Niigata新潟県

Niigata-ken, にいがたけん. The name ends in 県 (ken), prefecture.

Niigata is a long stretch of the Sea of Japan coast plus Sado Island. It is known for rice, sake, and heavy winter snow.

Open Niigata on the map

Facts

Japanese name

新潟県

Reading

Niigata-ken / にいがたけん

Region

Chūbu 中部

Capital

Niigata 新潟市

Population

2,201,272 (2020 census)

Area

12,584 km²

Density

175 people per km²

Municipalities

30: 20 cities, 6 towns, and 4 villages

Designated cities

Niigata City

Districts (郡)

9

Codes

JIS 15, ISO 3166-2 JP-15

Website

www.pref.niigata.lg.jp

Tree

snow camellia ユキツバキ

Flower

tulip チューリップ

Bird

crested ibis トキ

The tree, flower, and bird are the prefectural symbols, chosen by ordinance. Every prefecture has all three.

The most populous municipalities

2020 census. Share is the municipality's part of the prefecture's population. The other 20 are listed below.

How an address here begins

The prefecture name is written first, then the municipality name, then the name of one of Niigata's 8 wards. The guide explains the rest of the address, and the map finds any address you paste into it.

Neighbouring prefectures

• Yamagata山形県
• Fukushima福島県
• Gunma群馬県
• Toyama富山県
• Nagano長野県

Questions about Niigata

Is Niigata a city or a prefecture?

Niigata (新潟県) is a prefecture, one of Japan's 47. Niigata City (新潟市) is a municipality inside it and its capital. On its own, the name usually means the city. With 県 on the end it means the prefecture.

What is the capital of Niigata?

Niigata City (新潟市). The prefectural office is there. It is also the largest municipality in the prefecture. It is a designated city, divided into wards.

What does 県 mean in 新潟県?

県 (ken) means prefecture. It is the ordinary word for prefecture, used by 43 of the 47. The other four are Tokyo (都), Hokkaidō (道), Osaka, and Kyoto (府), which are the same kind of government with a different word at the end of the name.

How many municipalities are in Niigata?

30: 20 cities, 6 towns, and 4 villages. Each is a local government with its own mayor and assembly. One of them is a designated city, divided into wards: Niigata City (8 wards). The wards are offices of the city, not governments. The towns and villages are grouped into nine districts (郡), names used in addresses, not governments.

What is the population of Niigata?

2,201,272 at the 2020 census, on 12,584 km², which is 175 people per km². Niigata is the 15th most populous of the 47 prefectures and the 5th largest by area.

Which prefectures border Niigata?

Five prefectures: Yamagata (山形県), Fukushima (福島県), Gunma (群馬県), Toyama (富山県), and Nagano (長野県). Borders across water are not counted.

What region is Niigata in?

Chūbu (中部). A region is a customary grouping of prefectures, not a government, so Niigata elects a governor and an assembly but the region elects nothing.

How is Niigata written in Japanese?

新潟県, read Niigata-ken and written にいがたけん in hiragana. The last character, 県, is the word for prefecture, and the name is often used without it in English.

How does an address in Niigata begin?

With the prefecture name, then the municipality name: 新潟県新潟市… (Niigata-ken, Niigata-shi, …). In Niigata the ward name is written after the city name, since it is a designated city. After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.

What is the largest city in Niigata?

Niigata City (新潟市), with 789,275 people at the 2020 census. It is also the capital. The three most populous municipalities are Niigata City (新潟市, 789,275), Nagaoka City (長岡市, 266,936), and Joetsu City (上越市, 188,047).

What are the symbols of Niigata?

The prefectural tree is the snow camellia (ユキツバキ), the flower the tulip (チューリップ), and the bird the crested ibis (トキ). Niigata chose them by ordinance, as every prefecture has.