Nagaoka, Regional transportation hub in Niigata Prefecture, Japan
Nagaoka is a regional city in Niigata Prefecture that stretches across the middle basin of the Shinano River and sits surrounded by rice paddies. The settlement connects farmland with residential neighborhoods and a central railway station that serves as a transport hub.
A castle town was founded here in the early 17th century under the rule of a local feudal lord. The discovery of oil reserves in the Higashiyama area later changed the economic development of the region.
Rice paddies across the river plain provide much of the regional harvest and shape the flat landscape along the waterway. Sake from local breweries accompanies meals and celebrations and forms part of the local identity.
The high-speed train from Tokyo reaches the main station in roughly 80 minutes and connects the city with other places in the prefecture. Regional trains run regularly to smaller towns along the river valley.
A traditional system of rice farming combined with carp raising received national heritage recognition and is still practiced in some areas. The fish swim in the flooded paddies and provide natural fertilizer for the plants.
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