Nagaoka, Niigata

Geography

Nagaoka is located in the center of Niigata prefecture and the surrounding Chūetsu region of Japan, between longitude 138°E and latitude 37°N. It is 80 minutes from Tokyo by way of the Joetsu Shinkansen or 3 hours on the Kan-Etsu Expressway. Nagaoka was an inland city until January 1, 2006, when the city merged with four municipalities-two were touching the Sea of Japan. The current Nagaoka now touches the Sea of Japan on the north and after the merger, it is still considered a strategic traffic point in the region. The Shinano River flows through it from south to north and industrial development occurs on both banks of the river. The Higashiyama mountain range lies to the east.

Surrounding municipalities

From the north, following Nagaoka's border counterclockwise:

However, Sado Island is connected by sea and air routes.

Climate

Nagaoka receives a high amount of precipitation throughout the year, with snowfall in winter, lasting usually from early December until late March or April.

History

The area of present-day Nagaoka was part of ancient Echigo Province. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, a castle town was constructed by Hori Naoyori lord of Nagaoka Domain in 1616. However, as the initial castle was located in an area prone to flooding by the Shinano River, a new castle was built at the site of present-day Nagaoka Station in 1617. Nagaoka flourished as under the reign of the 13 generations of the Makino clan during the Edo period. In the Boshin War of 1868 during the Meiji Restoration, the city was reduced to rubble. A gift of one hundred sacks of rice from a neighboring province was sold to finance a new school during the reconstruction of Nagaoka, from which the anecdote of Kome Hyappyo was born.

The towns of Nagaoka and Nagaoka-honmachi were established with the creation of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The two towns were merged on November 1, 1901 with the towns of Senju, Kusouzu, Ara, and village of Ouchi to form the modern town of Nagaoka, which was then raised to city status on April 1, 1906.

Municipal timeline

Industry

The manufacturing industry prospered in Nagaoka following the war, due in part to favorable location and good transportation infrastructure. Current industrial production includes precision instruments and the machine tools.

Universities and colleges

Primary and secondary education

The city of Nagaoka operates 61 public elementary schools and 27 public middle schools. There is also one public middle school operated by the national government. Nagaoka also has nine public high schools operated by the Niigata Prefectural Board of Education and three private high schools. The city also has three special education schools.

Railway

Bus

Local bus service in Nagaoka is managed by Echigo Kotsu. The bus terminal located at the east entrance of Nagaoka Station serves as the hub for the route network. Service extends to all parts of the city as well as many outlying suburban areas and villages.

A bus service connecting Nagaoka Station to Niigata, Niigata Station runs at intervals of approximately 30 minutes. Additionally, long-distance bus services are available to all major cities in the prefecture as well as Tokyo.

Expressway

Nagaoka JCT is a strategic interchange which connects two expressways, Hokuriku Expressway and Kan-Etsu Expressway.

Ōzumi PA - Nagaoka JCT - Nagaoka-kita Bus stop - Naganoshima-Mitsuke IC

Echigo-Kawaguchi IC/SA - Ojiya IC - Koshiji-Nagaokaminami IC - Nagaoka IC - Nagaoka JCT

Japan National Route

Sister cities

Nagaoka is twinned with the following four cities.

It also has a "Friendship city" relationship with the following city.

Places of interest

Festivals

Notable people from Nagaoka