Muramatsu, Niigata

Technopedia Center

Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science
S1 Informatics S1 Information Systems S1 Information Technology S1 Computer Engineering S1 Electrical Engineering S1 Civil Engineering

faculty of Economics and Business
S1 Management S1 Accountancy

Faculty of Letters and Educational Sciences
S1 English literature S1 English language education S1 Mathematics education S1 Sports Education

Muramatsu, Niigata - Wikipedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.
Find sources: "Muramatsu, Niigata" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2009)

Muramatsu 村松町
Former municipality
Flag Emblem

Country	Japan
Region	Hokuriku
Prefecture	Niigata Prefecture
District	Nakakanbara District
Merged	January 1, 2006 (now part of Gosen)
Area
• Total	253.07 km² (97.71 sq mi)
Population (2005)
• Total	19,817
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)

Muramatsu (村松町, Muramatsu-machi) was a town located in Nakakanbara District, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. On January 1, 2006, Muramatsu was merged into the expanded city of Gosen. Current mail addresses read "Gosen City, Muramatsu" (五泉市村松) to mark the merger.

The town existed for several centuries as a feudal domain and independent town. It was famous for its mountain (Mt. Hakusan, approximately 1000 meters tall), the Jikoji Zen Temple, the Sakurando Onsen Hot Spring, and its city park boasting several thousand cherry trees that bloom each year in April.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 20,066 and a density of 79.29 persons per km². The total area was 253.07 km².

History

The three-volume History of Muramatsu Town (村松町史) published in 1983 gives many details about its long history. One of only a few castle-towns in Niigata Prefecture, the Muramatsu Clan was ruled by the Hori Family throughout the Edo period. The feudal castle was burned down during the Boshin War in 1868. The site is now a public park housing a small museum archive as well as the town's elaborate festival wagon, which is brought out each September during the Autumn Equinox.

In September 1945, 1800 members of the 1st and 2nd battalion, 27th regiment of US Army soldiers were housed at the Signal Corps barracks on the eastern edge of town. They stayed until that December, leaving a very positive impression on the Japanese citizens and contradicting rumors and suspicions spread by wartime propaganda. An English-language memoir of this period was published electronically in 2000 by the University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies (Goto, 2000).

In May, 1946, a very large fire burned for more than eight hours, destroying 70% of the town (over 1000 homes), injuring fifty-nine and killing two. Much of the downtown district was destroyed and historical buildings lost (History v. II, pp. 802–806).

Education

Muramatsu had five elementary schools (Muramatsu, Muramatsu Higashi, Kawachi, Juuzen, and Okambara), two middle schools (Atago and Sanno), and a prefectural high school.

Transportation

Railway

In October 1923, the Kanbara Tetsudou (ja:蒲原鉄道) established a railway in Muramatsu, including a new station and service north to Gosen City. The line then expanded south to Kamo City. The railway company was dissolved in 1999 and all train service in town suspended. The original wooden railway station was purchased and moved off-site to Yasuda City, where it was rebuilt as a small museum.

Highway

Japan National Route 290

Dissolved municipalities of

Niigata Prefecture

Niigata

2001	Kurosaki
2005	Niitsu Shirone Toyosaka Kameda Kosudo Yokogoshi Ajikata Iwamuro Katahigashi Maki Nakanokuchi Nishikawa Tsukigata

Murakami

2008	Arakawa Asahi Kamihayashi Sanpoku

Tainai

2005	Kurokawa Nakajō

Shibata

2003	Toyoura
2005	Kajikawa Shiunji

Agano

2004	Kyōgase Sasakami Suibara Yasuda

Gosen

2005	Muramatsu

Aga

2005	Kamikawa Kanose Mikawa Tsugawa

Tsubame

2006	Bunsui Yoshida

Sanjō

2005	Sakae Shitada

Nagaoka

2005	Koshiji Mishima Nakanoshima Oguni Yamakoshi
2006	Tochio Teradomari Washima Yoita
2010	Kawaguchi

Kashiwazaki

2005	Nishiyama Takayanagi

Tōkamachi

2005	Kawanishi Matsudai Matsunoyama Nakasato

Uonuma

2004	Hirokami Horinouchi Irihirose Koide Sumon Yunotani

Minamiuonuma

2004	Muikamachi Yamato
2005	Shiozawa

Jōetsu

2005	Itakura Kakizaki Kiyosato Kubiki Maki Nadachi Nakagō Ōgata Ōshima Sanwa Uragawara Yasuzuka Yoshikawa

Myōkō (Arai)

2005	Myōkō Myōkōkōgen

Itoigawa

2005	Nō Ōmi

Sado

2004	Ryōtsu Aikawa Akadomari Hamochi Hatano Kanai Mano Niibo Ogi Sawata

List of mergers in Niigata Prefecture

References

Goto, Y. (2000). Those days in Muramatsu. University of Kansas, Center for East Asian Studies.
村松町教育委員会 (1983).村松史.村松町史編纂委員会編
Muramatsu Machi Kyouiku Inkai. (1983). History of Muramatsu town. Muramatsu Historical Committee, 1983.

This Niigata Prefecture location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Categories:

Hidden categories:

Authority control databases
International	VIAF WorldCat
National	Japan