Kasukabe, Saitama

Kasukabe (春日部市, Kasukabe-shi) is a city in eastern Saitama Prefecture, Japan, approximately 30 kilometers (19 mi) north of Tokyo. It was formerly located in Kitakatsushika and Minamisaitama Districts. Kasukabe once prospered as part of the Nikkō Kaidō highway, an important trade route that linked Edo with Nikkō.

Overview

The city was founded on July 1, 1954 and its mayor is Ryozo Ishikawa.

On October 1, 2005, Kasukabe City absorbed the town of Shōwa (from Kitakatsushika District) to create the current and expanded Kasukabe City.

Kasukabe is famous for the production of kiri-tansu (桐箪笥), traditional dressers made from paulownia wood. The cultural and economic value of the paulownia is reflected in its designation as the official town tree. The city's official flower is the wisteria.

Kasukabe is also well known in Japan as the setting of the manga and anime series Lucky Star and Crayon Shin-chan. Shin-chan's creator Yoshito Usui also lived in Kasukabe.

The public entrance to the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel is located here. Also known as G-CANs, this huge underground flood control system was completed in 2009. The monumental main storage chamber, sometimes called the "underground temple", has been the setting for TV shows and commercials. It is open to tours.