Niigata, Japan, the cultural capital of East Asia

Niigata is located in central Japan, on the coast of the Sea of ??Japan. It is located in the alluvial plain formed by the two longest rivers in Japan, the Shinano River and the Agano River. It is rich in natural resources and has developed transportation. With its Shinkansen high-speed railway, international airport and international trade port, it is the central city and transportation hub along the Sea of ??Japan coast in Japan.

In 2005, Niigata City merged with 13 neighboring municipalities, covering an area of ??730 square kilometers and a population of 810,000. In April 2007, Niigata City was officially upgraded to a "Designated City" with county (provincial) authority (equivalent to China's "Independently Planned City").

Niigata City is the largest city on the Sea of ??Japan side of the Hokuriku region and Honshu Island, and its port was very prosperous in the past. In the Japan-U.S. Amended Trade Treaty signed at the end of the shogunate period, Niigata was one of the five open ports. It is also an important transfer station for land and water transportation.

Niigata City is known as the "Water City" and "Liu City". Although not commonly used on weekdays, it can often be seen in tourism promotions.

Niigata City has a large number of cartoonists who occupy a high position in the Japanese cartoon industry.