Origin and pre-modern history Ōmiya's origins trace back to its role as a temple town for the Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine, a significant Shinto shrine with a history spanning over 2,400 years. Ōmiya is an indigenous
Japanese language word which can be decomposed to
Ō (大,
kun'yomi (Japanese reading) おお: large, great) and
miya (宮, kun'yomi み-や: noble or holy - house; palace or
shrine) after the
Hikawa Shrine. The town was on the
Nakasendō, a main national road in the
feudal Edo period and the predecessor to a part of
National Highway Route 17, and the
Takasaki Line. During the Edo period, Ōmiya flourished as a post town (shukuba) along the Nakasendō, one of the five major routes connecting Edo (now Tokyo) to Kyoto. Its strategic location contributed to its development as a hub for travelers and commerce.
Modern Ōmiya • On April 1, 1899, the town of Ōmiya as a modern municipality was founded. • After the
1923 Great Kantō earthquake, bonsai nurseries relocated from
Tokyo and formed the
bonsai village. • In 1940, Ōmiya became a city after several surrounding village annexations/mergers.
Saitama City era • On May 1, 2001, Ōmiya was merged with the cities of Urawa and Yono to create the new capital city of
Saitama. • On April 1, 2003, when Saitama became a
designated city, the former area of Ōmiya City has been divided into 4 wards: Kita-ku, Minuma-ku, Nishi-ku and Ōmiya-ku. == Historical and Cultural Significance ==