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It’s spring. The blue sky is crystal-clear and a refreshing breeze blows in from the sea. The streets are full of shoppers, enticed by the warm spring weather. Others stroll along the riverbank, basking in the brilliant sunshine. In the heat of summer, many swim and bathe in the clean, deep-blue Japan Sea. The people of Niigata long for the spring and summer, when they enjoy nature and the outdoors to the full.
Some lagoons remain in the city, populated by swans and mallards. Plentiful seafood provides a livelihood, and rice and tulips are grown on fertile farmland in the suburbs and beyond. Niigata is well known for its severe winters of heavy snowfall and weeks of cloudy skies, even in Japan, where a cold climate is not uncommon. Its citizens say, however, that it is the winter that nurtures the richness of Niigata life.
The city of Niigata is the capital of Niigata Prefecture. Some 300km from Tokyo, a two-hour journey on the Joetsu Shinkansen train line, it is a commercial center with a population of 500,000 and expressway, air and sea links to Japan’s other major cities.
Niigata has transport links with overseas cities as well. Ships sail to Russia and Southeast Asia from the port on the mouth of Shinanogawa, the longest river in Japan. There are flights to Russia, China, South Korea, Guam and Hawaii from Niigata Airport. |
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| Niigata Stadium Big Swan was the site of FIFA 2002 soccer matches. It is slightly larger than the Tokyo Dome and has room for 43,000 spectators. |
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