city, Saitama ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan, on the Ara River. It was named for the 12th-century warrior Kumagai Naozane. The city was a post town and silk market during the Tokugawa period (1603–1867) and marked the terminus of transport on the Ara River. The central part of Kumagaya was destroyed during World War II, but the city has since grown to be the commercial, administrative, and transport centre of northern Saitama ken. The silk-reeling industry is supplemented by heavy industry, introduced since 1961. Pop. (2000) 156,216.