Niigata Prefecture

History

Niigata prefecture was originally divided into Echigo Province and Sado Province until the Meiji Restoration. During the Sengoku period it was ruled by Uesugi Kenshin.

Related Topics:
Echigo Province - Sado Province - Meiji Restoration - Sengoku - Uesugi Kenshin

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Niigata (the city) is the largest and most important city among the cities which face the Sea of Japan. It has been an important seaport since the opening of Japan in the mid-1800s, especially for trade with Russia and northern Korea, and was the first port on the Sea of Japan to be opened to foreign trade.

Related Topics:
Sea of Japan - Russia - Korea

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The Etsuzankai organization, led by prime minister Tanaka Kakuei, was highly influential in bringing infrastructure improvements to Niigata in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Joetsu Shinkansen high speed rail line and Kanetsu Expressway to Tokyo.

Related Topics:
Etsuzankai - Tanaka Kakuei - Joetsu Shinkansen - High speed rail - Kanetsu Expressway - Tokyo

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Today, Niigata is best known for being visited by a freighter from North Korea once a month: one of the few direct contacts between the Free world and the communist country.

Related Topics:
North Korea - Free world

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On October 23, 2004, the Chuetsu Earthquake struck Niigata Prefecture, causing shaking measured at Shindo 6+ at Ojiya.

Related Topics:
October 23 - 2004 - Chuetsu Earthquake - Shindo - Ojiya

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