Kumagaya

Kumagaya (็†Š่ฐท) is a city in northern Saitama.

Understand

Kumagaya was one of the post-towns on Nakasendo route connecting Kyoto and Tokyo, and is still an important traffic hub.

Climate

Kumagaya has a humid subtropical climate characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The city is known for being one of the hottest areas in summer in Japan. This is caused by very hot winds from Tokyo and the Chichibu basin in the west of the prefecture. In central Tokyo, the summer monsoon enhanced by sea breeze is heated by the urban heat island. Also, from the Chichibu Mountains, the Fรถhn blows. The two winds converge above the city at about 14:00.

Tourist information site

The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site with some English information (click on the boxes at the middle).

Get in

  • ๐ŸŒ Kumagaya Station (็†Š่ฐท้ง…). Served by the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line from western Tokyo and the JR Takasaki Line from Ueno and eastern Tokyo, as well as the Joetsu/Hokuriku Shinkansen; also the east-west Chichibu Line of the private operator Chichibu Railway. (updated May 2024)

Get around

See

  • ๐ŸŒ Kumagaiji Temple (็†Š่ฐทๅฏบ, Yukokuji), 43 Nakamachi (15 minutes walk from Kumagaya Station on the JR Takasaki Line). (updated Nov 2023)
  • ๐ŸŒ Nagashima Memorial Hall (้•ทๅณถ่จ˜ๅฟต้คจ), 1022 Kohachibayashi (5 minutes by car from JR Takasaki Line "Fukiage Station", 40 minutes by bus from JR Takasaki Line "Kumagaya Station"), โ˜ +0493-39-2025. W-Su 10:00-16:00 (closed summer and New Year's holidays). This is a memorial museum that uses Kyosuke Nagashima's birthplace. ยฅ300. (updated Nov 2023)
  • ๐ŸŒ Seikeien Garden (ๆ˜Ÿๆบชๅœ’), 32 Kamakuracho (approx. 3-minute walk from Kami-Kumagaya Station on the Chichibu Railway, or 18-minute walk from Kumagaya Station on the JR Takasaki Line), โ˜ +048-536-5062. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00 (closed on New Year's holidays). It is a strolling garden designated as a scenic spot of the city. ใ€€ Free. (updated Nov 2023)
  • ๐ŸŒ Katakura Silk Memorial Museum (็‰‡ๅ€‰ใ‚ทใƒซใ‚ฏ่จ˜ๅฟต้คจ), 2-135 Honishi (approx. 7-minute walk from Kami-Kumagaya Station on the Chichibu Railway, 15-minute walk from Kumagaya Station on the JR Takasaki Line, 30-minutes from Higashimatsuyama IC on the Kan'etsu Expressway, 30-minutes from Hanazono IC on the Kan'etsu Expressway), โ˜ +048-522-4316. W-Su 10:00-17:00 (closed during the summer New Year holidays). This memorial museum, certified as a modern industrial heritage site, uses the cocoon warehouse of the Kumagaya factory, Katakura Industries' last silk factory. There is no parking lot. ใ€€ Free. (updated Nov 2023)
  • ๐ŸŒ Kangi-in Temple (ๆญ“ๅ–œ้™ข). A Buddhist temple with architecture designated as a National Treasure (updated Jun 2024)

Do

Buy

  • Gokabo (ไบ”ๅฎถๅฎ) โ€” Finger-sized traditional sweets. Good companion to green tea.

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Connect

Stay Safe

Kumagaya is the record holder for the highest temperature in Japan - 41.1ยฐC on 23 July 2018. Avoid mid-summer if you can.

Go next

Routes through Kumagaya
Nagano โ† Takasaki โ†  N  S  โ†’ ลŒmiya โ†’ Tokyo Ueno
Niigata โ† Takasaki โ†  N  S  โ†’ ลŒmiya โ†’ Tokyo
Takasaki โ† Fukaya โ†  N  S  โ†’ Ageo โ†’ ลŒmiya
Chichibu โ† Yorii โ†  W  E  โ†’ Gyลda
Takasaki โ† Fujioka โ† Fukaya โ†  N  S  โ†’ Okegawa โ†’ Ageo โ†’ ลŒmiya
END โ†  W  E  โ†’ Gyลda โ†’ Tsukuba
Koshu โ† Chichibu โ†  W  E  โ†’ END
Ashikaga โ† ลŒta โ†  N  S  โ†’ Higashi Matsuyama โ†’ Kawagoe


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