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Nagaoka (長岡市, Nagaoka-shi) is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture, after the capital city of Niigata. As of 4 August 2021[update], the city had an estimated population of 264,611 in 109,283 households[1] and a population density of 300 inhabitants per square kilometre (780/sq mi). The total area of the city was 891.06 square kilometres (344.04 sq mi).[2]
Geography
Nagaoka in winter from the sky
Nagaoka is 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 three hours on the Kan-Etsu Expressway and is considered a strategic traffic point in the region. Nagaoka was an inland city until January 1, 2006, when the city merged with four municipalities; two were touching the Sea of Japan. The Shinano River flows through the city from south to north and industrial development is on both banks of the river. The Higashiyama mountain range lies to the east.
Nagaoka has a humid climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm, wet summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nagaoka is 13.3 °C (55.9 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,349.3 mm (92.49 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.2 °C (79.2 °F), and lowest in January, at around 1.6 °C (34.9 °F).[3]
Climate data for Nagaoka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
Per Japanese census data,[7] the population of Nagaoka peaked at around 1995 and has declined steadily since.
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1960
284,026
—
1970
279,395
−1.6%
1980
289,234
+3.5%
1990
290,923
+0.6%
2000
292,887
+0.7%
2010
282,674
−3.5%
2020
266,539
−5.7%
History
Ukiyo-e of the Battle of Hokuetsu (Boshin War) by Utagawa Kuniteru IIPicture of annual event of the Nagaoka castle – going into the castle for New Year greeting
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, Nagaoka Domain was a member of the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei against the imperial forces, and the city was reduced to rubble during the Battle of Hokuetsu. 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.[citation needed]
With the Meiji period creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the towns of Nagaoka and Nagaoka-honmachi were established. 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
Yellow: 10 former municipalities merged into Nagaoka in the 2000's.
April 1, 1906: The city of Nagaoka is established.
Nagaoka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 34 members. The city contributes six members to the Niigata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Niigata 5th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
Industry
The manufacturing industry prospered in Nagaoka following World War II, due in part to favorable location and good transportation infrastructure. Current industrial production includes precision instruments and machine tools.
Nippon Seiki, a manufacturer of automotive instruments, is headquartered in Nagaoka.
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 prefecture also operates three special education schools in the city.
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.
^住民基本台帳人口移動報告年報 (in Japanese). 総務庁統計局. 2005. p. 139. Nakanoshima-machi, Koshiji-machi, Mishima-machi, Yamakoshi-mura and Oguni-machi were incorporated into Nagaoka-shi as of April 1, 2005.
^"市町村合併に伴う町名変更一覧". Nagaoka City (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-02-04.
^住民基本台帳人口移動報告年報 (in Japanese). 総務庁統計局. 2006. p. 135. Tochio-shi, Washima-mura, Teradomari-machi and Yoita-machi were incorporated into Nagaoka-shi as of January 1, 2006.
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