Namerikawa City

Its giant octopus made it into ukiyo-e.

Giant octopus of Namerikawa

Photo by Hiroshige III (Public domain)

01 ／ Firefly squid viewing

Boats built to show off glowing squid,back in 1910.

In 1909 the town of Namerikawa promoted the firefly squid in a booklet as one of its "Two Great Wonders" (二大奇観), alongside the mirage, and the next year it built two viewing boats. Today's sea tour dates from 1987: before dawn in spring, boats leave Namerikawa Fishing Port so visitors can watch fishermen haul up the set nets. The oldest known record of the squid, a "koika" (小烏賊) entry from 1858, is also in a Namerikawa document.

"Two Great Wonders" booklet, 1909
Two viewing boats, 1910
Sea tour since 1987

02 ／ Nebuta Nagashi

Drowsiness and impurity,set alight and sent out to sea.

Every July 31 at Nakagawara Beach (中川原海岸, also called Wada-no-hama), large torches decorated with figures made of cucumbers and eggplants are loaded onto rafts, carried into the sea and set on fire. The rite purifies with fire and water, sending away the drowsiness (nebuta) that gets in the way of work, along with impurity. It is said to be the southernmost rite of its kind on the Sea of Japan coast, and in 1999 it became a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

Every July 31
Southernmost on the Sea of Japan coast
Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, 1999

03 ／ Rice Riots

The 1918 Rice Riotswere largest in the prefecture here.

米の暴騰が生んだ富山の女一揆.png — Photo by 東京朝日新聞 (Public domain)

On August 5, 1918, people suffering from soaring rice prices rose up in the town of Namerikawa, and the disturbance lasted until the 8th. With about 2,000 people, it was the largest in Toyama Prefecture and is said to have been a major trigger for the riots spreading across Japan. The house of Fukai Shōzō (深井省三), where several hundred people converged, still stands in Jike-machi as the Hirono Residence (廣野家住宅), a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

August 5–8, 1918
About 2,000 people, largest in the prefecture
A house linked to the riots survives

Living here

16 minutes to Toyama Station on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway.

about 30,000 people

The city's gateway is Namerikawa Station, served by the Ainokaze Toyama Railway and the Toyama Chihō Railway Main Line. Anywhere in the city, from the coast to the hills, is about 15 minutes by car. Childcare fees are halved for a first child and free from the second child on. People who move here from Tokyo's 23 wards and take up work can receive a relocation grant (600,000 yen for a single person, 1,000,000 yen for a household).

People living here: 32,349people
Area: 54.62km²
Households: 12,115households
Rent (average for rentals): 43,237yen
Healthcare: 2 hospitals ／ 17 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —13 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

Shape

Borders 3 municipalities.

Namerikawa City in Japan36.764°N 137.341°E

Territory of Namerikawa City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (N03)

North to south

11.3km

上市町, 魚津市, 富山市

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Namerikawa City isthis kind of town.

01An Edo-period guide to famous products lists the "giant octopus of Namerikawa in Etchū" (越中滑川之大鮹), and Kuniyoshi and Hiroshige III drew fishermen fighting it in ukiyo-e
02From 1909 the town promoted the firefly squid as one of its "Two Great Wonders", and a pre-dawn sea tour still shows visitors the set-net fishing
03The Nebuta Nagashi (a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property) is held every July 31, and in 1918 the prefecture's largest rice riot broke out here

See the town as it is now.

YouTubeChannel ↗

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Namerikawa City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗