ÅŒmiya, Saitama

Ōmiya (大宮市, Ōmiya-shi) was a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

On May 1, 2001, ÅŒmiya was merged with the cities of Urawa and Yono to create the city of Saitama.

Since April 1, 2003, the area of former ÅŒmiya City has been divided into 4 wards: Kita-ku, Minuma-ku, Nishi-ku and ÅŒmiya-ku of Saitama City.

History

Origin and pre-modern history

Ōmiya is an indigenous Japanese language word which can be decomposed to Ō (大, kun'yomi (Japanese reading) おお: large, great) and miya (宮, kun'yomi み-や: noble or holy - house; palace or shrine) after the Hikawa Shrine.

The town was on the Nakasendō, a main national road in the feudal Edo period and the predecessor to a part of National Highway Route 17, and the Takasaki Line. Its name was derived from the famous shrine.

Modern ÅŒmiya

• On April 1, 1899, the town of ÅŒmiya as a modern municipality was founded.
• After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, bonsai nurseries relocated from Tokyo and formed the bonsai village.
• In 1940, ÅŒmiya became a city after several surrounding village annexations/mergers.

Saitama City era

• On May 1, 2001, ÅŒmiya was merged with the cities of Urawa and Yono to create the new capital city of Saitama.
• On April 1, 2003, when Saitama became a designated city, the former area of ÅŒmiya City has been divided into 4 wards: Kita-ku, Minuma-ku, Nishi-ku and ÅŒmiya-ku.

External links

• Archive of ÅŒmiya's website