Niigata

Niigata

Niigata, city, capital of Niigata ken (prefecture), north-central Honshu, Japan. Niigata lies on the coastal edge of the Echigo Plain at the mouth of the Shinano River. It was an important rice port in feudal times and has continued as the country’s leading port along the Sea of Japan, carrying on trade with South Korea and Russia. Coal and raw material imports predominate. Niigata is also an industrial city that produces chemicals, cotton textiles, metals, machinery, paper, and ships. Local deposits of natural gas and available hydroelectricity have attracted many large factories. A severe earthquake struck the city and surrounding area in June 1964, causing extensive loss of life and property damage. Pop. (2005) 813,847; (2010) 811,901.