was a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

located in Higashikubiki District,

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. As of 2003, the town had an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 4,016 and a

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...

of 44.39 persons per km². The total area was 90.47 km². On April 1, 2005, Matsudai, along with the town of Matsunoyama (also from Higashikubiki District), the town of Kawanishi, and the village of Nakasato, both from Nakauonuma District, was merged into the expanded city of

Tōkamachi is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 28,728 in 19,823 households, and a population density of 86.3 persons per km². The total area of the city was , although some borders of the city are ...

Transportation

Railway

Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line The is a Japanese railway line in Niigata Prefecture that runs from Muikamachi in Minamiuonuma City to Saigata in Jōetsu City. It is the sole railway line operated by . Construction of the line first began in 1968 by the Japanese National ...

Highway

* * *

Local attractions

Matsudai is one of the sites of the

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial (ETAT) is an international contemporary art festival held once every three years in Niigata prefecture, Japan. The festival was created by the Tokyo commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) and is directed by ...

, first held in 2000. The Matsudai Snow-Land Agrarian Culture Centre (aka Matsudai Nobutai) was built in 2003 by architects MVRDV as part of the Triennial and is the focal point for local contemporary art activities. The centre includes an event space, classroom, gallery, art shop, and restaurant. Matsudai Nohbutai.jpg, Matsudai Nohbutai Hoshitoge.jpg, Hoshitoge Rice Terrace 蒲生の棚田.jpg, Gamo Rice Terrace Dissolved municipalities of Niigata Prefecture Tōkamachi, Niigata {{Niigata-geo-stub