Niitsu, dissolved municipality in Niigata prefecture, Japan
Niitsu is a former oil production center in Niigata Prefecture that is now a quiet town with mixed features from different eras. The landscape shows industrial remnants like fenced boreholes alongside glassmaking workshops, while nature has reclaimed much of the surrounding area.
The town became Japan's oil center in the 1800s, with over 100 companies reaching their peak around 1917. When oil reserves ran out starting in the 1980s, the industry left and the town's character changed completely.
The town's industrial past shaped its identity, and this heritage remains visible in how locals view their place. Glassmaking workshops have become a new cultural focus, showing how craftwork traditions adapted and survived after the oil industry declined.
The area is best explored on foot, with good walking paths through wooded hills and along historical sites. Visitors should watch for hazards like deep boreholes when exploring industrial remains and stay on marked trails for safety.
A Japanese emperor once visited the oil center but was repelled by the strong smell of oil that filled the town. Today, local glassmaking workshops use the remaining natural gas from the old oil fields to heat their furnaces and melt glass at around 1700 degrees Celsius.
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