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74-492: It is the only government-designated city on the west coast of Honshu. It has the greatest habitable area of cities in Japan ( list of Japanse cities by area  [ ja ] ). It is designated as a reform base for the large scale agriculture under ( National Strategic Special Zones of Japan  [ ja ] ) initiatives. Niigata was one of the cities incorporated by the legislation effective on April 1, 1889 (Meiji 22). With

148-563: A population density of 56.3 inhabitants per square kilometre (146/sq mi). The total area is 855.69 square kilometres (330.38 sq mi). The large number of pottery artifacts found near Ogi in the South of the island demonstrate that Sado was populated as early as the Jōmon period . The Nihon Shoki mentions that Mishihase people visited the island in 544 (although it is unknown whether Tungusic people effectively came). The island formed

222-576: A consequence of Japan's rapid transition to a modern nation. Japan had sought treaty revision earnestly, and in 1894, signed a new treaty with Britain which revised or abrogated the previous "unequal" treaty. Other countries signed similar treaties. The new treaties came into force in July 1899. Following the Ganghwa Treaty of 1876, the Korean kingdom of Joseon agreed to the opening of three strategic ports and

296-917: A day). Niigata Airport's international destinations are Harbin (twice a week), Seoul (five times a week), Shanghai (twice a week) and Vladivostok . The largest station in Niigata City is Niigata Station . It is centrally located in the Bandai area, one of the two main shopping districts in downtown Niigata. Approximately 37,000 passengers use the station daily. The Jōetsu Shinkansen , which terminates at Niigata Station, provides daily service to Tokyo. The Shin'etsu Main Line , Hakushin Line , Echigo Line , Uetsu Main Line , and Ban'etsu West Line also terminate at Niigata Station. These lines serve Myoko , Itoigawa , Akita , Sakata , and Aizuwakamatsu . Niigata Kotsu Dentetsu Line and Kambara Dentetsu trains used to run through

370-507: A distinct province , the Sado Province , separate from the Echigo province on Honshū, at the beginning of the 8th century. At first, the province was a single gun (district), but was later divided into three gun : Sawata, Hamochi and Kamo. In 1185, the designated representative Shugo for Sado, Osaragi , appointed Honma Yoshihisa as his shugodai (delegate) for the province. The rule of

444-498: A joint performance with Kodo and guests. The Sado tourism industry suffered direct (though limited) as well as indirect damage from the 2004 Chūetsu earthquake , as access routes inside Niigata Prefecture were cut. Sado has a large variety of sights to offer. Sado Steam Ship operates two routes connecting to the mainland. Transit bus network all over the island is operated by Niigata Kotsu Kanko Bus. Kyokushin Airways, operating

518-594: A long history as a port town, Niigata served the function of the network junction between the maritime traffic and those of Shinano and Agano river systems. It was designated as one of the five free treaty ports under the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan, signed in 1858, just before the Meiji Restoration , and later started operations in 1869. Its importance in land and water transportation

592-620: A major yearly arts festival, called the Earth Celebration, has been run by the taiko group Kodo . The group lives on the island, touring eight months a year, and in August they invite international artists to collaborate with them at their festival on Sado. Tickets are limited for the three-day weekend event. In recent years, Kodo has made a solo performance on the Friday evening; the festival's invited act plays Saturday night; and Sunday concludes with

666-464: A merger of all remaining municipalities on the island: the city of Ryōtsu : the towns of Aikawa , Kanai , Sawata , Hatano , Mano , Hamochi and Ogi ; and the villages of Niibo , and Akadomari (all from Sado District ). When direct control from mainland Japan started around the 8th century, the island's remoteness meant that it soon became a place of banishment for difficult or inconvenient Japanese figures. Exile to remote locations such as Sado

740-536: A millennium after the first. Sado experienced a sudden economic boom during the Edo period when gold was found in 1601 at Aikawa ( 相川 ) . A major source of revenue for the Tokugawa shogunate , the mines were worked in very severe conditions. A manpower shortage led to a second wave of "exiles" coming to Sado, although this time it was not imposed as a sentence for a committed crime. By sending homeless people (the number of whom

814-595: A population of around 100,000. The mine closed in 1989. In feudal Japan , when the Nishimawari naval route was opened in 1672, Ogi (in the South of the Island) became a main stop on this major naval route in the Sea of Japan between the Kansai area and northern areas of the archipelago. Exiles and shipping in old times both had a major influence on Sado's cultural background. The island

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888-620: A prime location on the waterfront where the businesses, offices, warehouses, and residences of all foreigners were located. The Shanghai Bund was the largest and most famous. The North Riverbank in Ningbo (nowadays known as the Old Bund ), was the first in China, opening in 1844, 20 years before the Shanghai bund. A typical bund contained British, German, French, American, Japanese, and other nationals. The bund

962-590: A revolution against the Qing government . Aggressive Japanese moves to dominate China in World War I caused a strong backlash of nationalism in the May Fourth Movement , which focused its ire not just on Japan, but also on the entire port city system as emblematic of imperialism that should no longer be tolerated. The national government had almost no police power in the port cities, allowing secret societies to flourish in

1036-554: Is a city located on Sado Island ( 佐渡島 , Sado-shima/Sado-ga-shima ) in Niigata Prefecture , Japan . Since 2004, the city has comprised the entire island, although not all of its total area is urbanized. Sado is the sixth largest island of Japan in area following the four main islands and Okinawa Island (excluding the Northern Territories ). As of June 1, 2023, the city has an estimated population of 48,195 and

1110-494: Is for instance dotted with Noh theaters, and the local Japanese dialect and accent are different from those of Niigata. A few months after World War II, on 18 January 1946, a Douglas Dakota (C-47) Sister Ann in British RAF service made an emergency landing on the island. The locals helped in the recovery and building a runway for it to depart, the story of which was made into a film named Tobe! Dakota ( Fly, Dakota, Fly! ) with

1184-434: Is still as of today. At the end of the 19th century, there were three districts ( 郡 ), seven towns ( 町 ), and 51 villages ( 村 ). During the 20th century, a series of mergers steadily reduced the number of political local authorities, following the recent trend in Japan to cut the costs of having separately run local administrations. The current city ( 市 ) covering the whole island was established on March 1, 2004 from

1258-481: Is still current. Niigata's city government was established in 1889. Mergers with nearby municipalities in 2005 allowed the city's population to jump to 810,000. The annexation of the surrounding area has also given the city the greatest rice paddy field acreage in Japan. On April 1, 2007, it became the first government-designated city on the coast of the Sea of Japan of Honshu. There are eight wards ( described later ) in

1332-410: Is the only increasing age demographic. The island is now less populated than it was in the 18th and 19th century. There is no university, and the options for post high school studies, short of leaving and going to the mainland, are limited to a few specialty schools. Agriculture and fishing are major sources of income for Sado. According to the 2000 national census, 22.3% of the workforce was employed in

1406-443: The 2002 FIFA World Cup . The 2004 Chūetsu earthquake did not cause any significant damage in Niigata City itself, allowing the city to work as a relief base. The size and the population of Niigata city increased over the four-year period between 2001 and 2005, due to a series of municipal mergers . On April 1, 2007, Niigata City became first city on the west coast of Honshu to become a government-designated city . In July 2007,

1480-671: The Chūetsu offshore earthquake , measuring 6.9 on Richter scale, rocked Niigata Prefecture. Though the earthquake was felt in the city, there was little damage, which allowed Niigata City to provide aid to the devastated areas. In May 2008, the city hosted the 2008 G8 Labor Ministers Meeting . On March 12, 2011, several hours after the massive 9.0 Tohoku earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Niigata and Nagano Prefectures experienced an estimated magnitude 6.6 earthquake. Niigata maintains sister city ties with six cities: In addition, special exchange agreements have been set up with

1554-568: The Empire of Japan . The British established their first treaty ports in China after the First Opium War by the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. As well as ceding the island of Hong Kong to Great Britain in perpetuity, the treaty also established five treaty ports at Shanghai , Guangzhou (Canton), Ningbo , Fuzhou , and Xiamen (Amoy). The following year the Chinese and British signed the Treaty of

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1628-621: The Honma clan on Sado lasted until Uesugi Kagekatsu took control of the island in 1589. After the defeat of the Uesugi at Sekigahara , and the discovery of gold on the island, the shogunate took direct control of the island. The island was for a short time an independent prefecture , called the Aikawa prefecture, between 1871 and 1876, during the Meiji era . It then became a part of Niigata Prefecture , which it

1702-592: The Second World War . This ended when the Japanese stormed into their concessions in late 1941. They formally relinquished their treaty rights in a new "equal treaties" agreement with Chiang Kai-shek 's nationalist government-in-exile in Chongqing in 1943. The international communities that were residues of the treaty port era ended in the late 1940s when the communists took over and nearly all foreigners left. Although

1776-471: The primary sector and 25% in the secondary sector . Fishing is mainly based in Ryotsu and Aikawa. Tourism boomed in the beginning of the 1990s and peaked at over 1.2 million yearly visitors, but visitor numbers decreased over the 1990s. In the mid-2000s, the number of visitors was closer to 650,000 per year. Sado is known for a number of Japanese bamboo weaving artists and artisans who are renowned throughout

1850-538: The 1920s. Chinese residents comprised 90% of the total population of Shanghai but complained about taxation without representation. Eventually, the Council admitted five Chinese representatives. The European community promoted technological and economic innovation, as well as knowledge industries, that proved especially attractive to Chinese entrepreneurs as models for their cities across the growing nation. Port cities combined several leadership roles. First of all, they were

1924-854: The Bogue , which added provisions for extraterritoriality and the most favored nation status for the latter country. Subsequent negotiations with the Americans (1844 Treaty of Wanghia ) and the French (1844 Treaty of Whampoa ) led to further concessions for these nations on the same terms as the British. The second group of treaty ports was set up following the end of the Second Opium War (Arrow War) in 1860 and eventually, more than 80 treaty ports were established in China alone, involving many foreign powers. Foreigners all lived in prestigious sections newly built for them on

1998-478: The British and American settlements combined in 1863 into an international settlement, with the French settlement operated separately nearby. The foreigners took out long-term leases on the land and set up factories, offices, warehouses, sanitation, police, gardens, restaurants, hotels, banks, and private clubs. The Shanghai Municipal Council was created in 1854, with nine members who were elected by three dozen foreign landowners at first, and by about 2,000 electors in

2072-608: The Chinese community, some of which turned into criminal gangs. Eventually, Shanghai had a strong underground illegal underworld that was ready to employ violence. In modern China, most of the country's special economic zones are located in former treaty ports and therefore have symbolic significance in demonstrating a "reversal of fortunes" in China's dealings with foreigners since the century of humiliation . Researcher Zongyuan Zoe Liu writes that "[t]he success of these cities as 'red' treaty ports represented another step in China's overall reform and opening-up plan while legitimizing

2146-643: The Nabechaya. "Niigata"  . New International Encyclopedia . 1905. Treaty ports Treaty ports ( Chinese : 商埠 ; Japanese : 条約港 ) were the port cities in China and Japan that were opened to foreign trade mainly by the unequal treaties forced upon them by Western powers , as well as cities in Korea opened up similarly by the Qing dynasty of China (before the First Sino-Japanese War ) and

2220-454: The United States. In 1858, the Treaty of Amity and Commerce designated four more ports, Kanagawa , Hyogo , Nagasaki , and Niigata . The treaty with the United States was followed by similar ones with Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, and France. The ports permitted legal extraterritoriality for citizens of the treaty nations. The system of treaty ports ended in Japan in the year 1899 as

2294-503: The canal and caused it to become the main current of the Agano River. As a result, the volume of water flowing into the port of Niigata decreased, which in turn allowed land reclamation efforts and the development of new rice fields to proceed. In 1858, Niigata was designated as one of the five ports to be opened for international trade in the Japan–U.S. Treaty of Amity and Commerce . However,

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2368-498: The capital of Tokyo and the Sea of Japan made it a key point for the transfer of settlers and military personnel to the Asian continent, including Manchukuo . In 1945, near the end of the war, Niigata was one of four cities, together with Hiroshima, Kokura, and Nagasaki, picked as targets for the atomic bombs if Japan did not surrender. However, Niigata was not actually targeted in the first two missions. There were several theories about

2442-456: The city center. Niigata City features a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ). However, due to high precipitation, it receives more yearly snowfall than cities with continental climates such as Moscow, Montreal or Oslo. Winters are characterized by their high humidity and strong winds from the Sea of Japan. While many other parts of Niigata Prefecture tend to have heavy snow, Niigata City itself usually receives less due to its low-lying elevation and

2516-455: The city until the late 1990s; however, they no longer exist. BRT " Bandai-bashi Line " runs through business/shopping districts in the central Niigata (Niigata Station - Bandai Bridge - Furumachi - City hall - Hakusan Station - Aoyama). The Port of Niigata served as a part of kitamaebune during Edo era, and became one of the five open ports according to the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan) in 1858. The west district of

2590-564: The city. Numerous wetlands, such as the Fukushimagata wetlands, can be found within the city limits. The Sakata lagoon is registered as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention . Niigata City's low elevation and abundant water have made flood control and land reclamation important issues for the area throughout its history. The city is sometimes called the "City of Water" ( 水の都 , Mizu-no-miyako ) because of

2664-455: The city. Until the 1950s, a system of canals were lined along by the willow trees in the downtown area of Niigata. Therefore the city is sometimes called the "City of Water" or "City of Willows" as detailed later . Niigata produced many manga artists (see: Artists and writers ). It is also known to have an extensive network of bypass roads . Bandai bridge, NEXT21, Toki Messe, Denka Big Swan Stadium, Niigata Nippo Media Ship are considered to be

2738-457: The conversion of the Chinese population but discovered they became widely popular for setting up medical and educational facilities. For example, St John's University in Shanghai (1879–1952) first set up faculties of theology, Western learning, and Chinese languages, then expanded to cover literature, science, medicine, and intense coverage of Western languages eagerly sought by the ambitious Chinese intellectuals and entrepreneurs who had rejected

2812-429: The country. Its rich history and relaxed rural atmosphere make Sado one of the major tourist destinations in Niigata Prefecture . The island has several temples and historical ruins, and offers possibilities for various outdoor activities, as well as fresh local food. Sado is famous as the major breeding area for the Japanese crested ibis . The last known Japan-born Japanese crested ibis died in captivity in 2003 on

2886-486: The downtown area of Niigata port in the 17th century. During this period, the courses of the Shinano and Agano rivers gradually changed until they poured into the Sea of Japan at the same location. As a result, Niigata prospered as a port town, serving as a port of call for Japanese trade ships traversing the Sea of Japan. The Matsugasaki Canal was constructed in 1730 to drain the Agano River area, but in 1731, flooding destroyed

2960-401: The downtown area, but eventually the city recovered. In 1958, construction of the relocated Niigata Station was completed, extending the downtown area from Bandai Bridge. The Niigata Thermal Power Station Unit 1 started operation in July 1963. At that time, it was Japan's first power plant capable of using a mixture of natural gas and heavy oil. In 1964, the old canals that flowed throughout

3034-434: The eastern side of Kuninaka, is filled with salt water , and is a growing place for oysters . Sado has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) with potentially hot, humid summers and cold winters. Precipitation is quite heavy throughout the year. Per Japanese census data, the population of Sado peaked around 1950 and has declined by roughly 60 percent in the decades since. As of May 1, 2017,

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3108-416: The edges of existing port cities. They enjoyed legal extraterritoriality, as stipulated in the unequal treaties. Some of these port areas were directly leased by foreign powers such as in the foreign concessions in China , effectively removing them from the control of local governments. Western images of the Chinese treaty ports focus on the distinctive geography of the "bund", a long narrow strip of land in

3182-554: The extension of legal extraterritoriality to merchants from Meiji Japan . Chinese merchants also entered Korea in earnest after the Qing army was sent to suppress the Imo Incident in 1882. The first port opened in this manner was Busan , while Incheon and Wonsan followed shortly thereafter. These cities became important centers of mercantile activity for traders from China and Japan until Korea's colonization by Japan in 1910. Sado, Niigata Sado ( 佐渡市 , Sado-shi )

3256-512: The film's Dakota made into an island exhibit. The story of the events leading up to the crash were also made into a film, The Night My Number Came Up . The island consists of two parallel mountain ranges running roughly southwest–northeast, enclosing a central plain. The Ōsado ( 大佐渡 ) range, in the north, is slightly higher, with peaks of Mount Kinpoku ( 金北山 ) , the highest point of the island at 1,172 metres (3,845 ft), Mount Kongō , Mount Myōken, and Mount Donden. Kosado ( 小佐渡 ) range in

3330-431: The following: Niigata Airport is located about 6 km north of central Niigata. It handles some international destinations as well as many domestic ones. As of October 2016, the domestic destinations available are Osaka (10 times a day), Sapporo (five or six times a day), Fukuoka (three times a day), Okinawa (once or twice a day), Nagoya (three times a day), Narita (once a day) and Sado Island (three times

3404-446: The great majority of Chinese lived in traditional rural areas, a handful of booming treaty port cities became vibrant centers that had an enormous long-term impact on the Chinese economy and society. Above all Shanghai became the dominant urban center. Tianjin and Shenyang followed; Hong Kong, although a British colony, not a treaty port, was similar. Foreigners were welcomed and had stable safe bases, as did Christian missionaries. Outside

3478-532: The island before his death; and because he was sent to Sado, this emperor is known posthumously as Sado-no-in ( 佐渡院 ) . He is buried in the Mano Goryo mausoleum on the west coast. The Buddhist monk Nichiren lived on Sado close to the present village Niibo in Kuninaka Plain from 1271 to 1274. In the 17th century, Konpon Ji Temple was built at the place where he lived. At the end of his exile, Nichiren lived at

3552-428: The island has an estimated population of 55,474. The island of Sado has seen a steady decline in population since 1950 when the population was 125,597. Similar trends have been common in other remote locations of Japan since World War II as younger generations have moved to more urban areas. As of October 1, 2008, 36.3% of the island population is over 65 years old, which is a larger ratio than the national average. Over 65

3626-641: The island. Currently, birds from China are being bred in a captive program in a facility in Niibo area, and have been released since 2008. The first hatchings in the wild were observed in April 2012. The ibis is a major symbol of the Island and can be found on several tourist items. As of June 2022, approximately 480 crested ibis have been observed making a radical comeback for their species, thanks to conservation efforts. There are many small local traditional festivals, and since 1988

3700-457: The key symbol landmarks in the city (see: Local attractions ). The place name "Niigata" was first recorded in 1520 ( Eisho 17 ). Its name in kanji can be translated as 新 "new" and 潟 "lagoon". However, as there is no record about the origin of the name, this had led to many theories. 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

3774-662: The leadership of the CPC over the Chinese state and people." For encyclopedic details on each treaty port, see Robert Nield's China's Foreign Places: The Foreign Presence in China in the Treaty Port Era, 1840-1943 (2015). In these territories the foreign powers obtained, under a lease treaty, not only the right to trade and exemptions for their subjects but a truly colonial control over each concession territory , de facto annexation: Japan opened two ports to foreign trade, Shimoda and Hakodate , in 1854 ( Convention of Kanagawa ), to

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3848-467: The major port of entry for all imports and exports - except for opium, which was handled by smugglers in other cities. Foreign entrepreneurs introduce the latest European manufacturing techniques, providing a model followed sooner or later by all of China. The first establishments focused on shipbuilding, ship repair, railway repair, and factories producing textiles, matches, porcelain, flour, and machinery. Tobacco, cigarettes, textiles, and food products were

3922-572: The major powers were involved. The system effectively ended when Japan took control of most of the ports in the late 1930s, the Russians relinquished their treaty rights in the wake of the Russian Revolution in 1917, and the Germans were expelled in 1914. The three main treaty powers, the British, the Americans, and the French, continued to hold their concessions and extraterritorial jurisdictions until

3996-585: The old Confucian exam system for the Western model of modernity. Engineering schools were established as well, and by 1914 a network of universities, colleges, teacher training schools, and specialized industrial schools was headquartered in the Port cities, and diffusing their alumni across urban China. Students poured into the port cities. Many adopted ideas and used the facilities newly opened to them to network with each other, set up organizations and publications, and plot

4070-460: The old downtown area were filled in to make way for more roads. On June 16, 1964, at 13:01 Japan Standard Time an earthquake of 7.5 Richter scale struck the city, killing 29 people and causing large-scale property damage, with 1,960 totally destroyed buildings, 6,640 partially destroyed buildings, and 15,298 severely inundated by liquefaction . In 1965, the Agano River running through Niigata

4144-475: The place where Myosho Ji temple was built later. He used to meditate at the place where Jisso Ji Temple can be visited today. In addition, Nipponzan Myohoji , a modern Nichiren Buddhist order, established a Peace Pagoda in the city to help in inspiring people toward world peace . The Noh dramatist Zeami Motokiyo was exiled on unspecified charges in 1434. The last banishment in Sado took place in 1700, almost

4218-456: The port cities, with printing shops, newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets in Chinese and European languages. Book publishers often featured Chinese translations of European classics in philosophy, politics, literature, and social issues. According to historian Klaus Mühlhahn: Christian missionaries saw all of the Chinese population as their target audience, but they were headquartered in the port cities. The missionaries had very modest success in

4292-473: The port of Niigata provides passenger transportation facilities as well as cargo transportation, while the east district is dedicated for cargo capabilities, including the container terminal facilities. The Port of Niigata is designated as one of the international hub ports  [ ja ] by the government. The destinations of the passenger services available at the port of Niigata include Ryotsu on Sado island, Otaru, Akita, Tsuruga. Until 2006, Niigata

4366-443: The ports, the only foreigners were occasional Christian missionaries, and they often encountered serious difficulties. The other 89 cities that became treaty ports between 1842 and 1914 were of minor importance. The Shanghai International Settlement rapidly developed into one of the world's most modern cities, often compared to Paris, Berlin, and London. It set the standard of modernity for China and all of East Asia. In Shanghai,

4440-615: The reasons that Niigata was lowered in the priority, such as poor weather conditions, its distance from B-29 bases in the Mariana Islands, and other factors. On August 11, 1945, after the second atomic bombing in Nagasaki, the governor of Niigata Prefecture ordered the people to evacuate as concerns of an impending bombing heightened, and the city was completely deserted for days until the war ended without more atomic bombings. A devastating Typhoon Louise and fire in 1955 destroyed much of

4514-621: The sea at the time. According to the Nihon Shoki , a fortress was built in the area in AD 647. In the 16th century, a port called Niigata was established at the mouth of the Shinano River , while a port town with the name Nuttari developed at the mouth of the Agano River . The area prospered beneath the rule of Uesugi Kenshin during the Sengoku Period . A system of canals was constructed throughout

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4588-589: The shallow water level in the port delayed the actual opening to foreign ships until 1869. The port also served as a valuable base for fishermen who roamed as far north as the Kamchatka Peninsula to catch salmon and other fish. In 1886, the first Bandai Bridge was built across the Shinano River to connect the settlements of Niigata on the west and Nuttari on the east. Niigata annexed Nuttari in 1914. During World War II , Niigata's strategic location between

4662-533: The shielding effect of Sado Island . On average, Niigata City has 269 days of precipitation each year, about 170 days of which see rain or snowfall measuring over 1 mm. The rainy season in July brings large amounts of rain, while the winter months, especially November and December, also have much precipitation. In summer, the south wind makes the weather rather hot. Typhoons usually bring strong foehn winds to this area, generally causing somewhat higher temperatures than in other parts of Japan. The weather on

4736-542: The south faces the Honshu coast. The highest point in Kosado is Ōjiyama ( 大地山 ) at 645 m. The plain in between is called Kuninaka ( 国中 ) and is the most populated area. The Kuninaka plain opens on its eastern side onto Ryōtsu Bay ( 両津湾 ) , and on its western side onto Mano Bay ( 真野湾 ) , where the longest river, Kokufugawa ( 国府川 , also read Konogawa) reaches the sea. The island has a symmetrical shape. Lake Kamo ( 加茂湖 ) , on

4810-562: The specialty in Canton. Financing was handled by branch banks, as well as entirely new operations such as HSBC -the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, which remains a world-class establishment into the 21st century. Across the modernizing world, railway construction was a major financial and industrial endeavor, usually led by the British. Investments now poured into building a railway-plus-telegraph system knitting China together, connecting

4884-577: The treaty ports, and other major cities, as well as mining districts and agricultural centers. Chinese entrepreneurs learned their skills in the port cities, and soon applied for and received bank loans for their startups. Chinese merchants headquartered there set up branches across Southeast Asia, including British Singapore and Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, and the American Philippines. The information industry flourished in

4958-505: The two rivers that flow through it, its position next to the Sea of Japan, its many wetlands, and the canals that used to run through the city. It is also sometimes referred to as the "City of Willows" ( 柳の都 , Yanagi-no-miyako ) or Ryuto ( 柳都 ) because of the willow trees that lined the old canals. In recent years, the city has been promoting itself as a "Designated City of Food and Flowers" ( 食と花の政令市 , Shoku to hana no seireishi ) , highlighting its agricultural areas outside of

5032-499: The west coast of Honshu tends to be better during the summer months than on the Pacific coast. Niigata has a system of wards ( ku ) since April 1, 2007: Each ward has its own "image color". From the north, following Niigata's border clockwise : People have inhabited the Niigata area ( Furutsu Hachimanyama Site ) since the Jōmon period , though much of the current land was still beneath

5106-473: Was a self-governing operation with its own shops, restaurants, recreational facilities, parks, churches, courts, police, and local government. The facilities were generally off-limits to the natives. The British, who by far dominated foreign trade with China, normally were the largest presence. Businessmen and officials typically brought their own families with them and stayed for years but sent their older children back to England for education. Chinese sovereignty

5180-489: Was a very serious punishment, second only to the death penalty, and people were not expected to return. The earliest known dissident to be condemned to exile on Sadogashima was a poet, Hozumi no Asomi Oyu ( 穂積朝臣老 ) . He was sent to the island in 722, reportedly for having criticized the emperor. The former Emperor Juntoku was sent to Sado after his role in the Jōkyū War of 1221. The disgraced emperor survived twenty years on

5254-587: Was formerly the terminus of the Mangyongbong-92 ferry , one of the direct connections between Japan and North Korea . Niigata has its own geisha culture since over 200 years ago dating back to the Edo period. This was due to the prosperity of the city as a port town. Locally they are called geigi and the tradition continues on. Most ochaya are located in the Furumachi neighbourhood with well-known places such as

5328-475: Was growing in Japanese cities at the time) to Sado from the 18th century, the Shogunate hoped to kill two birds with one stone. The homeless were sent as water collectors and worked in extremely hard conditions, with a short life expectancy. The Sado mine at its peak in the Edo era produced around 400 kilograms (1,100 troy pounds) of gold a year (as well as some silver). The small settlement of Aikawa quickly reached

5402-470: Was only nominal. Officially, the foreign powers were not allowed to station military units in the bund, but in practice, there often was a warship or two in the harbor. The treaty port system in China lasted approximately one hundred years. It began when the First Opium War ended in 1842. The major powers involved were the British, the French, and the Americans, although by the end of the 19th century all

5476-575: Was polluted with methylmercury from the chemical plant of the Showa Electrical Company . Over 690 people exhibited symptoms of Minamata disease and the outbreak became known as Niigata Minamata disease . In 1982, Shinkansen service on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line began between Niigata and Omiya , with service to Ueno added in 1985. The line was extended to Tokyo in 1991. Big Swan Stadium in Niigata City hosted three games during

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