Chūō-ku, Niigata

Chuo-ku, Niigata 新潟市中央区
Ward of Niigata
新潟市中央区
Sekiyahama Beach
Location of Chūō-ku in Niigata City
Chuo-ku, Niigata
Coordinates: 37°55′20.9″N 139°02′35.7″E / 37.922472°N 139.043250°E / 37.922472; 139.043250
Country	Japan
Region	Kōshin'etsu, Hokuriku (Chūbu)
Prefecture	Niigata
City	Niigata
Area
• Total	37.75 km² (14.58 sq mi)
Population (September 1, 2019)
• Total	183,231
• Density	4,900/km² (13,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Postal	951-8550
Address	Gakko-cho-dori 1-602-1, Chuo-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata-ken
Telephone Number	025-223-1000
Website	Official website

View of the Furumachi business district, along Masaya-koji. *Next21* is the spired-building in background.

Chūō-ku (中央区, Chūō-ku) is one of the eight wards of Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It comprises much of the city centre. As of 1 September 2018^[update], the ward had an estimated population of 183,231 in 87,162 households ^[1] and a population density of 4,900 persons per km². The total area of the ward was 37.75 square kilometres (14.58 sq mi).

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Geography

Chūō-ku is located in the approximate centre of Niigata City, bounded by the Sea of Japan to the north and the Nihonkai-Tōhoku Expressway to the south. The area comprises the old city as well as the Sonoki (曽野木), Nuttari (沼垂), Toyano (鳥屋野) and the Yamagata (山潟) districts.

Neighboring municipalities/wards

Niigata Prefecture

Neighborhoods

Central Business District

Chūō-ku is the heart of Niigata in terms of economic and political importance. The City Office is located here along with several central government and prefectural agencies. Japan's national broadcaster NHK has its prefectural TV station and radio station in Chūō-ku. There are several company head offices based in the district. It is also the site of old Niigata City which extends from Niigata Station downtown to Bandai Bridge and Furumachi.

Furumachi

Furumachi in Niigata city is located on left bank of Shinano River across Bandai Bridge. It lies on Niigata Island and faces the Sea of Japan. The area has been developed around Masaya-koji, which is a wide six-lane thoroughfare connecting Furumachi with Niigata Station. Furumachi has business districts as well as several historic parts. Narrow alleyways and streets crisscross beneath the modern office buildings. The historic Honcho market is also here. Much of the area contains modern buildings. This is because Furumachi was rebuilt after an earthquake devastated this part of eastern Niigata in 1964. This is in marked contrast with areas on the west side of the river which still retain traditional-looking streets containing older houses.

History

The area of present-day Chūō-ku was part of ancient Echigo Province, and developed as a port town for Nagaoka Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa Shogunate. Niigata was one of the ports opened to foreign trade by the 1858 Harris Treaty. Modern Niigata city was created with the establishment of the municipalities system on April 1, 1889. The Hokuetsu Railway commented Niigata to Tokyo in 1897, and the first Bandai Bridge across the Shinano River was completed in 1908, shortly before the city was destroyed by a fire. The city escaped serious damage in World War II; however, much of the city burned down in a fire in 1955 and again suffered from damage in the 1964 Niigata earthquake.

Niigata became a government-designated city on April 1, 2007, and was divided into wards, with the new Chūō Ward consisting of much of the central business portion of the city.

Education

Universities

Niigata University (Asahimachi Campus / Nishi-Ohata Campus)
Niigata Seiryo University
The Nippon Dental University (Niigata)

Secondary education

Chūō-ku has five public high schools operated by the Niigata Prefectural Board of Education, two public high schools operated by the Niigata City Board of Education, three private high schools and one private combined middle school/high school. The ward also has ten public middle schools operated by the city government.

Transportation

Railway

JR East - Jōetsu Shinkansen

Niigata

JR East - Shin'etsu Main Line

Niigata

JR East - Hakushin Line

Niigata

JR East - Echigo Line

Niigata - Hakusan - Sekiya

Transit bus

Niigata City Loop Bus^[2]^[3]
Transit bus operated by Niigata Kotsu^[4]
- BRT "Bandai-bashi Line" : Niigata Sta.—Bandai Bridge—Furumachi—City office—Hakusan Sta.—(Aoyama)
- C* : for Central Niigata^[5]
- S* : for South Niigata ^[6]
- W* : for West Niigata^[7]
- E* : for East Niigata^[8]
- "Sado-Kisen Line" : Niigata Sta.—Toki Messe—Sado Kisen Ferry Terminal

Highways

Ports

Sado Kisen Ferry Terminal

Water Shuttle

Shinanogawa Water Shuttle: MINATOPIA - Toki Messe - Bandai Bridge - Bandai City - Niigata Prefectural office - (FURUSATO VILLAGE)

Local attractions

West side of the Shinano River

Niigata City History Museum (Minatopia)
The Niigata Saitou Villa
Hakusan Park
Niigata-City Performing Arts Center (Ryutopia)
Niigata Prefectural Civic Center
Niigata city Aquarium (Marinepia Nihonkai)
Next21 skyscraper
Furumachi-dori Shopping Mall
Honcho-dori Shopping Mall
Ninjo-Yokocho Shopping Mall

Minatopia
Hakusan Park
Next21 in Furumachi

East side of the Shinano River

Niigata Station
Sake Museum Ponshu-kan
Bandai City shopping district
LoveLa Shopping Mall
LoveLa2 Shopping Mall
Niigata Manga & Animation Museum
NGT48 Idol unit
Niigata Nippo Media Ship
Toki Messe

Rainbow Tower, the symbol of Bandai City
Media Ship
Toki Messe (Niigata Convention center)

South side of the Toyanogata Lagoon

Big Swan Stadium and Toyanogata Lagoon

Events

Niigata Festival (every August)
Niigata Comic Market
Niigata Manga Competition

References

^ Niigata City official statistics(in Japanese)
^ "Niigata City Loop Bus Map (2017.4- )" (PDF). Niigata City. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^ "Niigata City Loop Bus Timetables (2017.4- )" (PDF). Niigata City. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^ 運行便別時刻表 [Bus Lines and Timetables (2017.3- )] (in Japanese). Niigata Kotsu. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^ 路線図（中心部） [Bus Map for East Niigata (2017.3- )] (PDF) (in Japanese). Niigata Kotsu. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^ 路線図（南方面） [Bus Map for East Niigata (2017.3- )] (PDF) (in Japanese). Niigata Kotsu. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^ 路線図（西方面） [Bus Map for East Niigata (2017.3- )] (PDF) (in Japanese). Niigata Kotsu. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
^ 路線図（東方面） [Bus Map for East Niigata (2017.3- )] (PDF) (in Japanese). Niigata Kotsu. Retrieved 22 April 2017.