is a prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Niigata-ken" in Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,071,066 (as of 1 October 2025) and is the fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area at . Niigata Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture to the southwest, Gunma Prefecture to the south, Fukushima Prefecture to the east, and Yamagata Prefecture to the northeast.
Niigata is the capital and largest city of Niigata Prefecture, with other major cities including Nagaoka, Jōetsu, and Sanjō.Nussbaum, "Niigata" at Niigata Prefecture contains the Niigata Major Metropolitan Area centered on Niigata with a population of 1,395,612, the largest metropolitan area on the Sea of Japan coast and the twelfth-largest in Japan. Niigata Prefecture is part of the historic Hokuriku region and features Sado Island, the sixth largest island of Japan in area following the four main islands and Okinawa Island.
History
Until after the Meiji Restoration, the area that is now Niigata Prefecture was divided into Echigo Province (on the mainland) and Sado Province.Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at During the Sengoku period, the Nagao clan, who were at times vassals to the Uesugi, ruled a fief in the western part of modern Niigata from Kasugayama Castle. The most notable member of the Nagao clan was Nagao Kagetora, later and better known as Uesugi Kenshin. He unified the leaders of Echigo Province and became its sole ruler. By taking the surname Uesugi, he also became the head of the Uesugi clan and effectively brought their realm under his control.
The city of Niigata is now the third largest Japanese city facing the Sea of Japan, after Fukuoka and Kitakyushu. It was the first Japanese port on the Sea of Japan to be opened to foreign trade following the opening of Japan by Matthew Perry. It has since played an important role in trade with Russia and Korea. A freighter from North Korea visits Niigata once a month, in one of the few forms of direct contact between Japan and that country.
The Etsuzankai organization, led by the politician Kakuei Tanaka, was highly influential in bringing infrastructure improvements to Niigata Prefecture in the 1960s and 1970s. These included the Jōetsu Shinkansen high-speed rail line and the Kanetsu Expressway to Tokyo.
On October 23, 2004, the Chūetsu earthquake struck Niigata Prefecture and was measured at Shindo 6+ at Ojiya.
On January 9, 2006, a heavy winter storm struck the prefecture and its neighbors. At least 71 people died and more than 1,000 were injured. Also in 2006, a massive tsunami and earthquake damaged homes and caused casualties in the maritime areas of Niigata Prefecture, especially near Sado Island.
On July 16, 2007, another earthquake hit the area.
Niigata Prefecture hosts the Fuji Rock Festival, an annual event held at the Naeba ski resort. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians. It is one of the largest outdoor music events in Japan, with more than 100,000 people attending in 2005.
Geography
Niigata Prefecture stretches about along the Sea of Japan, from the southwest to the northeast, with a coastal plain between the mountains and the sea. It also includes Sado Island. Niigata Prefecture could be placed in either the Hokuriku or the Kōshinetsu, both of which are considered parts of the Chūbu region. The prefecture is generally divided into four geographical areas: in the south, in the center, in the north, and Sado Island. The mouth of the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan, is located in Niigata Prefecture.
As of 1 April 2014, 25% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely Bandai-Asahi, Chūbu-Sangaku, Nikkō, and Oze National Parks; Echigo Sanzan-Tadami and Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama Quasi-National Parks; and thirteen Prefectural Natural Parks.
Cities
Twenty cities are located in Niigata Prefecture: NameArea (km2)PopulationMapRōmajiKanji Agano阿賀野市192.7441,204 Gosen五泉市351.9148,458 Itoigawa糸魚川市746.2441,333 Jōetsu上越市973.81189,430 Kamo加茂市133.7225,971 Kashiwazaki柏崎市442.0381,836 Minamiuonuma南魚沼市584.5555,354 Mitsuke見附市77.9139,908 Murakami村上市1,174.2658,300 Myōkō妙高市445.6331,374 Nagaoka長岡市891.06266,539 Niigata (capital)新潟市726.45797,591 Ojiya小千谷市155.1934,704 Sado佐渡市855.2655,474 Sanjō三条市431.9795,706 Shibata新発田市533.196,236 Tainai胎内市264.8928,495 Tōkamachi十日町市590.3953,333 Tsubame燕市110.9677,382 Uonuma魚沼市946.7635,027
Towns and villages These are the towns and villages in each district: NameArea (km2)PopulationDistrictTypeMapRōmajiKanji Aga阿賀町952.8910,386Higashikanbara DistrictTown Awashimaura粟島浦村9.78353Iwafune DistrictVillage Izumozaki出雲崎町44.384,190Santō DistrictTown Kariwa刈羽村26.274,578Kariwa DistrictVillage Seirō聖籠町37.5814,025Kitakanbara DistrictTown Sekikawa関川村299.615,291Iwafune DistrictVillage Tagami田上町31.7111,481Minamikanbara DistrictTown Tsunan津南町170.219,349Nakauonuma DistrictTown Yahiko弥彦村25.177,824Nishikanbara DistrictVillage Yuzawa湯沢町357.297,926Minami-Uonuma DistrictTown
Mergers
List of governors of Niigata Prefecture (from 1947)
Shohei Okada (岡田正平) – from 15 April 1947 to 29 April 1955 Kazuo Kitamura (北村一男) – from 30 April 1955 to 30 November 1961 Toichiro Tsukada (塚田十一郎) – from 7 December 1961 to 28 March 1966 Shiro Watari (亘四郎) – from 8 May 1966 to 30 April 1974 Takeo Kimi (君健男) – from 1 May 1974 to 19 April 1989
Kiyoshi Kaneko (金子清) – from 4 June 1989 to 9 September 1992 Ikuo Hirayama (平山征夫) – from 25 October 1992 to 24 October 2004 Hirohiko Izumida (泉田裕彦) – from 25 October 2004 to 24 October 2016 Ryuichi Yoneyama (米山隆一) – from 25 October 2016 to 27 April 2018 Hideyo Hanazumi (花角英世) – from 12 June 2018 to present
Economy Agriculture, forestry and fishing
The major industry in Niigata Prefecture is agriculture. Rice is the principal product, and among the prefectures of Japan Niigata ranks first in rice output, followed by Hokkaido and Akita. The area around Uonuma is known for producing the Koshihikari variety, widely considered to be the highest-quality rice produced in Japan.
Rice-related industries are also very important to the prefectural economy. Niigata Prefecture is known throughout Japan for its high-quality sake, senbei, mochi, and arare. In sake production, the prefecture comes third after Gunma and Kyoto prefectures.
The prefecture was also the place of origin of the ornamental carp known as koi.
Niigata Prefecture produces the highest volume of azaleas and cut lilies in Japan, and is increasing the production of cut flowers and flower bulbs. Along with Toyama Prefecture, it produces the highest volume of tulips in the country.
Mining and manufacturing
Crude oil is produced in Niigata Prefecture, although Japan relies heavily on petroleum imported from other countries. Kerosene heaters are also produced for use in the cold Niigata winters.
Kinzan, on Sado Island, was an active gold mine until it was closed in 1989.
Sanjō and Tsubame produce 90 percent of all the silverware made in Japan. The two cities are second after Osaka in the production of scissors, kitchen knives, nail clippers and wrenches.
Niigata Prefecture may have been the first area in Japan to produce knitted textiles, although the earliest products may have been imported from China. A nuclear power plant, which formerly had the highest energy output in the world, is located in the tiny village of Kariwa. It has been closed since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
Demographics
In the Census of 2020, Niigata ranked as the 15th most populous prefecture. Its population decreased by 103,000 between 2015 and 2020 and this was the second largest decline after Hokkaido (157,000).
Culture
Food
Niigata is known for the following regional specialities: Uonuma Koshihikari rice Shōyu (soy sauce) and Yofu (western-style) katsudon Shōyu sekihan Noppe stew Wappa-meshi (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) Poppo-yaki (steamed bread flavored with brown sugar) Hegi-soba (soba from the Uonuma and Ojiya areas, flavored with a special kind of seaweed) "Tsubame-Sanjō 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 fermented paste from Myōkō made by leaving chili peppers exposed on snow, then adding salt, yuzu, and kōji mold) Yasuda yogurt
Niigata in popular culture Snow Country (1947): a novel by Nobel laureate Yasunari Kawabata set in Yuzawa "Niigata Snow": a track on the LP Aida, released by Derek Bailey in 1980 Kura: a film and TV series (1995) based on the 1993 book by Tomiko Miyao, an award-winning period piece about a Niigata family and its sake brewery Blue (1996): a manga about high school girls, set in Niigata City, adapted as a film in 2001 Whiteout: an action film based on a novel published in 1995 United States of Tara (2011): a comedy-drama series on Showtime; Kate is about to embark on a trip to teach English in Niigata when a flight attendant tells her that the only thing she will hopefully find in Niigata is "a life lesson and a bullet train back to Tokyo."
Tourism and sports Much of the tourism in Niigata centers around skiing, especially in the alpine areas of Myōkō and Yuzawa, and going to onsen. Sado Island off the west coast of Niigata is accessible via ferry (taking one to two and a half hours) from Naoetsu or Niigata City.
Professional sports clubs include Albirex Niigata, a J-League Division 1 Football Club, and Niigata Albirex BB, a BJ (Basketball Japan) League team.
Festivals
Tokamachi Snow Festival- February Murakami Taisai – July 6–7 Iwafune Taisai – October 18–19, in Murakami Niigata Festival – August Niigata General Dancing Event -September 21–25 Shirone Kite Festival – June Sanjo Kite Festival – June Nagaoka Festival (with fireworks) – August Niigata Tanrei Sake-no-Jin – March Echigo-Tsumari Festival – August and September (every third year)
Education Universities International University of Japan Keiwa Gakuen University Nagaoka University Nagaoka University of Technology Nagaoka Institute of Design Niigata Sangyo University (Niigata Industrial University) Niigata University Nippon Dental University Niigata College of Nursing Niigata University of Health and Welfare Niigata University of International and Information Studies Niigata University of Management Niigata University of Pharmacy and Applied Life Sciences Niigata Institute of Technology
Transport
Rail Echigo Tokimeki Railway Myōkō Haneuma Line Nihonkai Hisui Line Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line JR East Ban'etsu West Line Echigo Line Iiyama Line Hakushin Line Hokuriku Shinkansen Jōetsu Line Jōetsu Shinkansen Shin'etsu Line Tadami Line Uetsu Line Yahiko Line Yonesaka Line JR West Hokuriku Shinkansen Ōito Line Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line
Roads Expressways E17 Kanetsu Expressway E18 Jōshinetsu Expressway E8 Hokuriku Expressway E49 Ban-etsu Expressway E7 Nihonkai Tōhoku Expressway
National highways Route 7 (Niigata—Shibata—Murakami—Sakata—Akita—Noshiro—Hirosaki—Aomori) Route 8 (Niigata—Nagaoka—Kashiwazaki—Jōetsu—Toyama—Kanazawa—Tsuruga—Kyoto) Route 17 (Nagaoka—Ojiya—Minamiuonuma—Takasaki—Nihonbashi of Tokyo) Route 18 (Jōetsu—Myōkō—Nagano—Karuizawa—Takasaki) Route 49 (Niigata—Aizuwakamatsu—Kōriyama—Iwaki) Route 113 (Niigata—Arakawa—Nan'yō—Shiroishi—Sōma) Route 116 (Niigata—Tsubame—Izumozaki—Kashiwazaki) Route 117 (Ojiya—Tōkamachi—Iiyama) Route 148 (Itoigawa—Ōmachi) Route 252 Route 253 Route 289 Route 290 Route 291 Route 292 Route 345 Route 350 (Sado Island) Route 351 Route 352 Route 353 Route 402 Route 403 Route 404 Route 405 Route 459 Route 460
Ports Iwafune Port in Murakami- Ferry route to Awashima Naoetsu Port in Joetsu – Ferry route to Ogi