Shirone, Niigata

Shirone Flag Seal
Location of Shirone in Niigata Prefecture
Symbols
Flower	Tulip

Shirone (白根市, Shirone-shi) was a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1959.

As of 2003, the city had an estimated population of 39,966 and density of 518.63 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,343.2/sq mi). The total area was 77.06 km² (29.75 sq mi).

On March 21, 2005, Shirone, along with the cities of Niitsu and Toyosaka, the towns of Kameda, Kosudo and Yokogoshi (all from Nakakanbara District), the town of Nishikawa, and the villages of Ajikata, Iwamuro, Katahigashi, Nakanokuchi and Tsukigata (all from Nishikanbara District), was merged into the expanded city of Niigata.^[1] As of April 1, 2007, the area is now part of Minami-ku ward.

Activities

In June every year, Shirone hosts the week-long Giant Kite Festival (takomatsuri). Opposing teams formed by residents battle across the Nakanoguchi River using giants kites. The kites are hand made and painted by the team members for the duration of the preceding year. Each kite measures about 7 m × 3 m (23.0 ft × 9.8 ft) and typically sports a portrait of a samurai, local figure, or mascot signifying the area or team sponsor. Each team lines their side of the river and runs the kite into flight. Once airborne, the kites are carried by the wind and the hand-made lines are invariably tangled. This is due to the prevailing wind direction in June and the particular course of the river. The teams then engage in a tug of war until the ropes break—the winning team being the team that pulls over more of the opponent's rope.

See also

• Minami-ku, Niigata
• Niigata, Niigata

References

External links

• Niigata Minami-ku website (in Japanese)

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Dissolved municipalities of Niigata Prefecture

Niigata

2001	Kurosaki
2005	Niitsu Shirone Toyosaka Kameda Kosudo Yokogoshi Ajikata Iwamuro Katahigashi Maki Nakanokuchi Nishikawa Tsukigata

Murakami

2008	Arakawa Asahi Kamihayashi Sanpoku

Tainai

2005	Kurokawa Nakajō

Shibata

2003	Toyoura
2005	Kajikawa Shiunji

Agano

2004	Kyōgase Sasakami Suibara Yasuda

Gosen

2005	Muramatsu

Aga

2005	Kamikawa Kanose Mikawa Tsugawa

Tsubame

2006	Bunsui Yoshida

Sanjō

2005	Sakae Shitada

Nagaoka

2005	Koshiji Mishima Nakanoshima Oguni Yamakoshi
2006	Tochio Teradomari Washima Yoita
2010	Kawaguchi

Kashiwazaki

2005	Nishiyama Takayanagi

Tōkamachi

2005	Kawanishi Matsudai Matsunoyama Nakasato

Uonuma

2004	Hirokami Horinouchi Irihirose Koide Sumon Yunotani

Minamiuonuma

2004	Muikamachi Yamato
2005	Shiozawa

Jōetsu

2005	Itakura Kakizaki Kiyosato Kubiki Maki Nadachi Nakagō Ōgata Ōshima Sanwa Uragawara Yasuzuka Yoshikawa

Myōkō (Arai)

2005	Myōkō Myōkōkōgen

Itoigawa

2005	Nō Ōmi

Sado

2004	Ryōtsu Aikawa Akadomari Hamochi Hatano Kanai Mano Niibo Ogi Sawata

List of mergers in Niigata Prefecture

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