Yahiko, Niigata

Yahiko

弥彦村
Yahiko 弥彦村
Village
	Yahiko Shrine
	Flag Seal
	Location of Yahiko in Niigata Prefecture
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Kōshin'etsu) (Hokuriku)
Prefecture	NIigata
District	Nishikanbara
Area
• Total	25.17 km2 (9.72 sq mi)
Population (June 2016)
• Total	8,144
• Density	324/km2 (840/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Symbols
• Tree	Castanopsis
Phone number	0256-94-3131
Address	402 Yahagi, Yahiko-mura, Nishikambara-gun, Niigata-ken 959-0392
Website	www.vill.yahiko.niigata.jp/language/main_E.html

Yahiko (弥彦村, Yahiko-mura) is a village located in central Niigata Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. As of 1 June 2016^[update], the village had an estimated population of 8,144 and a population density of 324 persons per km². Its total area was 25.17 square kilometres (9.72 sq mi).

Geography

Yahiko is located in an coastal region of central Niigata Prefecture, but is not on the coast. Yahiko lies on the south side of Mt. Yahiko. This mountain and nearby Mt. Kakuda, stand alone on the Sea of Japan coast not far from Niigata City.

Surrounding municipalities

Niigata Prefecture
- Nagaoka
- Tsubame
- Niigata

History

The area of present-day Yahiko was part of ancient Echigo Province, and developed as a settlement around Yahiko-jinja, a Shinto shrine which was established in the 8th century. The modern village was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the municipalities system. The present shrine was rebuilt in 1916. The earlier shrine buildings were destroyed by a 1912 fire which started in the village.^[1] It is the only village left in its district after the two towns from the same district merged into the city of Tsubame on March 20, 2006.