Itoigawa

Itoigawa sits on the Sea of Japan in Niigata Prefecture, where the Hime River reaches the coast beside the tectonic Fossa Magna zone. This is one of Japan’s key geological landscapes: the Itoigawa–Shizuoka Tectonic Line, a major fault marking the western edge of the Fossa Magna, runs through the city. Itoigawa is also closely associated with jade, a stone used in Japanese ornaments since prehistoric times and still found along parts of the local coast and rivers. The Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark connects these geological stories with the region’s settlements, shore and mountain terrain. Explore further webcams throughout Niigata Prefecture to set Itoigawa within its broader Sea of Japan geography.

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