'Kasukabe' (
Japanese: 春日部市; -shi) is a
city located in eastern
Saitama,
Japan, approximately 30 kilometers north of
Tokyo. Formerly located within
Kitakatsushika and
Minamisaitama Districts (former town of Kasukabe area was located in
Minamisaitama). Kasukabe once prospered as part of the
Nikkō Kaidō highway, an important trade route that linked
Edo with
Nikkō.

Picture of the Pasadena Representatives holding the Pasadena and Kasukabe Banner Side by Side to show the respect that each city has for each other and to show the strength of the bond between each city.
As of
2003, the city has an estimated
population of 204,109 and the
density of 5,395.43 persons per
km². The total area is 37.83
km². According to the Kasukabe Guidebook for Foreign Residents, more than 1700 foreign nationals live in the city; and a person who lives in or loves Kasukabe is referred to as a ''Kasukabian'' (かすかびあん).
The city was founded on
July 1,
1954 and its current
mayor is MIEDA Yasushige.
On Oct 1, 2005, Kasukabe-shi and Showa-mati merged together and new Kasukabe City was born.
★ Kasukabe is well-known in Japan as the setting of the
manga and
anime series ''
Lucky ☆ Star'' and ''
Crayon Shin-chan''. Shin-chan's creator
Yoshito Usui also lives in Kasukabe.
★ Kasukabe is famous throughout Japan for the production of ''kiri-tansu'' (桐箪笥), traditional dressers made from the wood of the
paulownia tree. The cultural and economic value of the paulownia tree is reflected in its designation as the official town tree. The leaves and blossoms of the paulownia tree appear on the
obverse side of the 500
yen coin.
★ the city's official flower is the ''fuji'' (藤), or
wisteria.
★ Kasukabe is serviced by the privately-owned
Tobu Noda and
Tobu Isesaki train lines, connecting respectively to the
JR train network at
Omiya and Shin-Koshigaya at their nearest transfer points.
★ Kasukabe is home to 1 of 3 Robinson Department Stores opened in Japan. The large seven-story American-styled department store serves as a landmark for local residents.
★ Pasadena, California's Junior Chamber of Commerce does a Exchange Program each summer alternating every year with Kasukabians coming to Pasadena one summer and Pasadena Residents going to Kasukabe the next Summer. This Exchange with Pasadena has been going on for 22 Years.

Banner of The 2007 Exchange Program beetween Kasukabe and Pasadena
See also
★
Kasukabe High School
External links
★
Kasukabe official website in Japanese
★
Kasukabe official website in English
★
Google map of Kasukabe in Japanese
★
Pasadena Jaycee Website
★
Kasukabe Jaycee Website