Itoigawa

Itoigawa (糸魚川市, Itoigawa-shi) is a city in southern Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1954.

As of January 1, 2013, the city has an estimated population of 47,102, with 17,672 households and a population density of 63.12 persons per km².^{[citation needed]} The total area is 746.24 km².^{[citation needed]}

On April 1, 2005, the towns of Nō and Ōmi (both from Nishikubiki District) were merged into Itoigawa.

The city will become a stop on the new Hokuriku Shinkansen line, expected to begin service in 2015.

Historically, Itoigawa lies at the end of the famous shio no michi (salt road) that supplied salt to ancient Edo (Tokyo) via Nagano. Itoigawa is also famous for its jade which can be found on local beaches.

The city is known for its distinctive black-colored yakisoba.^[1] Itoigawa is also 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.

The poet Ryokan (1758-1831) writes that Itoigawa is his former village.^[2]

References

^ Trautlein, Steve, "The chow-down tour of Kanto's local dishes", Japan Times, 24 August 2012, p. 15
^ One Robe, One Bowl; the Zen poetry of Ryokan. transl. John Stevens. 9th Ed. John Weatherhill, Inc., Tokyo. 1988.

External links

Itoigawa City official website Template:Ja icon
My Mother is a Tractor - a book written by a former English teacher in the area

[1] Trautlein, Steve, "The chow-down tour of Kanto's local dishes", Japan Times, 24 August 2012, p. 15

[2] One Robe, One Bowl; the Zen poetry of Ryokan. transl. John Stevens. 9th Ed. John Weatherhill, Inc., Tokyo. 1988.

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