Country Japan Phone number 0257-45-2244 Local time Friday 10:12 PM Prefecture Niigata Prefecture | District Kariwa Area 26.27 km² Population 4,742 (Jun 2016) | |
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Region Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) (Hokuriku) Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) Address 215-1 Warimachi-Shinden, Kariwa-mura, Kariwa-gun, Niigata-ken 945-0308 Weather 5°C, Wind W at 21 km/h, 72% Humidity | ||
Kariwa (刈羽村, Kariwa-mura) is a village located in Kariwa District, Niigata Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. As of 1 June 2016, the village had an estimated population of 4,742 and a population density of 181 persons per km². Its total area was 26.27 square kilometres (10.14 sq mi).
Contents
- Map of Kariwa Kariwa District Niigata Prefecture Japan
- Geography
- Surrounding municipalities
- History
- 2007 Chetsu offshore earthquake
- Economy
- Education
- Railway
- Highway
- Sister cities
- Local attractions
- Festivals
- References
Map of Kariwa, Kariwa District, Niigata Prefecture, Japan
Geography
Kariwa is located in central Niigata Prefecture, sandwiched between the cities of Nagaoka and Kashiwazaki, and consists of two discontinuous areas. Kariwa is located near the Sea of Japan but has no coastline. It takes over 3 hours to reach Tokyo by train (using local trains and Joetsu Shinkansen from Nagaoka) or by driving a car on the Kan-Etsu Expressway.
Surrounding municipalities
History
The area of present-day Kariwa was part of ancient Echigo Province. The village of Kariwa was established on November 1, 1901. On September 30, 1956 a part of the neighbouring village of Nakadori was absorbed into Kariwa. Likewise, on April 10, 1959 a part of neighbouring Futada village was absorbed into Kariwa
2007 Chūetsu offshore earthquake
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit off the coast of Kashiwazaki, killing 10 people, and injuring more than 1,200, causing massive power outages. Total over 340 houses were destroyed and thousands of people were forced to live at the shelters. The quake caused a fire at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in an electrical transformer, a leak of water from the spent fuel pool, and a host of other safety related events.]]
Economy
Together with Kashiwazaki city, Kariwa is the home of the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, once the largest nuclear generating station in the world by net electrical power rating. After the April 2011 earthquake, all restarted units were shut down and safety improvements are being carried out. As of August 2016 no units have been restarted.
Education
Kariwa has three public elementary schools and one public middle school. The village does not have a high school.