Nakayama is in between Narita And Haneda International Airport

Kawagoe City / The Short Summary Of Kawagoe-shi

Kawagoe City is in the central part of Saitama Prefecture. The center part of the city started developing as the castle town since Doshin Ota and his son Dokan Ota had built the Kawagoe Castle in 1457. In Edo Period, Kawagoe was flourished as the castle town. Now it was called 'Ko-Edo' (the little Edo). There are many historical remains, such as shrines and temples with old buildings, the remains of Kawagoe Castle, and views of towns like its in the Edo Period. The city has so many historical properties as Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture and Nikko City in Tochigi Prefecture. Kawagoe City was registered as 'Rekishi-Toshi' (the historical City) by the National Government. Every year, over 6 million visitors come to Kawagoe City and enjoy sightseeing. Of course thousands of foreign tourists visit Kawagoe City now.

Kawagoe was between Ara-kawa River and Iruma-kawa River, nobody could reach there without crossing river, so Japanese says crossing the river 'kawa-goe'.

The location of Kawagoe possessed geographically vital strategic importance in Heian Period, the Kawagoe Clan took the land for their base. In Kamakura Period, the Kawagoe Clan who was the chief immediate vassal at Musashi Province of the Shogun in the Kamakura (Kamakura Bakufu) and wielded power over Musashi Province.

In Muromachi Period, Dokan Ota served as the principle retainer of Ougigayatsu built the castle. In 1486, Dokan Ota was assassinated by his master, Sadamasa Uesugi, the Ougigayatsu Uesugi Clan took the castle as their base and developed its power in southern part of the Musashi, during the Yamanouchi Uesugi Clan took the power in the north.

In the Sengoku Period (the Warring States Period), the Go-Hojo Clan at Odawara in Sagami-no-kuni (Kanagawa prefecture) gained the power in Musashi and it took the Kawagoe Castle. To get the castle, there were several battles between the Go-Hojo Clan and the Uesgis Clans. In 1541, Tomosada Uesugi in the Ougigayatsu, Norimasa Uesugi in the Yamanouchi of the Kanto Kanrei and the Koga Kubo (the chief warlord at Koga in Shimousa who was relative of the Shogun in Kyoto in Muromachi Period) attacked the Kawagoe Castle with over a hundred thousand samurai worriers. Then the Night Operation Of Kawagoe happened, Ujiyasu Hojo won the battle and gained the almost all provinces in the Kanto region under his influence. In 1590, Hideyoshi Toyotomi won the Siege of Odawara, the Hojo Clan ruined, the Satomi declined, the Satake moved to north, so Ieyasu Tokugawa moved to the Edo castle, and he gained the position of the Shogun who was the military leader of samurais could control Japan, so he founded the Edo Bakufu (the Edo Shogunate)in Edo.

In Edo Period,Kawagoe was strategically very important area to protect Edo (Tokyo), then Hotta, Yanagisawa and Matsudaira, daimyos in hereditary vassalage to the Tokugawa, were appointed such as the lords of Kawagoe to control. Moreover, Kawagoe was connected to Edo with Shingashi-gawa River, so the industries were flourished.

Now Kawgoe City has over 330 thousand people, so it is third largest city in Saitama Prefecture. Kita-in Temple founded by Enjin in 830 is the famous spot with many historical and cultural properties. Moreover sweet potatoes are famous agricultural products of the city. Beer made from the potatoes are famous, too.



参考
埼玉県ホームページ
東京都ホームページ
デジタル大辞林
ブリタニカ国際大百科事典
クロニック戦国全史
ウィッキペディア