Jōetsu, Niigata

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Jōetsu 上越市
Special city
Takada Castle Park and sakura Joetsu Aquarium Umigatari Gokuraku Bridge at Takada Castle Rinsen-ji former No.139 National Bank Building
Sakura

Jōetsu (上越市, Jōetsu-shi) is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 December 2020^[update], the city had an estimated population of 189,430, in 76,461 households^[1] with a population density of 190 persons per km². The total area of the city was 973.81 square kilometres (375.99 sq mi). Jōetsu borders the Sea of Japan and is renowned for its abundance of snow, the annual cherry-blossom festival, sake and Koshihikari rice.

Geography

Jōetsu is in southwest Niigata Prefecture, bordered by the

Mountains

Surrounded by the Japanese Alps, Jōetsu contains four noteworthy mountains:

• Kasugayama - formerly the location of
  daimyō, Uesugi Kenshin
• Kanayasan - birthplace of skiing in Japan
• Yoneyama - a sacred mountain on the border of Joetsu and neighboring Kashiwazaki City
• Hishigatake-yama - part of the Shin-etsu trail and one location of the annual "Candle Road" festival

Although part of neighboring city Myōkō, Mount Myōkō can also be vividly seen from Joetsu. Known for its heavy snowfall and ski resorts, Mt. Myōkō is listed as one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, and is considered the "Mount Fuji of Echigo".

Surrounding municipalities

Niigata Prefecture

• Kashiwazaki
• Tōkamachi
• Itoigawa
• Myōkō

Nagano Prefecture

• Iiyama
• Sakae

• 
  Kasugayama Castel ruins and Jōetsu-shi Maizō Bunkazai center
• 
  View of central Naoetsu area
• 
  View of Central Takada area

Climate

Jōetsu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa). The average annual temperature is 13.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2599 mm with January as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.2 °C.^[2]

Owing to its coastal location facing onshore winds off the Sea of Japan, Jōetsu is the wettest low-lying part of the northern hemisphere temperate zone apart from the

Per Japanese census data,[11] the population of Jōetsu has declined over the past 60 years.

Toponymy

The kanji for Jōetsu combines 上 "upward", 越 "to surpass" and 市 "city", which can be misleading as the city is located in the southwestern part of Niigata Prefecture, closer to Toyama and Nagano Prefectures, as opposed to more northern areas in Niigata. Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Echigo Province was divided into three sections. One portion was called Kami Echigo (上越後), which was translated as "Upper Echigo", due its geographical proximity to the capital city of Kyoto. After the establishment of prefectures throughout Japan, the region name was shortened to "Jōetsu" (上越). When referring to Jōetsu, it could refer to the actual geographical Jōetsu region, which encompasses the cities of Jōetsu, Myōkō and Itoigawa, or may simply refer to the city of Jōetsu .^[12]

History

The area of present-day Jōetsu has been inhabited for thousands of years, and the ruins of numerous

In 1614,

The towns of Takada and Naoetsu were created with the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. Takada was elevated to city status on September 1, 1911 and Naoetsu on June 1, 1954. Takada and Naoetsu merged to form the city of Jōetsu in 1971.

On January 1, 2005, Jōetsu annexed 13 neighbouring municipalities, expanding its area by four times. The municipalities that were annexed into consisted of the following: the town of Yasuzuka, the villages of Maki, Ōshima and Uragawara (all from Higashikubiki District); the towns of Itakura, Kakizaki, Ōgata and Yoshikawa, and the villages of Kiyosato, Kubiki, Nakagō and Sanwa (all from Nakakubiki District); and the town of and Nadachi (from Nishikubiki District).^[13][14] On April 1, 2007, Jōetsu attained Special city status, which gives it greater local autonomy from the prefectural government.

Skiing in Japan

The victory in the

The Naoetsu POW camp also housed over 300 Australian soldiers, 60 of which died from sickness and poor living conditions. In October 1995, fifty years following the end of the war, the Peace Memorial Park and Peace Statues were founded and built by Jōetsu to promote peace and friendship. The following year, the Japan-Australia Society of Jōetsu was established with the purpose of educating future generations and maintaining a lasting relationship with Australian citizens abroad and living throughout Joetsu.[17]

Government

Jōetsu has a

upper house of the National Diet of Japan, and Niigata 6th District in the lower house

.

Economy

Jōetsu is a regional commercial and industrial centre, with heavy industry concentrated around the port of former Naoetsu, and light manufacturing and commerce around the former Takada area. The Jōetsu Thermal Power Station is an LNG-fired thermal power station operated by JERA in the city.

Education

Colleges and universities

• Joetsu University of Education is a national university established on October 1, 1978, and specializes in pedagogical training for prospective roles in elementary and secondary education, as well as a focus on child growth and development. Although the university accepts international students, the admission rate hovers between 20 and 30%, making it a selective institution.^[18]
• Niigata College of Nursing
  • Niigata Junior College of Nursing

Primary and secondary education

Jōetsu has 50 public elementary schools and 22 public junior high schools operated by the city government, one public elementary school and one junior high school operated by the national government. The city has eight public high schools, Joetsu High School and Sekine Gakuen High School, operated by the Niigata Prefectural Board of Education and two private high schools. The prefecture also operates four special education schools.

Transportation

Railway

– Hokuriku Shinkansen

• Jōetsumyōkō

JR East - Shin'etsu Main Line

• Katamachi - Jōgehama - Kakizaki

Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line

• Hokuhoku-Ōshima - Mushigawa-Ōsugi - Uragawara - Ōike-Ikoi-no-mori - Saigata

Myōkō Haneuma Line

• Nihongi -< Arai - Kita-Arai > - Jōetsumyōkō - Minami-Takada - Takada - Kasugayama - Naoetsu

Nihonkai Hisui Line

• Nadachi - Arimagawa - Tanihama - Naoetsu

Highway

• Hokuriku Expressway
• Jōshin-etsu Expressway
• National Route 8
• National Route 18
• National Route 253
• National Route 350
• National Route 403
• National Route 404
• National Route 405
• National Route 460

Ferry

The port of Ogi, on

jetfoil

that runs 1-3 times a day from March 1 until November 15.

Local attractions

Places of Interest

• Takada Castle: Three-story turret located in Takada Park
• Kasugayama Castle: A castle ruin, main castle of Uesugi clan
• Samegao Castle : A castle ruin of Uesugi clan.
• Hida Sites, Yayoi period settlement ruins, National Historic Site
• Takahashi Magozaemon Shouten: oldest running candy store in Japan
• Joetsu Aquarium Umigatari
• Iwanohara Vineyard Co., Ltd.: one of the oldest wineries in Japan and birthplace of the grape Muscat Bailey A
• Gangi Dori: 16 km alleyway of wooden eaves built to shelter pedestrians during heavy snowfall
• Izumi Jomon Park: home to ruins from Japan's
  Jōmon Period^[19]

Cultural Events

• Takada Castle Million-Visitor Cherry Blossom Festival
• Joetsu Lotus Festival
• Joetsu Festival
• Kenshin Festival
• Echigo Kenshin Sake Festival
• Lerch Festival
• Candle Road[20]

Sister city relations

• - Lilienfeld, Austria
• -
  North Gyeongsang
  , South Korea
• - Hunchun, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin, China

Notable people from Jōetsu

• Kenkichi Yoshizawa, diplomat
• Maejima Hisoka, politician, businessman, founder of the Japanese Postal System
• Nana Haruta, manga artist
• Nobutaka Tsutsui, politician
• Ogawa Mimei
  , children's writer
• Kawakami Zenbei, winemaker, founder of Iwanohara Vineyard
• Uesugi Kenshin, daimyō

References

1. ^ http://www.city.joetsu.niigata.jp/soshiki/shiminka/jinko.html Jōetsu city official statistics] (in Japanese)
2. ^ Jōetsu climate data
3. ^ 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
4. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
5. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
6. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
7. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
8. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
9. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
10. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
11. ^ Jōetsu population statistics
12. ^ リンク集：上越地域 [Joetsu Region Information]. Niigata Prefecture. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
13. ^ "Takada jo sanju yagura (Takada Castle Three-story-Turret)". Jōetsu Kanko Navi. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
14. ^ "Sakaki Shrine". Jōetsu Kanko Navi. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
15. ^ "Japan Ski Origins Museum". Jōetsu Kanko Navi. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
16. ^ "Unbroken". laurahillenbrandbooks. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
17. ^ "Japan-Australia Society of Joetsu". Japan-Australia Society of Joetsu. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
18. ^ "Number of Officials and Staff". Joetsu University of Education. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
19. ^ "Sightseeing Spots". Jōetsu Kanko Navi. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
20. ^ "Calendar of Events". Jōetsu Kanko Navi. Retrieved July 30, 2018.

Further reading

• "Mount Yoneyama". Gaijin Pot. 10 August 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2018.

External links

• Media related to Jōetsu, Niigata at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Website (in Japanese)
• Jōetsu Tourism Promotion Division