant owner gave out paper fans (uchiwa) instead, which became popular, and shops followed. Every year for three days from 20 July, 12 floats and yatai parade to the sound of Kumagaya bayashi music.

Three days from 20 July
12 floats and yatai
"The best Gion in Kantō"

Living here

About 40 minutes to Tokyo by Shinkansen.

about 190,000 people
Shinkansen stops here

Kumagaya Station is served by the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen, the Takasaki Line and the Chichibu Railway. Tokyo Station is about 40 minutes away by Shinkansen, and Shinjuku about 60 minutes on the Shonan-Shinjuku Line. The city merged with Ōsato and Menuma in 2005 and absorbed Kōnan in 2007. It has the Kumagaya Rugby Stadium and is home to four teams, including the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights.

People living here: 194,415people
Area: 159.82km²
Households: 80,153households
Rent (average for rentals): 50,713yen
Healthcare: 12 hospitals ／ 149 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Population from 2010 onward (municipal boundary changed).2005-10-01 に新設合併（大里町・妻沼町）。2005年調査から市域が変わっている。2007-02-13 に編入合併（江南町）。2010年調査から市域が変わっている。

Children waiting for childcare: —38 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Kumagaya City in Japan36.147°N 139.389°E

to TokyoJoetsu Shinkansen40min
to ŌmiyaJoetsu Shinkansen15min
to ShinjukuJR Shonan-Shinjuku Line60min
to UenoJR Takasaki Line65min

Travel times follow 市公式「熊谷市へのアクセス」（企画課・2020-01-24 更新）の鉄道利用の値。JR東日本の熊谷駅の時刻表一覧（2026-09-24 閲覧）で、上越・北陸新幹線（大宮・東京方面）と高崎線（大宮・上野・新宿・横浜・小田原方面）がいまも熊谷駅に停まることを確かめた (checked 2026-09-24). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 10 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Territory of Kumagaya City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

20.5km

Saitama Prefecture: 深谷市, 行田市, 滑川町, 東松山市, 吉見町, 鴻巣市, 嵐山町
Gunma Prefecture: 太田市, 大泉町, 千代田町

Kumagaya City isthis kind of town.

01The Kangi-in Shōden-dō, completed in 1779 by ordinary people, became Saitama's first National Treasure building in 2012
02Since 2004 the city has turned its heat to advantage with "Atsuizo! Kumagaya", and cooling mist sprays at the station
03The Kumagaya Uchiwa Festival, said to be named for fans handed out instead of red rice, parades 12 floats and yatai

See the town as it is now.

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Kumagaya City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗