Namerikawa, Toyama
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Toyama
, Japan
.
As of 2003, the city has an estimated population
of 33,772 and the density
of 618.42 persons per km², The total area is 54.61 km². The city was founded on March 1, 1954. Once a rural town in the Hayatsuki Delta overlooking Toyama bay, then prospering as an inn town on the Old Hokuriku Roadway, in recent years Namerikawa has become home to large enterprise and continues to develop as an industrial city.
to the north, Hayatsuki River to the east, the city of Toyama
to the west, and the lower reaches of the Kamiichi River to the south and southwest. The two rivers, Hayatsuki and Kamiichi, separate Namerikawa from the city of Uozu
and the town of Kamiichi
respectively.
Another mainstay of Namerikawa pride is deep seawater
(深層水), which is collected at a depth of up to 300 meters from Toyama Bay. The water's special properties and mineral content make it popular as a health product. Namerikawa has a deep seawater spa, which differs from other Japanese hot springs
and bath houses
in that it uses salt water piped in directly from the sea.
. Namerikawa (and all of Toyama prefecture) lacks a Bullet Train
line, so long distance travel usually involves first going to Kanazawa
to the south-west or Niigata
to the north by way of train or the Hokuriku Expressway
. Namerikawa is served by two train lines, the Dentetsu (three stations) and the JR
line. JR Namerikawa Station
is located near the town's highest concentration of commercial establishments.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Toyama
Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
As of 2003, the city has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 33,772 and the density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 618.42 persons per km², The total area is 54.61 km². The city was founded on March 1, 1954. Once a rural town in the Hayatsuki Delta overlooking Toyama bay, then prospering as an inn town on the Old Hokuriku Roadway, in recent years Namerikawa has become home to large enterprise and continues to develop as an industrial city.
Geography
Namerikawa is situated in the Northeast part of Toyama prefecture. It is bounded by Toyama BayToyama Bay
is a bay located on the northern shores of Honshu, Japan. The bay borders Toyama and Ishikawa prefectures. The bay is known for the mirages on the horizon during the winter months. It is also one of Japan's three largest bays.-Border communities:...
to the north, Hayatsuki River to the east, the city of Toyama
Toyama, Toyama
is the capital city of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the Chūbu region on central Honshū, about 200 km north of the city of Nagoya and 300 km northwest of Tokyo....
to the west, and the lower reaches of the Kamiichi River to the south and southwest. The two rivers, Hayatsuki and Kamiichi, separate Namerikawa from the city of Uozu
Uozu, Toyama
is a city located in the eastern part of Toyama, Japan between Namerikawa and Kurobe, stretching from Toyama Bay and the Japan Sea in the northwest to tall mountain ranges in the southeast. The highest mountains in Uozu are Sougadake and Kekachiyama, and the highest elevation in Uozu is 2,414 m...
and the town of Kamiichi
Kamiichi, Toyama
is a town located in Nakaniikawa District, Toyama, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 23,026 and a density of 97.25 persons per km². The total area is 236.77 km².-External links:*...
respectively.
Tourism
The coast of Namerikawa is the habitat of the world famous glowing , which surface yearly in a phenomenon that has been designated a special natural monument. To promote firefly-squid-themed eco-tourism and education, the world's only firefly squid museum opened in March 1998.Another mainstay of Namerikawa pride is deep seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
(深層水), which is collected at a depth of up to 300 meters from Toyama Bay. The water's special properties and mineral content make it popular as a health product. Namerikawa has a deep seawater spa, which differs from other Japanese hot springs
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
and bath houses
Sento
is a type of Japanese communal bath house where customers pay for entrance. Traditionally these bath houses have been quite utilitarian, with one large room separating the sexes by a tall barrier, and on both sides, usually a minimum of lined up faucets and a single large bath for the already...
in that it uses salt water piped in directly from the sea.
Transportation
Namerikawa is located 1 hour by air (via Toyama Airport), 3 hours by rail and 5 hours by car from TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Namerikawa (and all of Toyama prefecture) lacks a Bullet Train
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
line, so long distance travel usually involves first going to Kanazawa
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...
to the south-west or Niigata
Niigata, Niigata
is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....
to the north by way of train or the Hokuriku Expressway
Hokuriku Expressway
The ,The ,The ,(abbreviated as , is a 4-laned national expressway in Japan. It is owned and managed by East Nippon Expressway Company and Central Nippon Expressway Company.-Overview:...
. Namerikawa is served by two train lines, the Dentetsu (three stations) and the JR
Japan Railways
The Japan Railways Group, more commonly known as , consists of seven for-profit companies that took over most of the assets and operations of the government-owned Japanese National Railways on April 1, 1987...
line. JR Namerikawa Station
Namerikawa Station
is a train station in Namerikawa, Toyama Prefecture, Japan.-Lines:*West Japan Railway Company**Hokuriku Main Line*Toyama Chihō Railway**Main Line-Adjacent stations:...
is located near the town's highest concentration of commercial establishments.
Economy
Namerikawa is well known in the region as the home of Plant 3, a large supercenter type store that might remind American visitors of a Walmart - certainly rare for Japan. Plant 3 is one of five Plant stores in the Toyama/Niigata region, so numbered in ascending order according to size. People have been known to travel from over an hour a way to visit Plant 3 and shop. The store is, to some, better known than the town itself.Sister cities
Namerikawa has several sister cities:- KomoroKomoro, Naganois a city located in Nagano, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 44,270. The total area is 98.66 km².-Municipal Timeline:*February 1, 1954-Komoro absorbed the villages of Kawanabe, Kitaoi, and Osato from Kitasaku District....
, NaganoNagano Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
(1974) - Toyokoro, Hokkaidō (1984)
- Nasushiobara, TochigiTochigi Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
(1996) - Schaumburg, IllinoisSchaumburg, IllinoisSchaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
, USA (1997)