is a city located in the northern part of

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 ...

(). It is the capital and the most populous

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 ...

, and one of the

cities designated by government ordinance of Japan A , also known as a or , is a Cities of Japan, Japanese city that has a population greater than 500,000 and has been designated as such by order of the Cabinet of Japan under Article 252, Section 19, of the Local Autonomy Law. Designated cit ...

, located in the

Chūbu region The , Central region, or is a region in the middle of Honshu, Honshū, Japan, Japan's main island. In a wide, classical definition, it encompasses nine prefectures (''ken''): Aichi Prefecture, Aichi, Fukui Prefecture, Fukui, Gifu 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 ...

. It is the most populous city on the west coast of

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

, and the second populous city in Chūbu region after

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

. It faces the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

and

Sado Island is a city located on in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Since 2004, the city has comprised the entire island, although not all of its total area is urbanized. Sado is the sixth largest island of Japan in area following the four main islands and Ok ...

. , the city had an estimated population of 779,049, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 1,072 persons per km². The total area is . Greater Niigata, the Niigata

Metropolitan Employment Area is a definition of metropolitan areas used in Japan, defined by the Center for Spatial Information Service of the University of Tokyo. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry defined 233 areas for the UEAs of Japan. It is different from ...

, has a GDP of US$43.3 billion as of 2010. 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 Treaty ports (; ja, 条約港) were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers, as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Japanese Empire. ...

under

Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States-Japan) Treaty of Amity and Commerce may refer to: * Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–France) (1778) * Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Dutch Republic), a 1782 United States treaty * Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–S ...

signed in 1858, just before the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, 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 A paddy field is a flooded field (agriculture), field of arable land used for growing Aquatic plant, semiaquatic crops, most notably rice and taro. It originates from the Neolithic rice-farming cultures of the Yangtze River basin in sout ...

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 8

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...

( described later) in the city. Until 1950’s, 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 are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

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

File:Next21 1.JPG, CBD of Niigata City（2012） File:Niigata chitose-koji 20131021-02.JPG,

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

Furumachi , literally meaning "Old Town", is the name of a central business district in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The district is centered on Furumachi-dori street and extends north to Honcho-dori street and south to Nishibori-dori street. ...

（2013） File:What's Niigata and Toki Messe Sep2021.jpg,

Toki Messe is a multi-purpose international convention center in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The center was opened on May 1, 2003, and contains a hotel, restaurants, an art museum, conference rooms, and the offices of several international organiz ...

（2021） File:Niigata Toki Messe Bandaijima Park Tempi Sep2021.jpg, River Front Park（2021） File:Niigata City 2022-01.jpg, A view of Niigata City and

Shinano River The , known as the in its upper reaches, is the longest and widest river in Japan and the third largest by basin area (behind the Tone River and Ishikari River). It is located in northeastern Honshu, rising in the Japanese Alps and flowing g ...

from observation deck of

Building (2022) File:Sunset of Niigata City2022.jpg,

Sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spring ...

of Niigata City（2022）

Geography

Sceanry of the lagoon Fukushimagata 20160504a

Niigata is situated on a fertile

coastal plain A coastal plain is flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and a piedmont area. Some of the largest coastal plains are in Alaska and the southeastern United States. The Gulf Coa ...

on the

coast, facing

. The

and

Agano River The is a river in the Hokuriku region of Honshu, Japan. It is also called the Aga River or the Ōkawa River in Fukushima. The source of the river is Mount Arakai on the border of Fukushima and Tochigi. It flows to the north and meets the Nip ...

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 The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

. 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 A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Cfa), but receives more yearly snowfall than cities such as Moscow, Montreal or Oslo. The climate in Niigata City is characterized by its high humidity and strong winds from the Sea of Japan in winter. 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

. However, Niigata City does receive much precipitation, mostly in the form of rainfall. On average, Niigata City has 269 days of precipitation each year, about 170 days of which see rain or snowfall measuring over 1 mm. The

rainy season The rainy season is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Rainy Season may also refer to: * ''Rainy Season'' (short story), a 1989 short horror story by Stephen King * "Rainy Season", a 2018 song by Monni * ''T ...

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 A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

usually bring strong

foehn wind A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of ...

s 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

(''ku'') since April 1, 2007: Each ward has its own "image color".

Adjoining communities

From the north, following Niigata's border

clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

: * Seirō, Kitakanbara District * Shibata * Agano *

Gosen Gosen may refer to: *Gosen, Niigata, Japan * Gosen-Neu Zittau, Brandenburg, Germany * Gosen (Company), a Japanese manufacturer of sporting equipment *Gosen Wakashū, an ancient Japanese poetry anthology *Land of Goshen The land of Goshen ( he, ...

* Tagami, Minamikanbara District *

Kamo The name Kamo may refer to the following: Places Japan (Note: ''kamo'' ( 鴨), is the common word for ''duck'' in Japanese, but the following names do not necessarily mean ''duck'' and are not necessarily written with that character.) * Kamo, N ...

* Sanjō * Tsubame * Yahiko, Nishikanbara District * Nagaoka * In addition

is connected by sea and air routes.

History

Prehistoric and ancient

People have inhabited the Niigata area ( Furutsu Hachimanyama Site) since the

Jōmon period The is the time in Japanese history, traditionally dated between 6,000–300 BCE, during which Japan was inhabited by a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united through a common Jōmon culture, which reached a c ...

, 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. File:Furutsu Hachimanyama Site.jpg, Furutsu Hachimanyama Site

Middle Ages

;Feudal period In the 16th century, a port called Niigata was established at the mouth of the

, while a port town with the name Nuttari developed at the mouth of the

. The area prospered beneath the rule of

Uesugi Kenshin , later known as was a Japanese ''daimyō''. He was born in Nagao clan, and after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. He was one of the most powerful ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku period. Known as ...

during the

Sengoku Period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

Early Modern Ages

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. File:Nishiki-e_-_View_of_Niigata_Port.jpg, Nishiki-e "Niigata Minato no Shinkei" (View of Niigata Port), 1859 File:Hiroshige II Echigo Niigata.jpg, Niigata drawn by Utagawa Hiroshige in 1859

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 The Kamchatka Peninsula (russian: полуостров Камчатка, Poluostrov Kamchatka, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and we ...

to catch salmon and other fish. In 1886, the first

Bandai Bridge The is a bridge crossing the Shinano River in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan via National Route 7. The current bridge was constructed in 1929, and was designated as a nationally Important Cultural Property in July 2004. Outline The curren ...

was built across the Shinano River to connect the settlements of Niigata on the west and Nuttari on the east. Niigata annexed Nuttari in 1914. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Niigata's strategic location between the capital of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and the Sea of Japan made it a key point for the transfer of settlers and military personnel to the Asian continent, including

Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of (Great) Manchuria after 1934, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China, Manchuria from 1932 until 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 afte ...

. File:Minatopia003.JPG, Niigata City History Museum (Minatopia) File:160716 Old Niigata Customs Government Building Niigata Japan01n.jpg, Old Niigata Customs Government Building File:160716 Former Daishi Bank Sumiyoshi-cho Branch Niigata Japan01n.jpg, Former Daishi Bank Sumiyoshi-cho Branch File:Bandaibashi-Bridge 20130929.JPG,

Contemporary Ages

In 1945, near the end of the war, Niigata was one of four cities, together with Hiroshima, Kokura, and Nagasaki, picked as targets for the atomic bombs if Japan did not surrender. However, Niigata was not actually targeted in the first two missions. There were several theories about the reasons that Niigata was lowered in the priority, such as poor weather conditions, its distance from B-29 bases in the Mariana Islands, and other factors. 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 without more atomic bombings. 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 is a major railway station in Chūō-ku, Niigata, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The station is at the centre of Niigata city, the largest city on the Sea of Japan coast in Honshu. It forms the central station for the ...

was completed, extending the downtown area from Bandai Bridge. The

Niigata Thermal Power Station is an LNG-fired thermal power station operated by Tohoku Electric in the city of Niigata, Japan. The facility is located on the Sea of Japan coast. History The Niigata Thermal Power Station Unit 1 started operation in July 1963. At that time, i ...

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. On June 16, 1964, at 13:01

Japan Standard Time , or , is the standard time zone in Japan, 9 hours ahead of UTC ( UTC+09:00). Japan does not observe daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated on several occasions. During World War II, the time zone was often referred to a ...

an earthquake of 7.5

Richter scale The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...

struck the city, killing 29 people and causing large-scale property damage, with 1,960 totally destroyed buildings, 6,640 partially destroyed buildings, and 15,298 severely inundated by

liquefaction In materials science, liquefaction is a process that generates a liquid from a solid or a gas or that generates a non-liquid phase which behaves in accordance with fluid dynamics. It occurs both naturally and artificially. As an example of the ...

. In 1965, the

running through Niigata was polluted with

methylmercury Methylmercury (sometimes methyl mercury) is an organometallic cation with the formula . It is the simplest organomercury compound. Methylmercury is extremely toxic, and its derivatives are the major source of organic mercury for humans. It is a ...

from the chemical plant of the Showa Electrical Company. Over 690 people exhibited symptoms of

Minamata disease Minamata disease is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning. Signs and symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cas ...

and the outbreak became known as

Niigata Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Identical in symptoms to the original outbreak of Minamata disease in Kumamoto Prefecture, the second outbreak in Niigata Prefecture was confirmed with the same name in 1965. The dis ...

. File:Niitsu Oil field in 1930s.JPG, Niitsu Oil Field（1930s） File:Great Fire of Niigata.JPG, The 1955 fire of Niigata File:Liquefaction at Niigata.JPG, Some effects of

during the

1964 Niigata earthquake Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

In 1982,

Shinkansen The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...

service on the

Jōetsu Shinkansen The is a high-speed shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Despite its name, the line does not pass through the city of Joetsu or the hist ...

line began between Niigata and Omiya, with service to

Ueno is a district in Tokyo's Taitō Ward, best known as the home of Ueno Park. Ueno is also home to some of Tokyo's finest cultural sites, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Museum of Na ...

added in 1985. The line was extended to Tokyo in 1991. Big Swan Stadium in Niigata City hosted three games during the

2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...

. The

2004 Chūetsu earthquake The occurred in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, at 17:56 local time (08:56 UTC) on Saturday, October 23, 2004. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) named it the .

did not cause any significant damage in Niigata City itself, allowing the city to work as a relief base. The size and the population of Niigata city increased over the four-year period between 2001 and 2005, due to a series of municipal mergers. On April 1, 2007, Niigata City became first city on the west coast of Honshu to become a government-designated city. In July 2007, the Chūetsu offshore earthquake, measuring 6.9 on Richter scale, rocked Niigata Prefecture. Though the earthquake was felt in the city, there was little damage, which allowed Niigata City to provide aid to the devastated areas. In May 2008, the city hosted the 2008 G8 Labor Ministers Meeting. On March 12, 2011, several hours after the massive 9.0 Tohoku earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Niigata and Nagano Prefectures experienced an estimated magnitude 6.6 earthquake.

Mergers

*On April 1, 1889 - the village of Sekiya was amalgamated into the town of Niigata to become the city of Niigata. *On April 1, 1914 - The town of Nuttari (from Nakakanbara District) was amalgamated into the city of Niigata. *On June 1, 1943 - The village of Ohgata (from Nakakanbara District) was amalgamated into the city of Niigata. *On December 8, 1943 - The villages of Ishiyama and Toyano (both from Nakakanbara District) were amalgamated into the city of Niigata. *On April 5, 1954 - The village of Matsugasakihama (from Kitakanbara District) was amalgamated into the city of Niigata. *On November 1, 1954 - The villages of Nigorikawa and Minamihama (both from Kitakanbara District) and the village of Sakaiwa (from Nishikanbara District) were amalgamated into the city of Niigata. *On May 3, 1957 - The villages of Ryokawa, Sonoki and Oheyama (all from Nakakanbara District) were amalgamated into the city of Niigata. *On January 11, 1960 - The town of Uchino (from Nishikanbara District) was merged into the city of Niigata. *On April 1, 1960 - The Hamaura hamlet of the town of Toyosaka (from Kitakanbara District) was merged into the city of Niigata. *On June 1, 1961 - The villages of Nakanokoya and Akatsuka (both from Nishikanbara District) were amalgamated into the city of Niigata. *On January 1, 2001 - The town of Kurosaki (from Nishikanbara District) was amalgamated into the city of Niigata. *On March 21, 2005 - The cities of

Niitsu was a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The city itself was founded on January 1, 1951, but the area had already been opened to railway traffic as early as November 20, 1897. As of 2003, the city had an estimated population of 66,058 and ...

, Shirone and Toyosaka, the towns of Kameda, Kosudo and Yokogoshi (all from Nakakanbara District), the town of Nishikawa, and the villages of Ajikata, Iwamuro, Katahigashi, Nakanokuchi and Tsukigata (all from Nishikanbara District) were all merged into the expanded city of Niigata. *On October 10, 2005 - The town of

Maki Maki may refer to: People *Mäki, a Finnish surname (includes a list of people with the name) *Maki (name), a Japanese given name and surname (includes a list of people with the name) Places *Maki, Ravar, Kerman Province, Iran *Maki, Rigan, Ke ...

(from Nishikanbara District) was merged into the expanded city of Niigata.

Government

City Hall

;List of mayors of Niigata City (1889 to present)

External relations

Twin towns – sister cities

International

;Sister Cities Niigata maintains

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

ties with six cities: ;Friendship cities ;Partnership cities In addition, special exchange agreements have been set up with the following: *

Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...

, United Kingdom *

Ulsan Ulsan (), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City is South Korea's seventh-largest metropolitan city and the eighth-largest city overall, with a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring ...

, South Korea (since September 2007)

National

;Partnership cities

Education

Colleges and universities

Niigata University is a national university in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1949 and has its major origins in Niigata Medical College (established in 1922) and in Niigata Higher School (established in 1919). It is one of the largest Jap ...

University of Niigata Prefecture is a public university in Higashi-ku, Niigata, Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by ...

* Niigata Seiryo University * The Nippon Dental University School of Life Dentistry at Niigata * Niigata University of Pharmacy and Applied Life Sciences *

International University of Japan The is a private university located in Minamiuonuma city in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. IUJ is the first graduate university in Japan, not offering undergraduate degrees, and one of the few Japanese universities which offers all courses in En ...

Niigata University of International and Information Studies is a private university in Niigata, Niigata 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 Ja ...

Niigata University of Health and Welfare Niigata University of Health and Welfare is a private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive ...

* Graduate Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies *

College of Biomedical Technology Niigata University is a National junior college in Niigata, Niigata, Japan. History * 1974, Junior College was set up. * 1999, Registration of student was ended in this year. * 2003, Junior College was discontinued. Names of Academic department * Nursing s ...

Transportation

Wachtende Shinkansen treinen in station Niigata, -17 maart 2019

Linemap of Shinetsu Main Line Niigata with Stations

Airways

Airport

Niigata Airport is a second class airport located northeast of Niigata Station in Niigata, Japan. History The first airport on the Sea of Japan coast of Japan was opened on an island in the Shinano River in 1929. This airport was moved to what was then the ...

is located about 6 km north of central Niigata. It handles some international destinations as well as many domestic ones. As of October 2016, the domestic destinations available are

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

(10 times a day),

Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...

(five or six times a day),

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

(three times a day),

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

(once or twice a day),

(three times a day), Narita (once a day) and

(three times a day). Niigata Airport's international destinations are

Harbin Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest ...

(twice a week),

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

(five times a week),

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

(twice a week) and

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...

Railways

The largest station in Niigata City is

. It is centrally located in the Bandai area, one of the two main shopping districts in downtown Niigata. Approximately 37,000 passengers use the station daily. The

, which terminates at Niigata Station, provides daily service to Tokyo. The

Shin'etsu Main Line The Shinetsu Main Line ( ja, 信越本線, ) is a railway line, consisting of three geographically separated sections, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan. It was originally one continuous line connecting and via . S ...

Hakushin Line The is a Japanese railway line which runs between and stations in the cities of Niigata and Shibata in Niigata Prefecture. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network. Basic data *Operators, distances: ** East Japan Rai ...

Echigo Line The is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) which connects the cities of Kashiwazaki and Niigata in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The line's name is taken from the name of the ancient Echigo Province, which correspond ...

Uetsu Main Line The is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient pro ...

, and

Ban'etsu West Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, and Niitsu Station in Akiha Ward, Niigata, Niigata Prefecture. The name "Banetsu" is taken fro ...

also terminate at Niigata Station. These lines serve Myoko,

Itoigawa is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 41,333, and a population density of 55 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Itoigawa is located in the far southwestern corner of ...

Akita is a Japanese name and may refer to: Places * 8182 Akita, a main-belt asteroid * Akita Castle, a Nara period fortified settlement in Akita, Japan * Akita Domain, also known as Kubota Domain, feudal domain in Edo period Japan * Akita, Kumamoto, ...

, Sakata, and

Aizuwakamatsu is a city in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 118,159 in 50,365 households, and a population density of 310 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Aizuwakamatsu is located in the west ...

. Niigata Kotsu Dentetsu Line and Kambara Dentetsu trains used to run through the city until the late 1990s; however, they no longer exist.

High-Speed Rail

;

East Japan Railway Company 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 ...

（JR East） *

：-

Conventional lines

;

（JR East） *

：- - - - - - - - *

： - - - - - - *

： - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Buses

Transit Bus

BRT " Bandai-bashi Line" runs through business/shopping districts in the central Niigata (Niigata Station -

- City hall - Hakusan Station - Aoyama).

Roads

Expressways

Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. Naming The course of the expressway takes it alongside the coastline of the Sea of Japan (Nihonkai) in the Tōhoku region of Japan. The Nihonka ...

Hokuriku Expressway The , (abbreviated as , is a 4-laned national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company and Central Nippon Expressway Company. Overview The first section was opened in 1972 by Japan Highway Public Corpo ...

Ban-etsu Expressway The is a national expressway in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is owned and operated by East Nippon Expressway Company. Naming The name is a kanji acronym consisting of characters found in the former names of the provinces linked by the expr ...

Japan National Route

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Seaways

Sea port

The Port of Niigata served as a part of

kitamaebune The was a shipping route (and also the ships involved) in Japan from the Edo period to the Meiji era. The route went from Osaka through the Seto Inland Sea and the Kanmon Straits to ports in Hokuriku on the Sea of Japan and later to Hokkaidō. ...

during Edo era, and became one of the five open ports according to the

Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan) The , also called the Harris Treaty was a treaty signed between the United States and Tokugawa Shogunate, which opened the ports of Kanagawa and four other Japanese cities to trade and granted extraterritoriality to foreigners, among a number ...

in 1858. The west district of the port of Niigata provides passenger transportation facilities as well as cargo transportation, while the east district is dedicated for cargo capabilities, including the container terminal facilities. The Port of Niigata is designated as one of by the government. The destinations of the passenger services available at the port of Niigata include Ryotsu on Sado island, Otaru, Akita, Tsuruga. Until 2006, Niigata was formerly the

terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...

of the Mangyongbong-92

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

, one of the direct connections between Japan and

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

. File:Niigata airport-japan.jpg,

File:JR Niigata Station South Exit.jpg,

File:BRTFurumachi 201703.jpg, Bandai-bashi Line (BRT) File:おけさ丸2016.jpg, Port of Niigata

Local attractions

Bandai City is a commercial district in Chūō-ku, Niigata City. It is located north-west of Niigata Station, and faces the Shinano River. It is a popular shopping area of Niigata City, with commercial building complexes and department stores. It also has mo ...

- Downtown shopping districts *

, Next21, Niigata Nippo Media Ship, - skyscrapers with observation decks * * * Niigata City History Museum (Minatopia) *

Northern Culture Museum is an open-air museum in Kōnan-ku, Niigata, Japan. It contains the well known mansion of a wealthy farming family called , gardens and houses from the Edo period. There is also a branch in Chūō-ku, Niigata. Access There is a bus stop '' near ...

* * * *

Niigata Prefectural Botanical Garden The is a botanical garden and arboretum located at 186 Kanazu, Akiha-ku, Niigata, Niigata, Japan. It is open daily except Mondays; an admission fee is charged. The garden contains a collection of cherry trees, including '' Prunus x yedoensis' ...

* Nature Aquarium Gallery TOKI_MESSE.jpg,

Niigata-Nippo Media ship-2013.JPG, Niigata Nippo Media Ship Nuttariterasu2013.jpg, Fukushimagata Lagoon Kataraitei 002 April2020.jpg, Iwamuro-onsen,Niigata-city,Niigata,Japan.jpg,

Culture

Niigata has its own ''

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...

'' culture since over 200 years ago dating back to the Edo period. This was due to the prosperity of the city as a port town. Locally they are called ''geigi'' and the tradition continues on. Most ''ochaya'' are located in the Furumachi neighbourhood with well-known places such as the Nabechaya.

Events

* (every August) * *

Niigata Comic Market The Niigata Comic Market, commonly known as , is a bimonthly dōjinshi comic book convention held in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It takes place at either Toki Messe or the Niigata-shi Sangyou Shinkou Center, and between 7,000 and 10,00 ...

Niigata Manga Competition The Niigata Comic Market, commonly known as , is a bimonthly dōjinshi comic book convention held in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It takes place at either Toki Messe or the Niigata-shi Sangyou Shinkou Center, and between 7,000 and 10,0 ...

* Kurosaki Festival

Foods

* ''Tare

Katsudon is a popular Japanese food, a bowl of rice topped with a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet, egg, vegetables, and condiments. The dish takes its name from the Japanese words ''tonkatsu'' (for pork cutlet) and '' donburi'' (for ''rice bowl dish'') ...

'' * '' Noppe'' * ''Kakinomoto'' * ' * * ' TareKatsudon_Matsuriya.jpg, ''Tare

'' Sasadango for sale - Tokyo area - Nov 28 2019 08-21PM.jpeg, ''Sasa

Dango is a Japanese dumpling made from rice flour mixed with uruchi rice flour and glutinous rice flour. It is different from the method of making mochi, which is made after steaming glutinous rice. ''Dango'' is usually finished round shaped, thre ...

'' Chūka-soba,_Sankichiya_Nishibori-Honten,_Niigata,_Niigata,_Japan,_April_2020.jpg, ''Assari-Shōyu

Ramen is a Japanese dish, Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese ...

Sports

File:Bigswan080628.JPG,

Denka Big Swan Stadium The , also nicknamed the , is a multi-purpose stadium in Niigata, Japan. It is the home ground of J2 League club Albirex Niigata and was one of the 20 stadia used in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosting three matches. Through a sponsorship deal the ...

File:Niigata east sports center.jpg, Niigata City Higashi General Sports Center File:Niigata city land sports stadium.jpg,

Niigata Athletic Stadium is a sports venue in Niigata, Japan, and was the home of the Albirex Niigata football team until they moved to the Big Swan in 2001. The stadium is an athletics stadium which has hosted major Japanese athletic events, including the 1964 Nationa ...

File:HARD OFF ECOスタジアム新潟バックネット裏より - panoramio.jpg,

Niigata Prefectural Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Niigata, Niigata opened on July 1, 2009. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home of the Niigata Albirex Baseball Club. The stadium hosted one NPB All-Star Game in 2010. Access ;Transit bus There is a bus stop ...

Notable people from Niigata

Artists and writers

* Yaichi Aizu, poet, calligrapher, and historian *. manga artist * Shu Fujisawa, writer * Makoto Kobayashi,

manga artist A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...

Mineo Maya Maya Mineo ( Japanese: 魔夜峰央 ''Mineo Maya'', born 4 March 1953) is a Japanese mangaka. His series ''Patalliro!'' is one of the best-selling and the longest-running shōjo manga of all time. Life Maya was born in Niigata. He made his d ...

, manga artist *

Shinji Mizushima was a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for several baseball manga, such as '' Yakyū-kyō no Uta'', '' Dokaben'', and '' Abu-san''. He is a two-time recipient of the Shogakukan Manga Award. His works have been collected into more than ...

, manga artist * Tadashi Nakayama, contemporary woodblock artist *

Takeshi Obata is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer. He first gained international attention for ''Hikaru no Go'' (1998–2003) with Yumi Hotta, but is better known for '' Death Note'' (2003–2006) ...

, manga artist *

One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, manga artist *

Ango Sakaguchi was a Japanese writer of short stories and novels and an essayist. His real name was . Biography Born in Niigata, Sakaguchi was one of a group of young Japanese writers to rise to prominence in the years immediately following Japan's defeat i ...

, author *

Rumiko Takahashi is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with ''Urusei Yatsura'' in 1978, Takahashi is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are popular worldwide, where they have ...

, manga artist

Actors and voice actors

Fumika Baba ''Weekly Playboy'', January 22, 2014 is a Japanese actress and model. She was scouted on a local street when she was in high school, and started working as a model for the local free newspaper, ''Niigata Bishōjo Zukan''. Baba was also part of a ...

, actress *

Mina Fujii is a Japanese actress. She started her career in the entertainment industry at the age of nine. She is best known for her role in the TV adaptation of '' Bloody Monday'', ''Kyōfu'', and for appearing in TVXQ's "Dōshite Kimi o Suki ni Natte Sh ...

, actress *

Toshihito Ito (February 16, 1962 – May 24, 2002) was a Japanese actor and member of the Tokyo Sunshine Boys theatrical troupe. He was born on February 16, 1962 in Niigata, Japan. Biography He performed on stage, and on television in series such as ' ...

, actor * Masashi Mikami, actor *

Bin Shimada Bin Shimada ( ja, 島田敏, Shimada Bin; born November 20, 1954) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narratorDoi, Hitoshi.Shimada Bin. ''Seiyuu Database''. July 17, 2010Archivedby WebCite July 20, 2010. affiliated with the talent management fir ...

, voice actor *

Keiko Yokozawa , better known by the stage name , is a Japanese voice actress. She is most known for the roles of Dorami (''Doraemon''), Mami Sakura (''Esper Mami''), Benio Hanamura ('' Haikara-san ga Tōru''), and Sheeta ('' Castle in the Sky''). Filmography ...

, voice actor

Musicians

coba Coba ( es, Cobá) is an ancient Maya city on the Yucatán Peninsula, located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The site is the nexus of the largest network of stone causeways of the ancient Maya world, and it contains many engraved and sculp ...

, accordionist and composer *

Double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

, singer *

Yoko Ishida is a Japanese singer. She is known for having performed theme songs for anime shows such as ''Prétear'', ''Ai Yori Aoshi'', the ''Ah! My Goddess'' TV series and the ''Strike Witches'' series, as well as for having sung for the Para Para Max CD ...

, singer *

Kazuya Kato is a Japanese mathematician. He grew up in the prefecture of Wakayama in Japan. He attended college at the University of Tokyo, from which he also obtained his master's degree in 1975, and his PhD in 1980. He was a professor at Tokyo University ...

, bassist *

Katsutaro Kouta was a Japanese female geisha and singer, who performed in the "New-" style of singing. came to be most well known, alongside another popular geisha singer, , in the " Era". Career was born on 6 November 1904 in District, Prefecture. Duri ...

, singer *

Közi Közi is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and DJ. He is best known as one of the guitarists for the 1990s visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. After they went on indefinite hiatus in 2001, he formed the industrial rock duo Eve of Destiny an ...

, guitarist (

Malice Mizer Malice Mizer (stylized as MALICE MIZER) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by guitarists Mana and Közi, their earlier music and themes were characterized by their strong French and classical in ...

and

Eve of Destiny Eve of Destiny was a Japanese industrial rock band founded in 1999 by Haruhiko Ash (formerly of punk rock / hard rock band The Zolge). For a long time, Eve of Destiny was a solo project of Ash, with not much real activity, but this changed in ...

) *

NGT48 NGT48 (read "N.G.T. Forty-eight") is a Japanese girl group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. NGT48 is named after Niigata City of Niigata Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at the NGT48 Theater which is located in the fourth fl ...

, idol group *

Rina Sawayama is a Japanese–British singer-songwriter, actress and model. Born in Niigata, Japan, she emigrated to London with her parents at age five. She is known for her musical versatility and has been labelled a "musical chameleon". In 2017, she ...

, singer-songwriter and model *

Akira Yamaoka is a Japanese composer and music producer. He is best known for composing music for several video games in the ''Silent Hill'' series by Konami, among other games. Yamaoka also worked as a producer on the series, as well as composing for the '' ...

, composer * samfree, vocaloid music composer

Others

Takashi Amano was a professional track cyclist, photographer, designer, and aquarist. His interest in aquaria led him to create the Japanese company Aqua Design Amano. Amano was the author of ''Nature Aquarium World'' (TFH Publications, 1994), a three-boo ...

, professional aquarist and track cyclist *

Kunio Maekawa was a Japanese architect and a key figure in Japanese postwar modernism. His distinctive architectural language deftly blended together elements of traditional Japanese design and modernist tenets from Europe, drawing from early career work exp ...

, architect *

SANADA Sanada is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Asami Sanada (born 1977), Japanese voice actress *, Japanese shogi player * Juzo Sanada (1923–1994), Japanese baseball player * Hiroki Sanada (born 1984), Japanese basebal ...

(Seiya Sanada), professional wrestler *

Tadao Sato was a Japanese film critic, theorist and historian. His real name was . Overviews Born in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, He published more than a hundred books on film, and was one of Japan's foremost scholars and historians addressing ...

, film critic and film theorist * Megumi Sato, high jumper *

Meiko Satomura Meiko Satomura (里村明衣子, Satomura Meiko, born November 11, 1979) is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is currently signed to the American promotion WWE performing on the NXT brand and the Japanese promotion Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestlin ...

, professional wrestler *

Yujiro Takahashi , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club and its sub-group House of Torture. Takahashi entered New Japan in November 2003 with an extensive amateur backgr ...

, professional wrestler *

Megumi Yokota (born 5 October 1964) is a Japanese citizen who was abducted by a North Korean agent in 1977 when she was a thirteen-year-old junior high school student. She was one of at least seventeen Japanese citizens kidnapped by North Korea in the late 1 ...

, abduction victim *

Yutakayama Ryota Yutakayama is a shikona used by sumo wrestlers in the Tokitsukaze stable. It may refer to: *Yutakayama Katsuo, born 1937, a former sumo wrestler and former head of the Japan Sumo Association *Yutakayama Hiromitsu, born 1947, former sumo wrestler *Yu ...

, sumo wrestler

References

Notes

External links

*
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niigata (City) Cities in Niigata Prefecture Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan