Iwamuro, Niigata

Iwamuro 岩室村
Former municipality
Iwamuro onsens beneath the 634m-high Yahiko Mountain in Niigata, Japan
Niigata)
Area
• Total	36.11 km2 (13.94 sq mi)
Population  (2005)
• Total	9,865
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)

Iwamuro (岩室村, Iwamuro-mura) was a village located in Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The area is famous for onsen near Yahiko mountain. Farming remains the predominant industry in the area. It is served by National Route 116 and Niigata Route 55.

On April 1, 2007, Iwamuro became part of

.

History

Iwamuro, which means 'stone' and 'room' in

-smelling pool near her home. The goose's leg got better. The farmer and his wife then became very rich by opening the first onsen in Iwamuro.

Behind Yahiko mountain lies the fishing village of Maze (間瀬). During the

.

During the period of the

Nihonkai Maze Circuit

which holds regular weekend meetings throughout the summer months, attracting sports car drivers from across Japan.

Geography

The sulphurous waters in Iwamuro rise from depths of up to 2 miles (3.2 km). They have an average surface temperature of 24.3 °C and are highly saturated in mineral salts. Iwamuro lies on a fault zone between Yahiko mountain and the bedrock beneath the Niigata Plain. In 2006, due to the number of onsens in the area, additional bore holes were drilled to a depth of 0.75 miles (1.21 km).

Rice farming is predominant throughout the area although there are several dairy and pig-rearing farms. As the village is on the Niigata plain, the rich soil deposited by the Shinano and Agano River make it ideal for agriculture.

Demographics

As of 2005, the village had an estimated population of 9,917 and a density of 274.63 persons per km². Its total area was 36.11 km².

On March 21, 2005, Iwamuro, along with the cities of

.

Since Iwamuro became part of

, Iwamuro's farming cooperative opened a new rice storage centre centralising grain collection for the entire area In April 2008 after closing six independent silos and the fishing cooperatives of Maze and Niigata city have both merged, although the fish market and boat repair yard both remain open.

Iwamuro also has two independent sake makers both located in the heart of the old district at Iwamuro-onsen. Products are sold locally and are of a higher quality than commercially-made rice wine. There are two elementary schools and one Junior High School within Iwamuro.

Iwamuro, as an area, incorporates more than 20 hamlets, villages and townships:

See also

• Niigata City
• Nishikan-ku, Niigata
• Maki, Niigata (Nishikanbara)
• Iwamuro Station

External links

• Niigata official website (in Japanese)
• Niigata Nishikan-ku website (in Japanese)
• 岩室甚句(新潟民謡) Iwamuro Folk Song
• Iwamuro Onsen Information page (in Japanese)

37°44′15.00″N 138°50′20.68″E / 37.7375000°N 138.8390778°E / 37.7375000; 138.8390778