Niigata

About Niigata

Niigata covers 12,583.8 km2, fifth largest, population 2,045,574 density 163 per km2, capital Niigata City Chuo Ward Shin-Kocho, Japan Sea coast facing northwest, backed southeast by Asahi and Echigo Mountains and Kubiki massif forming borders with Yamagata, Fukushima, Gunma, Nagano, Toyama, plus Sado Island 855 km2 and Awashima in the sea. Two great rivers, Shinano 367 km Japan's longest emptying into Sea of Japan at Niigata Port and Agano River, create the Echigo Plain second-largest alluvial plain nationally after Kanto Plain, Japan's biggest Sea of Japan side plain, and Takada Plain of Sekikawa River in Joetsu. Historically corresponding to Echigo and Sado Provinces together called Essa, part of ancient Koshi Province, shifting through Sengoku Uesugi Kenshin's Kasugayama Castle rule; early Meiji 13 domains coexisted, 1876 merging Niigata, Kashiwazaki, Aikawa prefectures almost matches today plus 1886 adding Higashikambara from Fukushima completes shape. Historically Sado was exile island then gold mine supplying Edo shogunate's koban currency from 1601, now candidate World Heritage. Climate is Japan Sea climate entirely heavy-snow zone special heavy in mountains, short sunshine winter, abundant summer sun; coastal Niigata City annual snowfall 139 cm max 32 cm versus inland Tsunan 1,301 cm 271 cm, Myoko Sekiyama 1,061 cm 204 cm, Yuzawa 1,054 cm 208 cm, Tokamachi 967 cm 217 cm, Nagaoka 477 cm 89 cm; 1927 record at Itayama settlement 818 cm inhabited deepest. Temperature averages most places 24-26°C warmest August, coldest 0-3°C January; inland foehn may push 41°C as Sanjo and Tainai recorded 40°C-plus September 3 2020, and Joetsu minimum night 31.1°C August 15 2019 tied Japan's hottest night records; Sado Aikawa maritime January 4.0°C July 25-26°C with small diurnal range under 30°C max average. Industry's rice output dominates with Koshihikari brand from Uonuma, sake brewing active due to soft snowmelt water and rice, over 90 breweries; Tsubame-Sanjo region produces 90% of Japan's metal Western tableware and hardware, Nagaoka industrial instruments, Ojiya nishikigoi ornamental carp bred since early 19th century now exported for millions yen per high-grade fish, plus modest oil and gas fields in Agano and Higashiyama. Cultural mascot Lele the skier based on Austrian major Theodor von Lerch who taught Japan first skiing in 1911 at Takada. Major attractions opening tourism are Sado Island's abandoned gold shafts and Sado bugyo magistrate and tarai-bune tub boats and reintroduced crested ibis toki bred Chinese stock now 500 wild, Yuzawa Onsen ski resort with 20 slopes featured in Yasunari Kawabata Nobel novel Snow Country, Kiyotsu Gorge columnar cliffs tunnel, Yahiko Shrine and Yahiko ski, Nagaoka Festival massive fireworks star-mines 650 m diameter.