Niigata Prefecture

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is located on Honshu island on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name Niigata literally means "New Lagoon".

Contents

History

Niigata prefecture was originally divided into Echigo Province and Sado Province until the Meiji Restoration. During the Sengoku period it was ruled by Uesugi Kenshin.

Niigata-shi (the city) is the largest and most important among the cities which face the Sea of Japan. It has been an important seaport since the opening of Japan by Matthew Perry in the mid-1800s, especially for trade with Russia and northern Korea, and was the first port on the Sea of Japan to be opened to foreign trade.

The Etsuzankai organization, led by prime minister Tanaka Kakuei, was highly influential in bringing infrastructure improvements to Niigata in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Joetsu Shinkansen high speed rail line and Kanetsu Expressway to Tokyo.

Today, Niigata is well-known for being visited by a freighter from North Korea once a month: one of the few direct contacts between the Free world and the communist country.

On October 23, 2004, the Chuetsu Earthquake struck Niigata Prefecture, causing shaking measured at Shindo 6+ at Ojiya.

On January 9, 2006, a heavy winter storm caused much trouble in the prefecture and its surroundings. At least 71 people died and over a thousand were injured.

Geography

Niigata prefecture stretches about 240 km along the Sea of Japan from southwest to north east, with a coastal plain between the mountains and the sea. It also includes Sado Island.

Because of the shape, Niigata prefecture is often called small Honshuu-Main Island.

Depending on how you look at it, Niigata prefecture could be placed in either the Hokuriku or Koshinetsu regions, each considered part of the greater Chubu region.

The prefecture is generally divided into four geographical areas: Joetsu (in the south), Chuetsu (in the center), Kaetsu (in the north), and Sado Island.

Niigata prefecture is home to the mouth of the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan.

Reconstruction of a 19th century peasant farmer's house and rice paddy at the Northern Culture Museum, Niigata.

Cities

20 cities are located in Niigata Prefecture.

Mitsuke
Murakami
Myoko (former Arai)
Nagaoka
Niigata (capital)
Ojiya
Sado

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district.

ǂScheduled to dissolve after the mergers.

Mergers

On January 1, 2001, the town of Kurosaki from Nishikanbara District was absorbed into the city of Niigata.
On July 7, 2003, the town of Toyoura from Kitakanbara District was absorbed into the city of Shibata.
On March 1, 2004, the city of Ryotsu and the towns of Aikawa, Hamochi, Hatano, Kanai, Mano, Ogi and Sawata and the villages of Akadomari and Niibo from Sado District merged to form the city of Sado. Sado District was thereby dissolved.
On April 1, 2004, the towns of Suibara and Yasuda and the villages of Kyogase and Sasakami from Kitakanbara District merged to form the city of Agano.
On November 1, 2004, the towns of Muika and Yamato from Minamiuonuma District merged to form the city of Minamiuonuma.
On November 1, 2004, the towns of Horinouchi and Koide and the villages of Hirokami, Irihirose, Sumon and Yunotani from Kitauonuma District merged to form the city of Uonuma.
On January 1, 2005, the town of Yasuzuka and the villages of Maki, Oshima and Uragawara from Higashikubiki District, the towns of Itakura, Kakizaki, Ogata and Yoshikawa and the villages of Kiyosato, Kubiki, Nakagou and Sanwa from Nakakubiki District and the town of Nadachi from Nishikubiki District were absorbed into the city of Joetsu.
On March 19, 2005, the new city of Itoigawa was created when the towns of Nou and Oumi from Nishikubiki District (Dissolved by this action) merged with the old city of Itoigawa.
On March 21, 2005, the city of Niitsu, Shirone and Toyosaka, the towns of Kameda, Kosudo and Yokogoshi from Nakakanbara District and the town of Nishikawa and the villages of Ajikata, Iwamuro, Katahigashi, Nakanokuchi and Tsukigata from Nishikanbara District were absorbed into the city of Niigata.
On April 1, 2005, the town of Myokokogen and the village of Myoko from Nakakubiki District were absorbed into the city of Arai. Arai changed its name to Myoko at the same time. Nakakubiki District was thereby dissolved.
On April 1, 2005, the town of Oguni from Kariwa District, the village of Yamakoshi from Koshi District, the town of Nakanoshima from Minamikanbara District and the towns of Koshiji and Mishima from Santo District were absorbed into the city of Nagaoka. Koshi District was thereby dissolved.
On April 1, 2005, the towns of Matsudai and Matsunoyama from Higashikubiki District and the town of Kawanishi and the village of Nakasato from Nakauonuma District merged with the old city of Tokamachi to form the new city of Tokamachi. Higashikubiki District was thereby dissolved.
On April 1, 2005, the towns of Kanose and Tsugawa and the village of Kamikawa and Mikawa from Higashikanbara District merged to form the town of Aga.
On May 1, 2005, the towns of Nishiyama and Takayanagi from Kariwa District were absorbed into the city of Kashiwazaki.
On May 1, 2005, the town of Shiunji and the village of Kajikawa from Kitakanbara District were absorbed into the city of Shibata.
On May 1, 2005, the new city of Sanjo was formed by the mergers of the old city of Sanjo, and the town of Sakae and the village of Shitada from Minamikanbara District.
On September 1, 2005, the town of Nakajo and the village of Kurokawa from Kitakanbara District merged to form the city of Tainai.
On October 1, 2005, the town of Shiozawa from Minamiuonuma District was absorbed into the city of Minamiuonuma.
On October 10, 2005, the town of Maki from Nishikanbara District was absorbed into the city of Niigata.
On January 1, 2006, the city of Gosen merged with the town of Muramatsu from Nakakanbara District to form the new city of Gosen. Nakakanbara District was dissolved as a result of this merger.
On January 1, 2006, the city of Tochio, the towns of Teradomari and Yoita and the village of Washima from Santo District were absorbed into the city of Nagaoka.
On March 20, 2006, the new city of Tsubame was formed by the mergers of the old city of Tsubame, and the towns of Bunsui and Yoshida from Nishikanbara District.

Future Mergers

The city of Murakami is scheduled to merge with the municipalities of Kamihayashi, Asahi, Sanpoku, and Awashima from Iwafune District somewhere around April 2008.

Economy

Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing

The major industry in Niigata is agriculture. Rice is the principal product, with Niigata ranking 2nd (after Hokkaido) among the prefectures for total rice output. The area around Uonuma is especially known for its Koshihikari variety of rice, which is widely thought of as the highest quality rice in Japan.

Rice-related industries are also very important to the local economy. Niigata prefecture is known throughout Japan for its quality sake, senbei, mochi, and arare. In sake production, Niigata is third in the country after Gunma and Kyoto prefectures.

The prefecture is famous as the original home of the ornamental carp known as koi, and the best-quality koi are still considered to come from the farms of Niigata.

The production volume of azaleas and cut lilies grown in Niigata is one of the highest in Japan. Niigata also enjoys increasing volumes of cut flowers and flower bulb production: along with Toyama prefecture, Niigata produces the most tulips in the country.

Mining and Manufacturing

Niigata is a source for crude oil, not often found on the Japanese islands. Relating to this, there is also much production of kerosene heaters (useful in the cold Niigata winters).

Ginsan on Sado Island was an active gold mine until its closing in 1989.

Metal manufacturing is also prevalent. Sanjo and Tsubame produce 9% of all metal silverware in Japan, by far the most for one area in the country. After Osaka, the two cities also produce the most scissors, kitchen knives, and wrenches.

Niigata supposedly produces the most knitted textile products in the country. However, it has been suggested that some of these are actually from China.

The nuclear power plant with the highest energy output in the world is located in the tiny village of Kariwa.

Demographics

In 1885, Niigata was the most populous prefecture, beating out even Tokyo and Osaka prefecture. However, according to the 2003 census Niigata ranks as the 14th most populous.

Like much of Japan, Niigata shows signs of an aging population, specifically in the more rural areas.