Sōka

This article is about the city in Japan. For the village in Burkina Faso, see Souka, Burkina Faso.

Sōka 草加市
Special city
Flag
Location of Sōka in Saitama Prefecture
Sōka Location in Japan
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Saitama Prefecture
Government
• Mayor	Kazuaki Tanaka (elected in December 2010, and office in January 2011)
Area
• Total	27.42 km2 (10.59 sq mi)
Population (October 1, 2010)
• Total	243,111
• Density	8,866.19/km2 (22,963.3/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Pinus
• Flower	Chrysanthemum
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address	1-1-1 Takasago, Soka-shi, Saitama-ken 840-8550
Website	www.city.soka.saitama.jp

Sōka (草加市, Sōka-shi) is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on November 1, 1958.

As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 243,111 and a population density of 8,866.19 persons per km². The total area is 27.42 km² (10.59 sq mi).

Geography

Situated in the southeast corner of Saitama Prefecture, Sōka is surrounded to the east by the cities of Yashio, Misato and Yoshikawa, and to the west by Kawaguchi. To the north is Koshigaya City and to the south Adachi City of Metropolitan Tokyo. It is approximately 30 kilometers away from Tokyo.

Sōka, once a peaceful agricultural area surrounded by water and greenery, lies in the Nakagawa-ayase basin, an area referred to as the Nakagawa-teichi district. This alluvial plain spreads over the central part of the Kanto Plain. As a result of urbanization, the once abundant greenery and clean water was adversely affected. Now, Sōka is promoting a "town of greenery and water based on history and the natural features of the area". Creation of areas of greenery reflecting the changes of the four seasons, and the restoration of waterways and environs is being advanced.

On November 1, 1958 Soka was incorporated as a city with a population of 34,878. Following this, rapid population expansion and urbanization took hold due to strong economic growth which was fueled by its proximity to Tokyo.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Japan

Twin towns — Sister cities

Sōka is twinned with:

• Carson, California, United States (1979)
• Shōwa, Fukushima, Japan (1985)
• Anyang, China (1998)

External links

• Sōka City official website (Japanese)