Introduction of Soka City
The Official Soka City Homepage is not on the web.
Soka City Hall
Takasago 1-1-1, Soka City, Saitama 340, Japan
TEL: 81-489-22-0151
Soka City is situated at the south-east end of Saitama Prefecture, facing Tokyo Metropolis. Soka has a histry back to 300 years as a post town on Nikko Travel Way and appears in the well-known Japanese 'Haiku' literatur "Oku-no-hosomichi" written by Matsuo 'Basho'. Since 1960s, as a bed-town for Tokyo commuters, the population grew rapidly. Now it counts some 220,000.
"Soka
Pine Avenue" ; where Basho walked through... once destroyed
by city development, now revived by some citizens' groups.
was revived by the Citizens. When 'Basho' traveled, there were about one thousand Pine Trees.
As Soka urbanized, the number of Pine trees reduced. But many people cared, and saved the avenue.
It started a group of people secretry planted small pine trees during night, because they did not like to take tiresome city's official transaction and permit.
Little by little, the number of small pine tree increased and people started to take care of those trees. Here it is!!
Soka Pine Avenue is our pride. It
was awarded by the Minister of Home Affairs, selected as one of
"100 Avenue of Japan".
Soka Senbei (Rice Cracker) is our proud; This Japan's nation-wide confectionary is not sweet!
Recently, recognized as a good preservative food in emargency such as great earth quakes.
Taste of Rice, Good Soy Sause are not only keys; But The Spirit of Senbei Shokunin who makes senbei makes difference.
Soka is also famous for 'Soka Senbei' (or soka rice cracker) This is one of the most famous Japanese confectionaries taken with green tea.
In Edo period, a samurai who drop by in Soka Post Town, saw a woman called 'O-Sen-san' throw the left-over of Rice Balls. He suggested her to make it thin and dry to tost it crisp to keep it while long journey.
There are still some 200 senbei shops
in Soka City. Why don't you try various tasts of various shops
when you visit!
Message
to Ken Seto