Hannō

Hannō is a city on the southern edge of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, bordered by Tokyo to the south and by Chichibu to the west. Much of its land is made up of mountains and river valleys, and both the Iruma River and the Koma River flow through it, so the city mixes suburban neighbourhoods with forested hills. It was traditionally known for its lumber trade, which grew during the Edo period to supply Edo with the timber needed to rebuild after frequent fires. The modern municipality was established in 1889, was raised to city status in 1954 and absorbed the village of Naguri in 2005. Today its economy is mixed, with pharmaceutical and electronics factories, and many residents commute daily to Tokyo. As of early 2021 the city had about 79,000 inhabitants, and its population has declined slightly since peaking around the year 2000.