Jōetsu 上越
—  Special city  —
上越市
Flag
Location of Jōetsu in Niigata
Jōetsu
Coordinates: 37°9′N 138°14′E / 37.15°N 138.233°E / 37.15; 138.233Coordinates: 37°9′N 138°14′E / 37.15°N 138.233°E / 37.15; 138.233
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu (Hokuriku, Kōshin'etsu)
Prefecture	Niigata
Government
- Mayor	Masayuki Konoura
Area
- Total	973.32 km2 (375.8 sq mi)
Population (June 1, 2011)
- Total	205,521
- Density	211.15/km2 (546.9/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Sakura
- Flower	Camellia
Phone number	025-526-5111
Address	1-1-3 Kida, Jōetsu-shi, Niigata-ken 943-8601
Website	City of Jōetsu

Jōetsu (上越市, Jōetsu-shi^?) is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 205,521, with 72,982 households and a population density of 211.15 persons per km². The total area is 973.32 km².

The city was founded on April 29, 1971, when the cities of Takada and Naoetsu were consolidated. The city was part of the now-defunct Nakakubiki District until 31 December 2004.

On January 1, 2005, Jōetsu absorbed the town of Yasuzuka, the villages of Maki, Ōshima and Uragawara (all from Higashikubiki District); the towns of Itakura, Kakizaki, Ōgata and Yoshikawa, the villages of Kiyosato, Kubiki, Nakagou and Sanwa (all from Nakakubiki District); and the town of Nadachi (from Nishikubiki District). Now Jōetsu extended into the now-defunct Higashikubiki and Nishikubiki Districts.

Climate

Jōetsu has the record of the largest daily snowfall in Japan (3.77 m on February 26, 1945). Owing to its location at the foot of Mount Hotaka facing onshore winds from the Sea of Japan, Jōetsu is indeed one of the wettest low-lying places in the northern hemisphere temperate zone, receiving an average of 2,880 millimetres (113 in) of precipitation per year. For comparison:

1. on the windward side of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State Forks receives 110 inches (2,794 mm) and Sappho 93 inches (2,362 mm)
2. in the wettest parts of Albania and coastal northern Spain, Gjirokastër receives around 2,300 millimetres (91 in) and Porto do Baiqueiro 2,080 millimetres (82 in).
3. in the wettest parts of the Black Sea coast of Turkey and Georgia Hopa receives around 2,320 millimetres (91 in)

History

It was the ancient capital of Echigo Province. Around the Sengoku period, Kasugayama Castle was a significant base for daimyo such as Uesugi Kenshin.

Maejima Hisoka, a Meiji era politician who is regarded^[who?] as the father of the Japanese postal system, was born here. Theodor von Lerch, an Austrian major who visited the army base in Joetsu after the Russo-Japanese War, introduced skiing to Japan.

Transportation

Railways

Two Japan Railways Group passenger railway companies, JR West and JR East, run the Hokuriku Main Line and the Shinetsu Main Line in the city. Hokuetsu Express connects the city to Tokyo metropolitan area. Hokuriku Shinkansen is under construction. Despite its name, the Jōetsu Shinkansen does not serve the city at all, as the line name has no direct relation to the city name.

Expressway

Hokuriku Expressway goes through the city. Joshinetsu Expressway branches off at the Joetsu Junction.

Famous people from Jōetsu

• Kenkichi Yoshizawa, diplomat
• Maejima Hisoka, statesman, politician, and businessman
• Nana Haruta, manga artist
• Nobutaka Tsutsui, politician
• Ogawa Mimei, children's writer
• Uesugi Kenshin, daimyo

Niigata Prefecture Niigata (capital city) Wards: Kita-ku | Higashi-ku | Chūō-ku | Kōnan-ku | Akiha-ku | Minami-ku | Nishi-ku | Nishikan-ku Cities Agano | Gosen | Itoigawa | Jōetsu | Kamo | Kashiwazaki | Minamiuonuma | Mitsuke | Murakami | Myōkō | Nagaoka | Niigata (capital) | Ojiya | Sado | Sanjō | Shibata | Tainai | Tōkamachi | Tsubame | Uonuma Districts Higashikanbara | Iwafune | Kariwa | Kitakanbara |Minamikanbara | Minamiuonuma | Nakauonuma | Nishikanbara | Santō See also: Towns and villages by district