10. Sports

          Various sports are enjoyed in Niigata prefecture. Of course snow sports are very popular, but other sports are also popular.

Edora Theodor von Lerch

In winter, many people enjoy snow sports, such as skiing and snowboard, in Niigata prefecture. People of other prefecture also visits snow resorts of Niigata prefecture to enjoy snow sports, so snow resorts are very crowded in holiday. Niigata Prefecture is the birthplace of skiing. In 1911, Edora Theodor von Lerch, who was an Austrian Army Major, taught the techniques of skiing to people of the army of Japan in Joetsu city of Niigata prefecture. It is said that this is skiing originated in Japan. The technique of skiing at that time was a technique that uses one ski pole. The technique that uses one ski pole was replaced by a technique that uses two ski poles because players who were using two ski poles won an overwhelming victory to players who were using one ski pole in First All Japan Ski Championships in 1923. Not only ski pole but also ski has changed. Technology of skiing has changed significantly with the appearing of the ski called the carving ski. It is short and has a steep side curve compared to conventional skis. It is easy to turn, and there is no need to shift the skis at the time of the turn as conventional skis. Thank to this, turn speed is significantly faster. Snowboarding is also popular among, especially, young people. Recently most of the young people have been snowboarding, but I want young people to know fun of skiing.

carving ski (left) and conventional ski (right)



Members of Albirex Niigata



There is a football team named Albirex Niigata in Niigata prefecture, and the team has been active in J. League Division 1 of Japan. The predecessor of Albirex Niigata was a soccer team named Niigata eleven soccer club born in 1955. In 1996, it was renamed to Albirex Niigata. It was promoted to the Japan Football League in 1998 and entered J. League Division 2 in 1999. In 2003, it won the J. League Division 2 and was promoted to the J. League Division 1. There is also a team of other sports in Albirex, such as basketball team, baseball team, and so on. Many people are supporting these teams.

In this way, various sports as well as snow sports are popular in Niigata prefecture. I want many people to visit Niigata prefecture and enjoy snow sports in winter.

 

I used the following website.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AD%E3%83%BC
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AB%E3%83%93%E3%83%AC%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9

 

9. Famous People



Ken Watanabe

       Ken Watanabe is Japanese actor, and he was born in Uonuma city of Niigata prefecture in 1959. He has appeared in movies and dramas in Japan and overseas. He wanted to become musician until he graduated his high school, but he had to give up the dream for some reasons. When he watched the performance of the theater company, he was impressed, and he became a research student of the theater company in 1978. Then he was promoted to company members in 1982. He appeared on television for the first time in that year, and he made his debut as a movie actor in the two years after. Then he appeared in various movies and dramas and became a popular actor. But he developed acute myeloid leukemia in 1989. He continued the treatment, and he was completely returned in 1995. He appeared in the American movie titled "The Last Samurai" in 2003. He was nominated for the 61st Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor Award and the 76th Annual Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Award for the year. Moreover he appeared in many foreign movies such as "Batman Begins", "SAYURI" and "Inception". He is a very famous actor in Japan and overseas.

     

Kentaro Minagawa

       Kentaro Minagawa is an alpine skier, and he also was born in Yuzawa city of Niigata prefecture in 1977. There are a lot of ski resorts in Yuzawa city. He is a petite player in the alpine skiing players. The size of the body is directly linked to time in the slalom competition. But he is challenging the world with his original techniques that was born from his own idea. He took part in the Nagano Olympics as a Japanese representative. He won the sixth in the World Cup of slalom in 2000 and joined the ranks of the top players in the world. Although alpine skiers used skis about 200 cm up to that time, a short thick ski called short carving skis was developed at that time. It had some advantage but also had some disadvantage; so many skiers selected the long skis. But Minagawa selected the short carving skis. He proved its combat power and was featured in a variety of media as "revolutionary of ski" that changed the history of the slalom. Then he took part in Salt Lake City Olympics, Turin Olympics and Vancouver Olympics as a Japanese representative. He married Aiko Uemura, who is an alpine skier, in 2009.

 

Aiko Uemura

 

I used the following website.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B8%A1%E8%BE%BA%E8%AC%99
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9A%86%E5%B7%9D%E8%B3%A2%E5%A4%AA%E9%83%8E

Amiri Baraka

     Amiri Baraka died in January 9, 2014. Amiri Baraka is United States writer of poems and plays about racial conflict. He is famous as black radical thinkers and activist in United States. He was born in United States of America, Newark, NJ in 1934, and his maiden name was Leroy Jones. He became interested in poetry and Jazz in high school. In 1961, he published his first major collection of poetry, Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note. And he wrote a play named The Dutchman, which addressed racial tensions and American blacks’ repressed hostility toward whites.

The assassination of Malcolm X was a turning point in his life. Malcolm X is a civil rights activist. Afterward, he changed his name to Amiri Baraka. He became a black nationalist, moved to Harlem and founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre. After a few months, he moved back to Newark and became a leader of the city’s African-American community. In 1984 he became a full professor at Rutgers University.  In 1989 Baraka won an American Book Award for his works as well as a Langston Hughes Award.

Amiri Baraka died on January 9, 2014, at Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. He was 79 years old.

8. Culture

        There are a variety of cultures in Niigata prefecture. One of the cultures is a traditional craft, for example, hemp fabrics, chest of drawers made of paulownia, cutlery and Buddhist altar. 

Echigo upper fabric

 

Echigo upper fabric is a typical hemp fabric of Niigata prefecture. It is designated as an important intangible cultural asset of Japan and registered in the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. There is a characteristic steps called Yukizarashi in the process of Echigo upper fabric. Cloth which is woven is spread on top of the white snow in a sunny day. By doing this, dirt which stuck in the middle of production and the original color of the raw material is removed, and the cloth becomes pure white, and pattern of the cloth will be vivid. This principle is that ozone with a bleaching action occurs when snow is melted by the heat of sun and the cloth is bleached by the ozone. Moreover, it is possible to remove the dirt which stuck when using the Echigo upper fabric that was completed by Yukizarashi. So the cloths that became a product and extended to the hand of man sometimes come back again in order to be cleaned. A hemp fabric called Ojiyachijimi is also famous and designated as an important intangible cultural asset of Japan and registered in the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.

Yukizarashi

Kamo city of Niigata prefecture is famous for chest of drawers made of paulownia. The production of the chest of drawers made of paulownia in Kamo city accounts for 70% of the national production. Paulownia has several good points as a material for chest. Expansion and contraction due to drying and moisture of the leaf of paulownia is small. So it is possible to make a chest no gap and protect clothing from moisture. And thermal conductivity of the plate of paulownia is the smallest in the wood. Thanks to this, it can be protected clothes from heat when fire occurs. Moreover, plate of paulownia contains a large amount of tannin, Pauronin and sesamin, and these　substances protect from insect damage to clothes. Growth of paulownia tree is early compared to other trees, and the chest which was produced is used for many years. So the chest of drawers made of paulownia is also good for the global environment.

Chest of drawers made of paulownia

In this way, there are various traditional craft in Niigata prefecture, but there are a lot of good things in addition to the traditional craft.

I used the following website.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B6%8A%E5%BE%8C%E4%B8%8A%E5%B8%83
http://www.chuokai-niigata.or.jp/kiritansu/ja/index.html

7. History

      
Some famous people were present in the history of Niigata. One of Famous person is Uesugi Kenshin. Uesugi Kenshin is the Daimyou of Echigo in Sengoku era. Daimyou is like king, and Echigo is the name of the old days of Niigata prefecture. Sengoku era lasted until the end of the 16th century from the end of the fifteenth century. He was born in Echigo in 1513, and his first name was Nagao Kagetora. He was put out to live-in service to temple when he was child, and he trained for seven years in the temple, but he became head of the Nagao family on behalf of his older brother because his older brother could not rule over infighting. He put down one after another rebellion in the country, and his name began to spread to countries around. In 1553, fight against Takeda Shingen began. This fight is called fight of Kawanakajima, and it lasted until 1561. Many countries stopped exporting the salt to Takeda Shingen, but Uesugi Kenshin does not stop exporting the salt. He thought that people in country of Takeda Shingen will suffer if they cannot get the salt. There is a saying that sending a salt to the enemy in Japan. This word was born from this incident.



Uesugi Kenshin

Pollution-related disease called Niigata Minamata disease occurs in 1965. Niigata Minamata disease is one of the four major pollution diseases in Japan. Minamata disease is a disease that causes central nervous system symptoms of poisoning by methyl mercury. People contract Minamata disease death in the worst case. When a factory in Niigata prefecture was making acetaldehyde, methyl mercury was generated and shed as effluent into the river without being processed. Fish and shellfish living in the river absorbed the methyl mercury, and people living near the river ate the fish and shellfish had ingested methyl mercury. Many people were suffering from Minamata disease, and some people are suffering still now.

Three big earthquakes happened in Niigata during these 100 years. These are named Niigata earthquake, Niigata Chuetsu earthquake and Niigata Chuetsuoki earthquake. Especially, Niigata Chuetsu earthquake brought great damage. Niigata Chuetsu earthquake was seismic intensity 7, and earthquake with a seismic intensity of 7 is only Kobe earthquake and this earthquake. Niigata Chuetsuoki earthquake　occurred in only three years after the Niigata Chuetsuoki earthquake occur. Damage by Niigata Chuetsuoki earthquake was less than that of Niigata Chuetsuoki earthquake because people had to prepare for earthquake firmly.

Road collapsed by earthquake

I used the following website.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8A%E6%9D%89%E8%AC%99%E4%BF%A1
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%AC%AC%E4%BA%8C%E6%B0%B4%E4%BF%A3%E7%97%85

Nelson Mandela: Braking News

    In 5^th December 2013, Nelson Mandela died at home in Johannesburg. He is a symbol of the Black People's Liberation Movement in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela

    In 1918, He was born in South Africa, and his father was a head of the town. He graduated a law faculty of the University of the Witwatersrand. He became a member of African National Congress in 1944, and worked on Anti-apartheid movement. Then he became a vice-chair parson of African National Congress. In 1961, he made a military organization named Umkhonto we Sizwe, and became a commander of this military organization. Umkhonto we Sizwe mean spear of people. But he was arrested because of activity of his military organization in 1962. He was sentenced to life imprisonment because he was deemed to have committed treason. He was put in prison in Robben Island, and prison in Robben Island was very severe prison. The most vicious criminals were put in this prison, so environment of this prison was very bad. Prisoners were forced to harsh hard labor, and they were not given decent meal. He had been put in this prison for 18 years. In 1982, he was moved to a new prison of Cape Town suburbs from a prison of Robben Island. At this time, volunteer of British mercenaries made strategy to rescue Nelson Mandela, but they gave up this plan because information of this plan is leaked out to South Africa. He had put in new prison for eight years. Although guards of white people were his enemy, he was trying to become friends with them.

    In 1989, he talked together Frederik de Klerk, who was president of South Africa at this time, and he was released from prison next year. After he was released, he became a vice-chair parson of African National Congress. And he became the chair parson of African National Congress. Then he abolish the law which was the basis of apartheid, and he and Frederik de Klerk won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He became the president of South Africa next year, and he was the first president of black people. He got large power, but he did not take revenge on white people. He tried to improve the Republic of South Africa.

He retired from the world of politics in 1999. He did not continue to have the power. In 5th December 2013, Nelson Mandela died at home in Johannesburg. He was 95 years old.

I used the following website.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8D%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BD%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%E3%83%A9
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/favre21/20100611

6. Places

        There are not many tourist spot in Niigata prefecture, but there are good tourist spot there.

Many people who like skiing and snowboarding visit Niigata prefecture in winter because there are many ski resorts in Niigata prefecture. There are various ski resorts, for example, Naeba ski resort and Maiko ski resort have more than 20 courses. Hakkaisan ski resort has a lot of steep gradients, so Hakkaisan ski resort is mainly for experienced person. Joetsu Kokusai ski resort has a lot of courses, and some courses lead to the opposite side of the mountain. In this way, there are various types of ski resort, so you can find the ski resorts what you like it. Moreover, there are a lot of hotels and Japanese-style hotels near ski resorts. If people visit Niigata prefecture from distant place and ski or snowboarding, they can stay the hotel near the ski resort. Everyone can lend all ski equipment and snowboard at ski resorts, so people visit ski resort from distant place need not prepare ski equipment or snowboard. Of course, using your own ski equipment and snowboard is good.

Hakkaisan ski resort (Winter)

Season people can enjoy at ski resorts is not the only winter. Some ski resorts run ski lifts and ropeway in season except winter, so people can hike with ski lifts and ropeway. You can see the scenery that cannot be seen in winter.

Hakkaisan ski resort (Summer)

Sado Island is also good tourist spot. Transportation to Sado Island are car ferry and jetfoil. I recommend that you go to the island by car ferry. Although jetfoil is very fast, people in jetfoil almost cannot see the scenery of sea. There is Sado gold mine in Sado Island, and it had produced gold and silver from 1601 to 1989. The gold mine produced the most gold and silver in the early Edo period, and it was the largest in the world at that time. Everyone can enter in the gold mine, and there are a lot of dolls. They are moving in the same way as work at the time, so you can know how gold and silver was being collected at that time. And you can watch Japanese crested ibis at Toki 　No Mori Park. Moreover, you can eat very delicious sea foods if you stay hotel in the Island.

Sado gold mine

There are a lot of good tourist spots in addition to this in the Niigata Prefecture. I want many people to visit Niigata prefecture.

 

 

 

I used the following website.
http://snow.gnavi.co.jp/
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BD%90%E6%B8%A1%E9%87%91%E5%B1%B1