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Saitama (さいたま) is the capital of Saitama prefecture in the Kanto region of Japan.
Get in
By plane
JR Kanto Bus runs limousine bus service, the O N Liner, every hour from Narita Airport to and from the Saitama Shintoshin and Ōmiya train stations. The trip takes about two hours and costs ¥2750 each way. If you have a Japan Rail Pass or JR East Pass, you can make it to Ōmiya station in about the same time by taking the Narita Express to Tokyo and changing to the Tohoku/Joetsu Shinkansen.
From Haneda Airport you can take the Keikyu line to Shinagawa station and change to the JR Keihin-Tohoku line for the run to the Saitama area (80-90 minutes to Omiya, ¥1020). Hourly limousine buses also run to Ōmiya station (90 minutes, ¥1500).
By train
Saitama's Ōmiya Station (大宮駅) is a major train hub, connecting together the Tohoku Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen lines, as well as the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, JR Tohoku (Utsunomiya) Line, JR Saikyo Line, JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line and Tobu Noda Line.
Just about all northbound shinkansen trains from Tokyo and Ueno stop at Ōmiya station, with the ride from Tokyo taking 25 minutes. On all services except the Hayate and Komachi, an unreserved seat costs ¥1580. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, and if time and space permits, you can reserve a seat beforehand (which normally costs ¥2800)... or just hop into an unreserved seat... all at no charge. Departures every 5-15 minutes.
Regular trains on the Tohoku and Takasaki lines run from Ueno to Ōmiya in 25 minutes at a cost of ¥450. These trains make added stops at Saitama Shintoshin Station (さいたま新都心駅), near the Saitama Super Arena and the John Lennon Museum. Service every 10 minutes or less.
The Keihin Tohoku Line is a local service connecting Ōmiya and Saitama Shintoshin to eastern Tokyo, including from Tokyo station (50 minutes, ¥540), Shinagawa (one hour, ¥620) and Kawasaki (75 minutes, ¥780). Service every 10 minutes or less.
There is also service from western Tokyo to Ōmiya via the Saikyo Line and the Shonan-Shinjuku Line. Trains leave from Ikebukuro (25-35 minutes, ¥380), Shinjuku (30-40 minutes, ¥450) and Shibuya (30-40 minutes, ¥540). Service every 10 minutes or less.
The Shonan-Shinjuku Line is also the best way of reaching Ōmiya from Yokohama (one hour, ¥890). Service runs every 10-20 minutes. Keihin-Tohoku Line local trains make the same run in 80-90 minutes, departing every 10 minutes or less.
The Tobu Noda Line links Ōmiya station with Kasukabe (connection to the Tobu Isesaki Line), Kashiwa (connection to the JR Joban Line), and Funabashi (connection to the Keisei Line and JR Sobu Line).
See
Saitama Super Arena (さいたまスーパーアリーナ), . A multi-configuration arena that can seat up to 37,000 people. Numerous shops, restaurants and attractions can be found within. A pedestrian walkway links the Saitama Shintoshin train station with the Super Arena.John Lennon Museum, . Japanese Beatle fans are among the most rabid in the world, and this museum, the first of its kind, goes to prove it. Displays include instruments, hand-written lyrics, and other memorabilia. Be warned, though, that Yoko Ono exerts a strong influence on the museum: it's very much about John Lennon rather than the Beatles. The museum entrance is on the fourth floor of the Saitama Super Arena. Open daily from 11:00 to 18:00, closed on Tuesdays and during the New Years Holiday. Admission ¥1500/1000/500.Musashi no Ichinomiya Hikawa Jinja, one of the most important Shinto shrines in the Kanto area, dating back more than two thousand years. Take the train to JR Omiya station, exit to the east, and keep walking until you come to the tree-lined street. This is the two-kilometer long entrance path to the shrine. Turn left and walk straight north until you reach Hikawa Jinja itself.Omiya Koen, one of Saitama's first modern parks. Right next to Hikawa Jinja and a relaxing place to eat lunch.
Drink
The King George Tavern B1F, Tokai Bldg, Omiya, tel. +81 4 8649 5040. A few minutes walk through the seedier side of Saitama from Omiya Station's East Exit. Turn right at the exit and then left down the brightly lit strip full of touts and hostesses in evening dresses. The King George is a way down on your right. This English-style pub is often full of expat English teachers, and hosts a lot of gigs and live events. Drinks are around ¥600.
is an indeginous Japanese place and family name which may often refer to:
Saitama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Kantō region. Saitama, Saitama is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture incorporating former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki.Kitasaitama District, Saitama and Minami Saitama District, Saitama are two districts in eastern Saitama prefecture.
The current place names with Sakitama includes:Sakitama (埼玉), Gyōda, Saitama was a village in Kitasaitama District, Saitama Prefecture.Sakitama (埼玉), Nasushiobara, Tochigi.
Origin
Saitama was originally Sakitama which can be decomposed to saki (top, tip, head or beyond) and tama (precious stone, ball, soul or Tama Area for Western Tokyo), which appeared in a Japanese poetry collection of the 7th and 8th century Man'yōshū. In the collection Chinese characters were used as phonetic characters (Man'yōgana). Prounuciation Saitama appeared in the Heian period (the 9th - 12th centuries CE). The kanjis '埼' (saki: cape or promontry) and '玉' (tama: precious stone, ball) were appropriated later.
Sport club
A Japan Professional Basketball League club Saitama Broncos whose home arenas are Tokorozawa Civic Gymnasium in Tokorozawa, Saitama and Saitama Super Arena in Chūō-ku, Saitama.
Railway Station
Saitama-Shintoshin Station is a railway station located in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama.
Tertiary institutions
:ja:国際学院埼玉短期大学|:ja:Kokusai Gakuin Saitama Junior College is headquartered in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama.:ja:埼玉学園大学|:ja:Saitama Gakuen University is headquartered in Kawaguchi, Saitama.:ja:埼玉工業大学|:ja:Saitama Institute of Technology is headquartered in Fukaya, Saitama. :ja:埼玉短期大学|:ja:Saitama Junior College is headquartered in Kazo, Saitama. :ja:埼玉純真短期大学|:ja:Saitama Junshin Junior College is headquartered in Hanyū, Saitama. :ja:埼玉医科大学|:ja:Saitama Medical School and its affiliated Junior College are headquartered in Moroyama, Saitama.:ja:埼玉県立大学|:ja:Saitama Prefecture University is headquartered in Koshigaya, Saitama.Saitama University is headquartered in Sakura-ku, Saitama, Saitama. :ja:埼玉女子短期大学|:ja:Saitama Women's Junior College is headquartered in Hidaka, Saitama.
Mass media
is a paid daily newspaper headquartered in Urawa-ku, Saitama and is serving the prefecture.NHK Saitama FM (85.1 MHz, Chichibu relay 83.5 MHz) in Urawa-ku, Saitama serves the prefecture. It is basically a relay station of Tokyo but some scheduled programs are produced locally. Television Saitama Co.,Ltd is the company name for a free-to-air commercial station Teletama based in Urawa-ku, Saitama and serving the prefecture. (Until June 2001 FM NACK5 (79.5 MHz, Chichibu relay 77.5 MHz) 's company name was )
Astronomical object
(5618) Sakitama is an asteroid in the major asteroid belt.
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