is a city located in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture (). It is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, and one of the cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, located in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the most populous city on the west coast of Honshu, and the second most populous city in the Chūbu region after Nagoya. It faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island. , the city had an estimated population of 779,049, and a population density of 1,072 persons per km2. The total area is . Greater Niigata, the Niigata Metropolitan Employment Area, has a GDP of US$43.3 billion as of 2010.Conversion rates - Exchange rates - OECD Data
It is the only government-designated city on the west coast of Honshu. It has the greatest habitable area of cities in Japan (). It is designated as a reform base for the large scale agriculture under () initiatives.
Overview Niigata was one of the cities incorporated by the legislation effective on April 1, 1889 (Meiji 22). With a long history as a port town, Niigata served the function of the network junction between the maritime traffic and those of Shinano and Agano river systems. It was designated as one of the five free treaty ports under the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan, signed in 1858, just before the Meiji Restoration, and later started operations in 1869. Its importance in land and water transportation is still current.
Niigata's city government was established in 1889. Mergers with nearby municipalities in 2005 allowed the city's population to jump to 810,000. The annexation of the surrounding area has also given the city the greatest rice paddy field acreage in Japan. On April 1, 2007, it became the first government-designated city on the coast of the Sea of Japan of Honshu. There are eight wards (described later) in the city.
Until the 1950s, a system of canals were lined along by the willow trees in the downtown area of Niigata. Therefore, the city is sometimes called the "City of Water" or "City of Willows" as detailed later. Niigata produced many manga artists (see: Artists and writers). It is also known to have an extensive network of bypass roads. Bandai bridge, NEXT21, Toki Messe, Denka Big Swan Stadium, Niigata Nippo Media Ship are considered to be the key symbol landmarks in the city (see: Local attractions).
Toponymy The place name "Niigata" was first recorded in 1520 (Eisho 17). Its name in kanji can be translated as "new" and "lagoon".
However, as there is no record about the origin of the name, this had led to many theories. First "Niigata" was a large lagoon at the mouth of the Shinano river. Second it was an inland bay at the river's entrance. Third it was the name of a village that stood on an island within the estuary. Fourth it referred to another settlement that relocated to the Furumachi district and that in turn gave its name to a nearby lagoon.
Cityscapes
Geography Niigata is situated on a fertile coastal plain on the Sea of Japan coast, facing Sado Island. The Shinano River and Agano River flow through the city.
Numerous wetlands, such as the Fukushimagata wetlands, can be found within the city limits. The Sakata lagoon is registered as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Niigata City's low elevation and abundant water have made flood control and land reclamation important issues for the area throughout its history.
The city is sometimes called the because of the two rivers that flow through it, its position next to the Sea of Japan, its many wetlands, and the canals that used to run through the city. It is also sometimes referred to as the or because of the willow trees that lined the old canals. In recent years, the city has been promoting itself as a , highlighting its agricultural areas outside of the city center.
Climate Niigata City features a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). However, due to high precipitation, it receives more yearly snowfall than cities with continental climates such as Moscow, Montreal or Oslo. Winters are characterized by their high humidity and strong winds from the Sea of Japan. While many other parts of Niigata Prefecture tend to have heavy snow, Niigata City itself usually receives less due to its low-lying elevation and the shielding effect of Sado Island.
On average, Niigata City has 269 days of precipitation each year, about 170 days of which see rain or snowfall measuring over 1 mm.平年値(年・月ごとの値) The rainy season in July brings large amounts of rain, while the winter months, especially November and December, also have much precipitation.Niigata City 2007 Statistical Data, published 2007
In summer, the south wind makes the weather rather hot. Typhoons usually bring strong foehn winds to this area, generally causing somewhat higher temperatures than in other parts of Japan. The weather on the west coast of Honshu tends to be better during the summer months than on the Pacific coast.
Wards Niigata has a system of wards (ku) since April 1, 2007:Map Each ward has its own "image color".
Wards of Niigata Place NameMap of NiigataRōmajiKanjiColor 1Akiha Ward秋葉区 2Chuo Ward (administrative center) 中央区 3Higashi Ward 東区 4Kita Ward 北区 5Konan Ward 江南区 6Minami Ward 南区 7Nishi Ward 西区 8Nishikan Ward 西蒲区
Adjoining communities From the north, following Niigata's border clockwise:
Seirō, Kitakanbara District Shibata Agano Gosen Tagami, Minamikanbara District Kamo Sanjō Tsubame Yahiko, Nishikanbara District Nagaoka
In addition Sado Island is connected by sea and air routes.
History
Prehistoric and ancient People have inhabited the Niigata area since the Jōmon period, though much of the current land was still beneath the sea at the time. According to the Nihon Shoki, a fortress was built in the area in AD 647, and artifacts have been found at the Furutsu Hachimanyama Site. As rice cultivation emerged during the Yayoi period, the area began its transformation into a vital agricultural hub. Over the centuries, the location of the city along the fertile Echigo Plain allowed the settlement to become one of Japan’s leading rice-producing regions, laying the foundation for Niigata’s enduring reputation as the “rice capital” of the country.
Early modern ages In the 16th century, a port called Niigata was established at the mouth of the Shinano River, while a port town with the name Nuttari developed at the mouth of the Agano River. In 1598, Uesugi Kagekatsu was ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to be transferred to Aizu (Fukushima Prefecture), with Niigata Port coming under the control of the Nagaoka Domain and Numatari Port coming under the control of the Shibata Domain. A system of canals was constructed throughout the downtown area of Niigata port in the 17th century. During this period, the courses of the Shinano and Agano rivers gradually changed until they poured into the Sea of Japan at the same location. As a result, Niigata prospered as a port town, serving as a port of call for Japanese trade ships traversing the Sea of Japan.
The Matsugasaki Canal was constructed in 1730 to drain the Agano River area, but in 1731, flooding destroyed the canal and caused it to become the main current of the Agano River. As a result, the volume of water flowing into the port of Niigata decreased, which in turn allowed land reclamation efforts and the development of new rice fields to proceed.
Late modern ages In 1858, Niigata was designated as one of the five ports to be opened for international trade in the Japan–U.S. Treaty of Amity and Commerce. However, the shallow water level in the port delayed the actual opening to foreign ships until 1869. The port also served as a valuable base for fishermen who roamed as far north as the Kamchatka Peninsula to catch salmon and other fish. Niigata Town incorporated Yorii Village in 1879 to become Niigata Ward, and in 1889, Niigata Ward and Sekiya Village merged to become Niigata City. In the 1890s, mechanical drilling of the Niitsu oil field began in earnest, and during the Taisho period, Nuttari flourished as an "oil town", allowing nearby Niigata became the largest oil producing region in the country. In 1886, the first Bandai Bridge was built across the Shinano River to connect the settlements of Niigata on the west and Nuttari on the east, eventually leading to the annexation of Nuttari in 1914.
1942–1945 During World War II, Niigata's strategic location between the capital of Tokyo and the Sea of Japan made it a key point for the transfer of settlers and military personnel to the Asian continent, including Manchukuo. The region also housed multiple prisoner-of-war (POW) camps such as Niigata Camp 15B, where Allied prisoners were forced to work in various industries. By 1945, Niigata was one of four cities, together with Hiroshima, Kokura, and Nagasaki, selected as potential targets for the atomic bombs if Japan did not surrender, and as a result, remained one of the only major cities not firebombed during the war. However, due to reasons including poor weather conditions, its distance from B-29 bases in the Mariana Islands, and other factors, Niigata was struck off the atomic target list.Neglected Niigata | Restricted Data On August 11, 1945, after the second atomic bombing in Nagasaki, the governor of Niigata Prefecture ordered the people to evacuate as concerns of an impending bombing heightened, and the city was completely deserted for days until the war ended.新潟がゴーストタウンになった日。知事が命じた「原爆疎開」 | ハフポスト
1945–1972 After the war, Niigata had a relatively intact infrastructure compared to other areas, allowing its oil refining industry to recover and exceed pre-war capacity by 1950. A devastating Typhoon Louise and fire in 1955 destroyed much of the downtown area, but eventually the city recovered. In 1958, construction of the relocated Niigata Station was completed, extending the downtown area from Bandai Bridge. The Niigata Thermal Power Station Unit 1 started operation in July 1963. At that time, it was Japan's first power plant capable of using a mixture of natural gas and heavy oil. In 1964, the old canals that flowed throughout the old downtown area were filled in to make way for more roads and due to sanitation concerns. The flow through the canals had decreased over the years and the rate at which waste was carried out through them was not fast enough. In addition, they became mosquito breeding grounds during the summer.
On June 16, 1964, at 13:01 Japan Standard Time an earthquake of 7.5 Richter scale struck the city. The tremor, now widely referred to as the 1964 Niigata earthquake, killed 29 people and left hundreds injured, while subsequently causing catastrophic destruction across the region. In total, 1,960 buildings were completely destroyed, 6,640 were partially destroyed, and another 15,298 suffered severe flooding and damage as a result of widespread soil liquefaction. Recovery from the earthquake focused on addressing widespread liquefaction, and further Engineering efforts led to the development and implementation of ground improvement techniques such as ground treatments and structural reinforcements.
In 1965, the Agano River running through Niigata was polluted with methylmercury from the chemical plant of the Showa Electrical Company. Over 690 people exhibited symptoms of Minamata disease and the outbreak became known as Niigata Minamata disease.
Following the introduction and extension of the Joetsu Shinkansen, Shinkansen service line began between Niigata and Omiya, with service to Tokyo added in 1985. Subsequent upgrades to the line, including the extension of service to Tokyo Station in 1991 and the introduction of faster train models, further strengthened Niigata’s role as a regional hub.
Big Swan Stadium in Niigata City hosted three games during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.