is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
located in
Niigata Prefecture,
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 ...
. , the city had an estimated
population of 39,908 in 15,139 households, and a
population density of 510 persons per km². The total area of the city is , making it the smallest city in Niigata Prefecture in terms of area.
Geography
Mitsuke is located in an inland region near the geographical centre of Niigata Prefecture, it has a monument called the . The city is located approximately 50 kilometers from the prefectural capital at
Niigata and 300 kilometers from central Tokyo. The Kariyata River divides the center of the city into northern and southern districts before joining the
Shinano River just outside the city borders. The main population center, former Mitsuke-cho, is located on the northern bank of the river and was formerly subject to frequent flooding. The eastern part of the city is a hilly area, and the western part is in the plains. The city extends from 11.5 kilometers from east-to-west by 14.7 kilometers from north-to-south.
The highest elevation is 300 meters above sea level, and the lowest is 10 meters above sea level. Over 50% of the city area is farmland, mostly in the northern part of the city.
Surrounding municipalities
Niigata Prefecture
*
Sanjō
*
Nagaoka
Climate
Mitsuke has a
Humid climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Mitsuke is 12.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2176 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.1 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.6 °C.
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,
Mitsuke population statistics
/ref> the population of Mitsuke has remained relatively steady over the past 60 years.
History
The area of present-day Mitsuke was part of ancient Echigo Province
was an old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It bordered on Uzen, Iwashiro, Kōzuke, Shinano, and Etchū Provinces. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Echigo''" in . It corresponds today to Niigata ...
. During the Edo period the area was divided between Nagaoka Domain, Muramatsu Domain
was a '' tozama'' feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in Echigo Province, Honshū. The domain was centered at Muramatsu ''Jin'ya'' (later renamed Muramatsu Castle), located in what is now part of th ...
and Shibata Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. After the start of the Meiji period, the area was organised as part of Minamikanbara District, Niigata. The town of Mitsuke was established on April 1, 1887 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to city status on March 31, 1954.
Government
Mitsuke has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 17 members. Mitsuke contributes one member to the Niigata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Niigata 4th district
is an electoral district of the Japanese House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Diet. The district was created as part of the general move from multi-member districts to single-member districts in the House of Representatives.
...
of the lower house
A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...
of the Diet of Japan
The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...
.
Economy
Mitsuke was traditionally known for its silk weaving industry. The city is now known for the production of knitted and synthetic fabrics. The main agricultural products are rice and tobacco. The Mitsuke Oil Fields were once one of the most productive petroleum deposits in Japan. Mitsuke is the home of Canon Tokki Corporation. This is one of the world market leaders for vacuum machines for the production of OLED screens.
Education
Mitsuke has eight public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government. There is one public high school operated by the Niigata Prefectural Board of Education and one private high school. The prefecture, also operates one special education school for the handicapped.
Transportation
Railway
JR East
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...
- Shin'etsu Main Line
*
Highway
*
Local attractions
*Mimitori Site
The is an archaeological site containing the ruins of a Jōmon period settlement located in what is now part of the city of Mitsuke, Niigata in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 2015.
Ov ...
, National Historic Site
References
External links
Official Website
{{Authority control
Cities in Niigata Prefecture