Niigata (city)

Niigata is a big city in Japan, located in the northern part of Niigata Prefecture. It is the capital and the most crowded city in Niigata Prefecture, and it is one of the special cities chosen by the government. Niigata is the biggest city on the west coast of Honshu, the main island of Japan, and the second biggest in the Chūbu region after Nagoya. The city faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island.

As of September 1, 2022, Niigata had about 779,049 people living there, with many people living in each square kilometre. The city covers a large area of 726.45 square kilometres. Niigata is the only special government city on the west coast of Honshu and has the most space to live in among all Japanese cities. It is also a place where big farming projects are supported as part of special area plans.

Overview

Niigata is a city in Japan that has a long history as a port town. It became an official city in 1889 and grew by joining with nearby areas in 2005, reaching a population of 810,000. Niigata is special because it has the most rice fields in Japan and became a government-designated city in 2007. The city has many important landmarks like Bandai bridge and Toki Messe.

The name "Niigata" means "new lagoon" in Japanese, though there are many ideas about where the name came from. Niigata is also called the "City of Water" or "City of Willows" because of its many canals and trees.

Geography

Niigata is a city found on a flat, green area near the Sea of Japan. It is next to Sado Island, and two big rivers, the Shinano and Agano, flow through it. The city has many wet areas, like marshes and a special lake called Sakata, which is very important for nature.

Because Niigata is close to water and has many rivers and wet places, people there have always worked hard to keep the land safe from floods. The city is known as the “City of Water” because of all the rivers, wet areas, and old canals. It is also called the “City of Willows” for the trees that used to line the canals. Today, Niigata likes to call itself a city of food and flowers, showing off its farms and pretty green spaces.

Climate

Niigata has wet weather most of the year. It gets a lot of snow and rain, especially in the winter and during the rainy season in July. The city can be quite warm in the summer, and strong winds often come from the sea. Sometimes, big storms called typhoons visit, bringing even more wind and rain.

Wards

Since 2007, Niigata has been split into different areas called wards, each with its own special color.

Adjoining communities

Around Niigata, starting from the north and moving clockwise, you will find places like Seirō, Shibata, Agano, Gosen, Tagami, Kamo, Sanjō, Tsubame, Yahiko, and Nagaoka. Sado Island is also close, connected by boats and airplanes.

History

People have lived in the Niigata area since very old times, during the Jōmon period. Back then, much of the land was underwater. Later, during the Yayoi period, people began to grow rice, and the area became important for farming.

In the 1500s, a port was built at the mouth of the Shinano River. Niigata grew as a busy port town, helping ships travel along the Sea of Japan. Over time, rivers changed their paths, but Niigata kept growing.

In 1858, Niigata was chosen to open to international trade, though it took until 1869 for foreign ships to actually arrive. The city became part of Japan’s growing oil industry in the 1890s. In 1964, a big earthquake caused a lot of damage, but the city rebuilt. Niigata has continued to grow, becoming an important city in the region.

Government

City hall

Here is a list of the mayors of Niigata City from the year 1889 until today.

International relations

Niigata has special connections with several cities around the world. It has sister city relationships with six different cities.

The city also has friendship agreements with other places. It has special exchange agreements with Kingston upon Hull in the United Kingdom and Ulsan in South Korea, which started in September 2007.

Education

Niigata has many places where students can study and learn. Some of the colleges and universities include Niigata University, the University of Niigata Prefecture, and Niigata Seiryo University. There are also special schools like The Nippon Dental University School of Life Dentistry at Niigata and the International University of Japan.

Transportation

See also: Chūō-ku, Niigata § Transportation

Airways

Airport

Niigata Airport is about 6 km north of central Niigata. It connects to many places both inside and outside Japan. You can fly to cities like Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Okinawa, Nagoya, Narita, and Sado Island from Niigata. International flights go to Harbin, Seoul, Shanghai, and Vladivostok.

Railways

The biggest train station in Niigata City is Niigata Station. It’s right in the middle of one of the main shopping areas. About 37,000 people use it every day. The super-fast Jōetsu Shinkansen train goes from Niigata to Tokyo. Other train lines like the Shin'etsu Main Line, Hakushin Line, Echigo Line, Uetsu Main Line, and Ban'etsu West Line also stop at Niigata Station. These trains go to places such as Myoko, Itoigawa, Akita, Sakata, and Aizuwakamatsu.

Buses

Transit bus

There is a special bus service called the BRT “Bandai-bashi Line” that goes through the busy parts of central Niigata, from Niigata Station to Bandai Bridge, Furumachi, the City hall, Hakusan Station, and Aoyama.

Roads

Expressways

• !E7Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway
• !E8Hokuriku Expressway
• !E49Ban-etsu Expressway

Japan National Route

• National Route 7
• National Route 9
• National Route 49
• National Route 113
• National Route 116
• National Route 289
• National Route 345
• National Route 350
• National Route 402
• National Route 403
• National Route 459
• National Route 460

Seaways

Sea port

The Port of Niigata was important for travel during old times and later became one of Japan’s open ports for trade. Today, it helps move both people and goods. Passenger ships go to places like Ryotsu on Sado island, Otaru, Akita, and Tsuruga.

[Niigata Airport](/wiki/Niigata_Airport)

[Niigata Station](/wiki/Niigata_Station)

[Bandai-bashi Line](/wiki/Bandai-bashi_Line) (BRT)

Port of Niigata

Local attractions

See also: Chūō-ku, Niigata § Local attractions

Niigata has many interesting places to visit. You can explore downtown shopping areas like Furumachi and Bandai City. There are tall buildings such as Toki Messe, Next21, and Niigata Nippo Media Ship that have observation decks where you can see great views.

Other fun spots include Nuttari Terrace, Pier Bandai, the Niigata City History Museum also called Minatopia, and the Northern Culture Museum. You can also visit the Marinepia Nihonkai Aquarium, Fukushimagata Lagoon Park, Iwamuro Onsen (a warm spring area), the Niigata Prefectural Botanical Garden, and the Nature Aquarium Gallery.

Culture

Niigata has a special tradition that goes back more than 200 years, from the Edo period. This tradition started because the city was a busy port town. Locally, this tradition is called geigi, and it continues today. Most of these special places are found in the Furumachi neighborhood, including a well-known spot called Nabechaya.

The city has many fun events and tasty foods. Some events include the Niigata Festival every August, the Kambara Festival, the Niigata Comic Market, and the Niigata Manga Competition. Popular local foods are Tare Katsudon, Noppe, Kakinomoto, Sasa Dango, Mikazuki Italian Noodle, and Assari-Shōyu Ramen.

Niigata also has many places to enjoy sports, such as Denka Big Swan Stadium, Niigata City Higashi General Sports Center, Niigata Athletic Stadium, and Niigata Prefectural Baseball Stadium.

Notable people from Niigata

Artists and writers

• Yaichi Aizu, poet, calligrapher, and historian
• Shu Fujisawa, writer
• Makoto Kobayashi, manga artist
• Mineo Maya, manga artist
• Shinji Mizushima, manga artist
• Tadashi Nakayama, contemporary woodblock artist
• Takeshi Obata, manga artist
• One, manga artist
• Ango Sakaguchi, author
• Rumiko Takahashi, manga artist

Actors and voice actors

• Fumika Baba, actress
• Mina Fujii, actress
• Toshihito Ito, actor
• Masashi Mikami, actor
• Bin Shimada, voice actor
• Keiko Yokozawa, voice actor

Musicians

• coba, accordionist and composer
• Double, singer
• Yoko Ishida, singer
• Katsutaro Kouta, singer
• Közi, guitarist (Malice Mizer and Eve of Destiny)
• NGT48, idol group
• samfree, vocaloid music composer
• Rina Sawayama, singer-songwriter and model
• Akira Yamaoka, composer

Others

• Takashi Amano, professional aquarist and track cyclist
• Kazuya Kato, mathematician
• Kunio Maekawa, architect
• Ami Nakai, Figure Skater
• Shoko Nakajima, professional wrestler
• Yutakayama Ryota, sumo wrestler
• SANADA (Seiya Sanada), professional wrestler
• Tadao Sato, film critic and film theorist
• Megumi Sato, high jumper
• Meiko Satomura, professional wrestler
• Yujiro Takahashi, professional wrestler
• Tsubasa Kondo, racing driver