Saitama, Japan

Capital City

With a population of 1,324,854, Saitama is a sprawling commercial hub north of Tokyo. While the city serves as a convenient bedroom community for the capital, its day-night population ratio of 92.8 reveals the reality - this is a place of commuters, not locals. The bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with the city's name written in the less formal hiragana script only after a public poll. And the climate offers little respite, with hot, humid summers and cool winters that see light snowfall. Saitama is best suited for those seeking an affordable, well-connected base to work in Tokyo, rather than a vibrant urban center in its own right.