Asaka, city in central Japan, on east central Honshu Island, in southeastern Saitama Prefecture near the border of Tokyo Prefecture and about 20 km (about 12 mi) northwest of downtown Tokyo. Asaka has long been a center of the copper-rolling industry. More recently it has become a commuter suburb of Tokyo. It is served by the Musashino Line of the Japan Railways system and by the privately owned Tobu Tojo Line. The Ara River (Ara-kawa) is one of three rivers that run through the city, and Asaka often has flooding problems. Asaka's recreational facilities include a public golf course on the Ara River. A park in the center of the city is the site of a castle built in the 15th century. Asaka's southwest side has a military base of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces that was formerly a United States Army camp. During the Edo period (1603-1867) Asaka was founded as a post-station town (an officially regulated settlement catering to travelers) on the Kawagoe Kaido, a historic road leading to the castle town Kawagoe, about 20 km (about 12 mi) to the north. Population (1999) 114,104.
