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Niigata Prefecture
新潟県 | |
---|---|
Japanese transcription(s) | |
• Japanese | 新潟県 |
• Rōmaji | Niigata-ken |
Anthem: Niigata kenminka | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Chūbu (Kōshinetsu) (Hokuriku) |
Island | Honshu |
Capital | Niigata |
Subdivisions | Districts: 9, Municipalities: 30 |
Government | |
• Governor | Hideyo Hanazumi |
Area | |
• Total | 12,584.18 km2 (4,858.78 sq mi) |
• Rank | 5th |
Population (July 1, 2023) | |
• Total | 2,131,009 |
• Rank | 14th |
• Density | 170/km2 (440/sq mi) |
GDP | |
• Total | JP¥ 9,185 billion US$ 84.3 billion (2019) |
ISO 3166 code | JP-15 |
Website | www |
Symbols of Japan | |
Bird | Crested ibis (Nipponia nippon) |
Flower | Tulip (Tulipa gesneriana) |
Tree | Camellia (Camellia japonica) |
Niigata Prefecture (新潟県, Niigata-ken) is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan.[2] Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area at 12,584.18 km2 (4,858.78 sq mi). Niigata Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture to the southwest, Gunma Prefecture to the south, Fukushima Prefecture to the east, and Yamagata Prefecture to the northeast.
Niigata is the capital and largest city of Niigata Prefecture, with other major cities including Nagaoka, Jōetsu, and Sanjō.[3] Niigata Prefecture contains the Niigata Major Metropolitan Area centered on Niigata with a population of 1,395,612, the largest metropolitan area on the Sea of Japan coast and the twelfth-largest in Japan. Niigata Prefecture is part of the historic Hokuriku region and features Sado Island, the sixth largest island of Japan in area following the four main islands and Okinawa Island.
Historyedit
Until after the Meiji Restoration, the area that is now Niigata Prefecture was divided into Echigo Province (on the mainland) and Sado Province.[4] During the Sengoku period, the Nagao clan, who were at times vassals to the Uesugi, ruled a fief in the western part of modern Niigata from Kasugayama Castle. The most notable member of the Nagao clan was Nagao Kagetora, later and better known as Uesugi Kenshin. He unified the leaders of Echigo Province and became its sole ruler. By taking the surname Uesugi, he also became the head of the Uesugi clan and effectively brought their realm under his control.
The city of Niigata is now the third largest Japanese city facing the Sea of Japan, after Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. It was the first Japanese port on the Sea of Japan to be opened to foreign trade following the opening of Japan by Matthew Perry. It has since played an important role in trade with Russia and Korea. A freighter from North Korea visits Niigata once a month, in one of the few forms of direct contact between Japan and that country.
The Etsuzankai organization, led by the politician Kakuei Tanaka, was highly influential in bringing infrastructure improvements to Niigata Prefecture in the 1960s and 1970s. These included the Jōetsu Shinkansen high-speed rail line and the Kanetsu Expressway to Tokyo.
On October 23, 2004, the Chūetsu earthquake struck Niigata Prefecture and was measured at Shindo 6+ at Ojiya.
On January 9, 2006, a heavy winter storm struck the prefecture and its neighbors. At least 71 people died and more than 1,000 were injured. Also in 2006, a massive tsunami and earthquake damaged homes and caused casualties in the maritime areas of Niigata Prefecture, especially near Sado Island.
On July 16, 2007, another earthquake hit the area.
Niigata Prefecture hosts the Fuji Rock Festival, an annual event held at the Naeba ski resort. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians. It is one of the largest outdoor music events in Japan, with more than 100,000 people attending in 2005.
Geographyedit
Niigata Prefecture stretches about 240 km (149 mi) along the Sea of Japan, from the southwest to the northeast, with a coastal plain between the mountains and the sea. It also includes Sado Island. Niigata Prefecture could be placed in either the Hokuriku or the Kōshinetsu, both of which are considered parts of the Chūbu region. The prefecture is generally divided into four geographical areas: Jōetsu region (上越) in the south, Chūetsu (中越) in the center, Kaetsu (下越) in the north, and Sado Island. The mouth of the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan, is located in Niigata Prefecture.
As of 1 April 2014, 25% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely Bandai-Asahi, Chūbu-Sangaku, Nikkō, and Oze National Parks; Echigo Sanzan-Tadami and Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama Quasi-National Parks; and thirteen Prefectural Natural Parks.[5]
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Senkakuwan in Sado Island
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Paddy fields and mountains in Ojiya in winter
Citiesedit
Twenty cities are located in Niigata Prefecture:
Name | Area (km2) | Population | Map | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rōmaji | Kanji | |||
Agano | 阿賀野市 | 192.74 | 41,204 | |
Gosen | 五泉市 | 351.91 | 48,458 | |
Itoigawa | 糸魚川市 | 746.24 | 41,333 | |
Jōetsu | 上越市 | 973.81 | 189,430 | |
Kamo | 加茂市 | 133.72 | 25,971 | |
Kashiwazaki | 柏崎市 | 442.03 | 81,836 | |
Minamiuonuma | 南魚沼市 | 584.55 | 55,354 | |
Mitsuke | 見附市 | 77.91 | 39,908 | |
Murakami | 村上市 | 1,174.26 | 58,300 | |
Myōkō | 妙高市 | 445.63 | 31,374 | |
Nagaoka | 長岡市 | 891.06 | 266,539 | |
Niigata (capital) | 新潟市 | 726.45 | 797,591 | |
Ojiya | 小千谷市 | 155.19 | 34,704 | |
Sado | 佐渡市 | 855.26 | 55,474 | |
Sanjō | 三条市 | 431.97 | 95,706 | |
Shibata | 新発田市 | 533.1 | 96,236 | |
Tainai | 胎内市 | 264.89 | 28,495 | |
Tōkamachi | 十日町市 | 590.39 | 53,333 | |
Tsubame | 燕市 | 110.96 | 77,382 | |
Uonuma | 魚沼市 | 946.76 | 35,027 |
Towns and villagesedit
These are the towns and villages in each district: