Shibata, Niigata

Shibata 新発田市
City
Ruins of Shibata Castle
Flag Seal
Location of Shibata in Niigata Prefecture
Shibata
Coordinates: 37°57′3.1″N 139°19′40.3″E / 37.950861°N 139.327861°ECoordinates: 37°57′3.1″N 139°19′40.3″E / 37.950861°N 139.327861°E
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) (Hokuriku)
Prefecture	NIigata
Area
• Total	533.10 km^2 (205.83 sq mi)
Population (June 2016)
• Total	98,025
• Density	184/km^2 (480/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Symbols
• Tree	Sakura
• Flower	Iris
Phone number	0254-22-3101
Address	4-10-4 Chūōchō, Shibata-shi, Niigata-ken 957-8686
Website	www.city.shibata.niigata.jp

Shibata City Hall

Shibata (新発田市 Shibata-shi) is a city located in northern Niigata Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. As of 1 June 2016, the city had an estimated population of 98,025 and a population density of 184 persons per km². Its total area was 533.10 square kilometres (205.83 sq mi).

Geography

Shibata is located in a mostly inland region of north-central Niigata Prefecture, with a small shoreline of the Sea of Japan. The area is noted for extremely heavy snowfall in winter.

Surrounding municipalities

• Niigata Prefecture
  • Niigata
  • Agano
  • Tainai
  • Aga
  • Seiro
• Fukushima Prefecture
  • Kitakata
• Yamagata Prefecture
  • Oguni

History

The area of present-day Shibata was part of ancient Echigo Province. The area developed as a castle town for Shibata Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period. The modern town of Shibata was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system. It was elevated to city status on January 1, 1947. On July 7, 2003 the town of Toyoura (from Kitakanbara District) was merged into Shibata. Likewise, on May 1, 2005 the town of Shiunji, and the village of Kajikawa (both from Kitakanbara District) were merged into Shibata.

Economy

The economy of Shibata is dominated by the agricultural sector, with rice as the primary crop.

Education

Shibata has 22 public elementary schools and 10 public middle schools. There are seven public high school, and also one special education school. Keiwa College is also located in Shibata.

Transportation

Railway

• JR East
  • Uetsu Main Line: (Kamiyama) - Tsukioka - Nakaura - Shibata - Kaji - Kanazuka - (Nakajō)
  • Hakushin Line: (Kuroyama) - Sasaki - Nishi-Shibata - Shibata

Highway

• Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway
• Japan National Route 7
• Japan National Route 113
• Japan National Route 290
• Japan National Route 460

Sister city relations

• - Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea^[1] (friendship city)
• - St. James, Missouri, US^[1]
• - Orange City, Iowa, US^[1]

Local attractions

The ruins of Shibata Castle (新発田城 Shibata-jō) are the main visitor attraction and provide the backdrop to the spring cherry blossom viewing parties. Also of note is the Shimizuen (清水園) garden and Ijimino park (五十公野公園 Ijimino kōen).

Tsukioka Onsen (月岡温泉) is one of the most famous hot springs in Niigata Prefecture.

• 
  Shimizuen garden
• 
  Tsukioka Onsen

References

1. Prefecture "International Exchange" Check |url= value (help). List of Affiliation Partners within Prefectures. Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR). Retrieved 1 July 2016.

External links

• Shibata travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Shibata City official website (Japanese)
• Niigata Prefecture Official Travel Guide (multilingual)