Everything about Niigata Prefecture totally explained
is a
prefecture of
Japan located on
Honshū island on the coast of the
Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of
Niigata. The name Niigata literally means "New Lagoon".
History
Niigata prefecture was originally divided into
Echigo Province and
Sado Province until the
Meiji Restoration. During the
Sengoku period it was ruled by
Uesugi Kenshin.
Niigata-shi (the city) is the largest and most important among the cities which face the
Sea of Japan. It has been an important seaport since the opening of Japan by
Matthew Perry in the mid-1800s, especially for trade with
Russia and northern
Korea, and was the first port on the Sea of Japan to be opened to foreign trade.
The
Etsuzankai organization, led by prime minister
Tanaka Kakuei, was highly influential in bringing infrastructure improvements to Niigata in the 1960s and 1970s, including the
Joetsu Shinkansen high speed rail line and
Kanetsu Expressway to
Tokyo.
Today, Niigata is well-known for being visited by a freighter from
North Korea once a month: one of the few direct contacts with the communist country.
On
October 23,
2004, the
Chūetsu earthquake struck Niigata Prefecture, causing shaking measured at
Shindo 6+ at
Ojiya.
On
January 9,
2006, a heavy
winter storm caused much trouble in the prefecture and its surroundings. At least 71 people died and over a thousand were injured.
On
July 16,
2007, the area saw the
2007 Niigata earthquake.
Geography
Niigata prefecture stretches about 240 km along the
Sea of Japan from southwest to north east, with a coastal plain between the mountains and the sea. It also includes
Sado Island.
Because of the shape, Niigata prefecture is often called small Honshū-Main Island. It could be placed in either the
Hokuriku or
Kōshin'etsu regions, each considered part of the greater
Chūbu region.
The prefecture is generally divided into four geographical areas: Joetsu (in the south),
Chūetsu (in the center), Kaetsu (in the north), and
Sado Island. It is home to the mouth of the
Shinano River, the longest river in Japan.
In 2006 a massive tsunami and earthquake damaged several homes and its citizens in the maritime areas of Niigata especially near the sado island.
Cities
20 cities are located in Niigata Prefecture:
Towns and villages
Towns and villages in each
district:
Mergers
Economy
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
The major industry in Niigata is
agriculture.
Rice is the principal product, with Niigata ranking 2nd (after
Hokkaidō) among the prefectures for total rice output. The area around
Uonuma is especially known for its
Koshihikari variety of rice, which is widely thought of as the highest quality rice in Japan.
Rice-related industries are also very important to the local economy. Niigata prefecture is known throughout Japan for its quality
sake,
senbei,
mochi, and
arare. In
sake production, Niigata is third in the country after
Gunma and
Kyoto prefectures.
The prefecture is famous as the original home of the ornamental
carp known as
koi, and the best-quality
koi are still considered to come from the farms of Niigata.
The production volume of
azaleas and cut
lilies grown in Niigata is one of the highest in Japan. Niigata also enjoys increasing volumes of cut flowers and flower bulb production: along with
Toyama prefecture, Niigata produces the most
tulips in the country.
Mining and manufacturing
Niigata is a source for
crude oil, not often found on the Japanese islands. Relating to this, there's also much production of
kerosene heaters (useful in the cold Niigata winters).
Kinzan on
Sado Island was an active
gold mine until its closing in 1989.
Metal manufacturing is also prevalent.
Sanjo and
Tsubame produce 9% of all metal silverware in Japan, by far the most for one area in the country. After
Osaka, the two cities also produce the most
scissors,
kitchen knives, and
wrenches.
Niigata supposedly produces the most
knitted textile products in the country. However, it has been suggested that some of these are actually from
China.
The
nuclear power plant with the highest energy output in the world is located in the tiny village of
Kariwa.
Demographics
In 1885, Niigata was the most populous prefecture, beating out even
Tokyo and
Osaka prefecture. However, according to the 2003 census Niigata ranks as the 14th most populous.
Like much of Japan, Niigata shows signs of an aging population, specifically in the more rural areas.
Culture
Food
Niigata is known for the following regional specialities:
Uonuma koshihikari rice: considered the best quality rice in Japan.
Shoyu (soy-sauce) and Yofu (western-style) katsudon.
Shoyu sekihan.
Noppe stew.
Wappa-han (seafood and rice steamed in a bamboo basket).
Sasa-dango (mochi balls filled with red bean paste, seasoned with mugwort and wrapped in bamboo leaves).
Po-po-yaki (steamed bread flavored with brown sugar).
Hegi-soba (soba from the Uonuma and Ojiya areas that uses a special kind of seaweed).
"Tsubame-Sanjo ramen" (ramen made using thick udon-style noodles).
Tochio aburage (aburaage is called "aburage" in Tochio).
Kirazu (dishes using okara).
Kakinomoto (edible chrysanthemums).
Kanzuri (a special seasoning from Myōkō made by leaving chili pepper exposed on snow, then adding flour, salt and yuzu).
Niigata's firsts
Joetsu is the home to Japan's first vineyard.
Nagaoka was home to the first drive-through restaurant in Japan.
Shirone in Niigata City was the first place to grow Western pears in Japan.
Joetsu is the original birthplace of the Japanese postal service.
Snow skiing was first introduced into Japan in the Joetsu region.
Niigata in film, literature and music
Snow Country: a 1947 novel by Nobel laureate Yasunari Kawabata set in Yuzawa.
Blue: a 1996 manga and 2001 film about high-school girls, set in Niigata City.
Whiteout: a 1995 novel and 2000 action film.
Kura: a film / TV series (1995) plus book (1993) by Tomiko Miyao. An award winning period drama set in a Niigata family sake brewery.
Niigata Snow is the title of a track on Derek Bailey's 1980 record Aida.
Tourism
Much of the tourism in Niigata centers around the popular winter activities of skiing and going to onsen, especially in the alpine areas of Myōkō and Yuzawa.
Sado Island off the west coast of Niigata is also another popular tourist spot. It is easily accessible (1-2.5 hours) via ferry from Naoetsu or Niigata City.
Enjoy Niigata: Niigata prefecture tourism guide
Prefectural symbols
Prefectural website
Notables
Politics and the military
Hachiro Arita (1884-1965), former Foreign Minister of Japan, from Sado Island.
Kita Ikki (1883-1937), nationalist author and intellectual, from Sado Island.
Isoroku Yamamoto (1884-1943), former commander of the Japanese Imperial Navy, from Nagaoka.
Kakuei Tanaka (1918-1993), former Prime Minister, from Kashiwazaki.
Hisashi Owada (born 1932), diplomat and father of Crown Princess Masako, from Shibata.
Makiko Tanaka (born 1944), first female Foreign Minister of Japan, from Kashiwazaki. Currently an independent politician.
Arts and culture
Ryōkan (1758-1831), Zen Buddhist monk and poet, from Izumozaki.
Inoue Enryo (1858-1919), Buddhist philosopher, from Nagaoka.
Yaichi Aizu (1881-1956), poet, calligrapher and historian, from Niigata City.
Hayashi Fubo (1900-1935), novelist from Sado Island.
Ango Sakaguchi (1906-1955), novelist and essayist, from Niigata City.
Haruo Minami (1923-2001), enka singer, from Nagaoka.
Kimio Yanagisawa (born 1948), manga artist, from Gosen.
Yoshifumi Kondo (1950-1998), animator, from Gosen.
Keiko Yokozawa (born 1952), seiyu, from Niigata City.
Bin Shimada (born 1954), seiyu, from Niigata City.
Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (born 1955), bass player for the rock group Southern All Stars, from Agano.
Yukari Nozawa (born 1957), actor and seiyu.
Rumiko Takahashi (born 1957), manga artist, from Niigata City.
Hajime Watanabe (born 1957), animator.
Shuichi Shigeno (born 1958), manga artist, from Tokamachi.
Makoto Kobayashi (born 1958), manga artist, from Niigata City.
Motoei Shinzawa (born 1958), manga artist, from Kashiwazaki.
Ken Watanabe (born 1959), stage, TV and film actor, from Niigata.
Yoko Soumi (born 1965), seiyu.
Kazuya Tsurumaki (born 1966), animator, from Gosen.
Akiko Yajima (born 1967), seiyu, from Kashiwazaki.
Hiroki Yagami (born 1967), manga artist, from Kashiwazaki.
Kazuto Nakazawa (born 1968), animator.
Takeshi Obata (born 1969), manga artist, from Niigata City.
Etsushi Ogawa (born 1969), manga artist.
Rumi Kasahara (born 1970), seiyu, from Itoigawa.
Nobuhiro Watsuki (born 1970), manga artist, from Nagaoka.
Kiriko Nananan (born 1972), manga artist, from Tsubame.
Daisuke Hirakawa (born 1973), seiyu.
Yoko Ishida (born 1973), singer, from Niigata City.
Daisuke Sakaguchi (born 1973), seiyu, from Kashiwazaki.
Hitomi Nabatame (born 1976), seiyu, from Sado Island.
Tatsuyuki Nagai (born 1976), anime director.
Ryo Hirohashi (born 1977), seiyu, from Nagaoka.
Ayana Sasagawa (born 1983), seiyu.
Makoto Ogawa (born 1987) and Koharu Kusumi (born 1992), members of J-pop girl-group Morning Musume, from, respectively, Kashiwazaki and Nagaoka.
Sports
Shohei Baba (1938-1999), professional wrestler, from Sanjo.
Sawao Kato (born 1946), winner of 12 Olympic medals in gymnastics
Killer Khan (born 1947), professional wrestler, from Tsubame.
Professional sports clubs
Albirex Niigata: J-League Division 1 Soccer Club.
Niigata Albirex BB: BJ (Basketball Japan) League team.Further Information
Get more info on 'Niigata Prefecture'.
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