Niigata (city)

Template:Japanese city

Niigata (新潟市, Niigata-shi) is the capital city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It became a free port following the Meiji Restoration, and today is the largest city along the Sea of Japan coast, facing Sado Island.

History

The city was founded on April 1, 1889.

Niigata was one of the four cities besides Hiroshima, Kokura, and Nagasaki picked for the atomic bomb drop if Japan did not surrender during World War II. Niigata was ultimately discounted as a target for the bomb due to its distance from the American forces and its unreliable weather. Kokura was the original target for the second bomb and not Niigata as sometimes believed.

The city suffered from several cases of Minamata disease in the 1960s.

The Big Swan Stadium hosted three games during the

.

Geography

Niigata is situated on a fertile coastal plain on the Sea of Japan coast, facing Sado Island. The Shinano River and Agano River flow through the city.

Adjoining communities

From the north, following Niigata's border clockwise:

Seiro, Kitakanbara District
Shibata
Agano
Gosen
Tagami, MinamiKanbara District
Kamo
Sanjo
Tsubame
Yoshida, Nishikanbara District
Yahiko
Teradomari, Santo District
In addition Sado Island is connected by sea and air routes.

Weather

Humidity is high during the winter season due to moisture from the Sea of Japan, but is lower in the summer.
Although heavy snowfall is typical in most parts of Niigata Prefecture, it tends to be lighter in the Niigata city urban area.
Typhoons in this area can cause heavy rainfall and wind, but don't typically result in much damage.
Strong Föhn winds are common and can cause abnormally high air temperatures.

Sister cities

Niigata maintains sister city ties with four cities:

Galveston, Texas, United States (January 28, 1965)
Khabarovsk, Russia (April 23, 1965)
Harbin, China (December 17, 1979)
Vladivostok, Russia (February 28, 1991)

In addition, special exchange agreements have been set up with Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom and Nantes, France.

Transportation

Railroad

East Japan Railway Company runs some stations in the Niigata urban area. The Joetsu Shinkansen, which terminates at Niigata Station, provides daily service to Tokyo. There also run Shin'etsu Line, Hakushin Line, Echigo Line, Uetsu Line, and Ban'etsu West Line through the city.

Trains on these local lines come every 20 minutes in the daytime; slightly more often in the morning and in the evening. Those who use these trains usually caught in a heavy rush every day, though.

Niigata Kotsu Dentetsu Line and Kambara Dentetsu trains used to run through the city until later 1990's. However, They no longer exist.

The largest station in Niigata city is Niigata Station. It is placed at the center of Niigata urban area. The estimated number of passengers who take trains at Niigata station is no less than 37,000 every day. Joetsu Shinkansen, Hakushin Line, Shin'etsu Line and Echigo Line are available there. The destinations served there are: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Toyama, Aomori, Akita and Sakata. There many local trains are also available, so Niigata Station will be found a little larger than it is usually thought to be.

Airport

Niigata Airport is placed about 15km north of central Niigata. It handles some international destinations as well as many domestic ones. The domestic destinations available there are: Osaka(8 times a day), Sapporo(twice a day), Fukuoka(twice a day), Okinawa(once a day), Kobe(3 times a day), Nagoya(7 times a day) and Sado Island(3 times a day).

Niigata airport is well known as the entrance airport of Japan from far east. Additionaly, Nigata airport handles most of the scheduled passenger flights destinationg Russia from Japan. The international destinations available there are:Khabarovsk(twice a week), Vladivostok(twice a week), Harbin(4 times a week), Seoul (daily), Shanghai(3 times a week) and Guam(twice a week).