Tokorozawa, city in central Japan, on east central Honshu Island, in southern Saitama Prefecture about 30 km (about 19 mi) west of downtown Tokyo. Tokorozawa is a principal residential suburb of Tokyo and a commercial center. A large amusement park, Seibuen Yuenchi, is a popular attraction. The city is also home to the Seibu Lions, a professional baseball team. Both the amusement park and the team's stadium were built by a private developer, the Seibu Railway Company, which has its headquarters in Tokorozawa. Nearby Yamaguchi Reservoir, also called Lake Sayama, is a popular recreation area and one of the main sources of water for Tokyo. Tokorozawa developed as a market town in the 1600s and became a center of textile industries in the early Meiji era (1868-1912). The Imperial Japanese Army built Japan's first airport in Tokorozawa in 1910. The city maintained its role as a military base through World War II (1939-1945). Population (1999) 323,335.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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