is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
Niigata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. , the city had an estimated population of 96,236 in 37,017 households, and a population density of 179 persons per km². The total area of the city was .
[Shibata official profile](_blank)
/ref>
Geography
Shibata is located in a mostly inland region of north-central Niigata Prefecture on the northern end of the Echigo Plain, with a small shoreline of 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 ...
.
Surrounding municipalities
*Fukushima Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,771,100 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture ...
** Kitakata
*Niigata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...
** Aga
** Agano
** Kita-ku, Niigata
** Seiro
** Tainai
*Yamagata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It has a population of 1,005,926 (1 February 2025) and an area of 9,325 Square kilometre, km2 (3,600 Square mile, sq mi). Its neighbours are Akita Prefectu ...
** Oguni
Climate
Shibata has a Humid climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Shibata is 13.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1920 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.2 °C.
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,Shibata population statistics
/ref> the population of Shibata peaked around the year 2000 and has been in decline since then.
History
The area of present-day Shibata was part of ancient Echigo Province
was an old provinces of Japan, old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It bordered on Uzen Province, Uzen, Iwashiro Province, Iwashiro, Kōzuke Province, Kōzuke, Shinano Province, Shinano, and Etchū Province, ...
. The area developed as a castle town
A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns were common in Medieval Europe. Some examples include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles. In Western Europe, ...
for Shibata Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
during the Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
. After 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 Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
, the area was organized into Kitakanbara District, Niigata. The town of Shibata was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was elevated to city status on January 1, 1947. On July 7, 2003 the town of Toyoura (from Kitakanbara District) was merged into Shibata. Likewise, on May 1, 2005 the town of Shiunji, and the village of Kajikawa (both from Kitakanbara District) were merged into Shibata.
Government
Shibata has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...
city legislature of 27 members. Shibata, together with the town of Seirō, collectively contributes three members to the Niigata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Niigata 3rd district of the lower house
A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...
of the Diet of Japan
, transcription_name = ''Kokkai''
, legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet
, coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg
, house_type = Bicameral
, houses =
, foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
.
Economy
The economy of Shibata is dominated by the agricultural sector, with rice as the primary crop. Industries include ''sake
Sake, , or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indeed any East Asi ...
'' brewing and plastics components production.
Education
Shibata has 19 public elementary schools and 10 public junior high schools operated by the city government. The city has seven public high schools operated by the Niigata Prefectural Board of Education, and the prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped. Keiwa College is also located in Shibata.
Transportation
Railway
JR East
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 in ...
- 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, Niigata, Niigata and Akita Station in Akita, Akita, Akita. The name "Uet ...
* - - - -
JR East
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 in ...
- Hakushin Line
The is a Japanese railway line which runs between and stations in the cities of Niigata, Niigata, Niigata and Shibata, Niigata, Shibata in Niigata Prefecture. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network.
Basic data
*Operato ...
* - -
Highway
*
*
*
*
*
Sister cities
* Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is the tenth-most populous city in the province and a suburb of Seoul within the greater Seoul Metropolitan Area.
History
Uijeongbu was estab ...
, Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea.
Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...
, South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, friendship city
* St. James, Missouri
St. James is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,920 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
The settlement was originally known as Big Prairie because of its location o ...
, United States[
* Orange City, Iowa, United States][
]
Local attractions
* .
* is the main visitor attraction and provide the backdrop to the spring cherry blossom
The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...
viewing parties.
* Garden
* hot spring
File:160716 Shimizuen Shibata Niigata pref Japan29s3.jpg, Shimizuen garden
File:160717 Tsukioka Onsen Shibata Niigata pref Japan02s3.jpg, Tsukioka Onsen
References
External links
*
Official Website
{{Authority control
Cities in Niigata Prefecture