The city of Niigata lies on about the same latitude as Tianjin, Lisbon and San Francisco. Located 250 km north-northwest of Tokyo, Niigata City is two hours away from the capital by bullet train on the Joetsu Shinkansen line.

　Niigata City has a population of 810,000 and an area of 726.1 km2. It also has a rich natural environment with many bodies of water, including the Sea of Japan, the Shinano River, the Agano River, lagoons and wetlands. 
The fertile fields of the vast Echigo Plain produce a multitude of rice-based products and agricultural produce in addition to making Niigata Japan's number one producer of tulips and various other flowers.
　Niigata City's transportation infrastructure is equipped with an international airport and harbor, high-speed bullet train, and a network of highways. With both a sound commercial base and the largest area of rice-fields in all of Japan, Niigata city's unique characteristics and capabilities combine to make it a distinctly attractive city.