is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

located in

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 geographic area at . Niigata Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture and ...

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 n ...

. , the village 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 usi ...

of 7,824, 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 RosenberPopu ...

of 311 persons per km². The total area of the village was .

Geography

Yahiko is located in a coastal region of central Niigata Prefecture, but is not on the coast. Yahiko lies on the south side of

Mount Yahiko is a mountain located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Yahikoyama Ropeway runs between the peak and the foot. Gallery Iyahiko-jinja 3.JPG, Huge Torii gate and Mount Yahiko, near Yahagi Station Yahiko_shrine_goshinbyo.JPG, Peak of Mount Ya ...

. This mountain and nearby Mount Kakuda, stand alone on 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, i ...

coast not far from Niigata City. Yahiko has one of the oldest family owned hotels in Niigata prefecture called Yamamotokan.

Surrounding municipalities

** Nagaoka ** Tsubame ** Niigata

Climate

Yahiko has a Humid climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Yahiko is 13.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2081 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 1.3 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Yahiko has remained relatively steady over the past 50 years.

History

The area of present-day Yahiko 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 Niig ...

, and developed as a settlement around Yahiko-jinja, a

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The ''honden''Also called (本殿, meanin ...

which was established in the 8th century. The modern village was established within

Nishikanbara District, Niigata is a district located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. As of July 1, 2019, the district has an estimated population of 7,824 and a density of 311 persons per km2. The total area is 25.17 km2. Towns and villages On March 20, 2006, the towns ...

on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system. The present shrine was rebuilt in 1916. The earlier shrine buildings were destroyed by a 1912 fire which started in the village. Yahiko Village website
retrieved 2012-10-24. It is the only village left in its district after the two towns from the same district merged into the city of Tsubame on March 20, 2006.

Education

Yahiko has one public elementary school and one public middle school operated by the village government, but no public high school.

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 ar ...

- Yahiko Line * -

Ropeway

Yahikoyama Ropeway The is Japanese aerial lift line in Yahiko, Niigata. This is the only line operates. The company is a subsidiary of Juraku, which operates hotels and restaurants. Opened in 1958, the line climbs of . There is Panorama Tower at the summit, ...

Highway

* Yahiko is not on any national expressway or highway

Sightseeing

Places

* Yahiko Shrine * Yahiko Onsen (hot spring) *

Yahiko Velodrome is a velodrome located in Yahiko, Niigata that conducts pari-mutuel ''Keirin'' racing - one of Japan's four authorized where gambling is permitted. Its Keirin identification number for betting purposes is 21# (21 sharp). Yahiko's oval is 400 m ...

and Skyline

Events

* Chrysanthemum Festival (in November) Yahiko Shrine.jpg, Yahiko Shrine beneath Yahiko Mountain 雪舞う弥彦公園_(Snowy_Yahiko_Park)_07_Jan,_2012_-_panoramio.jpg, Yahiko Park in winter 新潟県道29号線2.JPG, Jinja-dori Street

References

External links

Official Website
Villages in Niigata Prefecture {{Niigata-geo-stub