Maebashi is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1892, by the samurai Makuba Kawai. On December 5, 2004 the town of Ōgo, and the villages of Kasukawa and Miyagi, all from Seta District, were merged into Maebashi. As of this merger, but with 2003 population data, the city has an estimated population of 321,813 and a density of 1,334 persons per km². The total area is 241.22 km². It was traditionally the most populous city in Gunma until Takasaki merged with nearby towns. Maebashi hosted the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships.