Itoigawa

Itoigawa (糸魚川市, Itoigawa-shi) is a city located in rustic southern Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 48,653 and the density of 65.2 persons per km². The total area is 746.24 km².

The city was founded on June 1, 1954. On April 1, 2005 it merged with the neighouring towns of Nō and Ōmi.

Historically Itoigawa lies at the end of the famous shio no michi (salt road) that supplied salt to ancient Edo (Tokyo) via Nagano. In 2011 the city will be a main stop on the new Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train line, bringing Tokyo within approximately three hours travelling. Itoigawa is also famous for its jade which can be found on local beaches.

Itoigawa is also well known for its unique bugaku, a variety of traditional Japanese performance art. Itoigawa Bugaku can be seen at festivals taking place at Hakusan Shrine and Amatsu Shrine, and has been nationally designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Asset.

External links

• Itoigawa official website in Japanese
• My Mother is a Tractor - a book written by a former English teacher in the area