Flag of Niigata
Officially Niigata Prefecture
Locally Niigata-ken · 新潟県
What the flag looks like
A gold emblem on a red field: the kanji 新 (nii) at the top of a ring formed by the katakana ガタ (gata).
What it means
The emblem spells Niigata, and the ring, like a necklace, stands for harmony, hope and smooth growth.
How to remember it
Niigata's
gold ring on red spells its own name: 新 (nii) sits on top of a loop of ガタ (gata).
Fun facts
- Niigata is famous for Koshihikari rice and for its sake.
- Sado Island, off the coast, had one of Japan's richest gold mines.
Niigata at a glance
- Type
- Prefecture (ken)
- Island
- Honshū
- Capital
- Niigata
- Region
- Chūbu
- Population
- 2.1 million
- Area
- 12,584 km²
- Languages
- Japanese
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥)
- Flag adopted
- 1963