| Iruma | |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | Japan |
| Coordinates: | 35.8358°N 139.3911°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Japan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kantō |
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture |
| Subdivision Name2: | Saitama |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Richirō Sugiyama (from November 2020) |
| Area Total Km2: | 44.69 |
| Population Total: | 147,166 |
| Population As Of: | January 2021 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | Japan Standard Time |
| Utc Offset1: | +9 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | City Symbols |
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | - Tree |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | Zelkova serrata |
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | - Flower |
| Blank2 Info Sec1: | Camellia sinensis |
| Blank3 Name Sec1: | - Bird |
| Blank3 Info Sec1: | Eurasian skylark |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Phone number |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 04-2964-1111 |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Address |
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | 1-16-1 Toyooka, Iruma-shi, Saitama-ken 358-8511 |
right|thumb|260px|Tea fields in Irumaright|thumb|260px|Kasumi River in Iruma is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan., the city had an estimated population of 147,166 in 66,516 households and a population density of .[1] The total area of the city is 44.69sqkm.
Located in the Sayama Highlands of far southern Saitama Prefecture, Iruma is bordered by Tokyo to the south. The Iruma River flows through the city.
Iruma has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Iruma is . The average annual rainfall is 1481mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around, and lowest in January, at around .[2]
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Iruma has recently plateaued after several decades of strong growth.
The area around Iruma was part of ancient Musashi Province and was noted for kilns producing Sue ware pottery in the Nara period and Heian period. During the Edo period, the area developed as a series of three post towns on the Nikkō Wakiōkan highway during the Edo period. The town of Toyooka and villages of Kaneko, Miyadera, Fujisawa and Higashikaneko were created within Iruma District, Saitama with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The Imperial Japanese Army Air Academy established an airfield in the area in 1938, which later developed into Iruma Air Base. On April 1, 1954, Higashikaneko became Seibu Town. On September 30, 1956, Toyooka, Kaneko, Miyadera, Fujisawa and Seibu merged to form the town of Musashi. Musashi was elevated to city status on November 1, 1966, becoming the city of Iruma. Discussions to merge with the neighboring city of Sayama in 2005 failed to pass a referendum. In 2017 Japan became the first country ever to elect an openly transgender man to any public office when Tomoya Hosoda was elected as a councillor for the city of Iruma.[4] [5]
Iruma has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 22 members. Iruma contributes two members to the Saitama Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Saitama 9th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Iruma has a mixed economy with numerous industrial parks for light manufacturing and also serves as a regional commercial center. Due to its location, it is also a bedroom community for people commuting to the Tokyo metropolis for work. In terms of agriculture, Iruma and neighboring Sayama are famous for the green tea they produce.
Seibu Railway - Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Iruma is twinned with: