Named in honor of a city located in the Musashino hills in the center of the Kantou {see planet  (3249)} plain. In the southeastern part of Saitama prefecture, Sayama is on the Iruma river and famous for producing good Japanese green tea. Since 1954 Sayama has developed with Irumagawa city and some villages into a new industrial area and as a residential area for the commuters of Tokyo. Sayama observes and promotes various traditional cultures and is noted in particular for its Star Festival (“Tanabata”), when the main streets are beautifully decorated with bamboo trees. (M 17031) _ _.