Niigata (新潟市; -shi) is the capital city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It became a free port following the Meiji Restoration, and today is the largest city along the Sea of Japan coast.
As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 529,326 and the density of 2,282.46 persons per km². The total area is 231.91 km².
The city was founded on April 1, 1889.
The city suffered from several cases of Minamata disease in the 1960s.
The Big Swan stadium hosted three games during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
