Hokuriku Region

This area is along the coast of Japan in the Chubu region, and refers to the four prefectures of Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui. In the narrow sense, it refers to the three prefectures excluding Niigata. In ancient times, it was called Koshinokuni. It is located at the northern foot of the Central Highlands, and apart from the inlets and outlets of the Noto Peninsula, Toyama Bay, and Wakasa Bay, the area has developed coastal sand dunes and many lagoons. It is a corridor area connecting the Kanto and Kinki regions, but it is a heavy snow area and until recently, transportation was difficult due to snow. Long rivers such as the Shinano River and the Jinzu River irrigate the plains, and it is a grain-producing region where rice is the only crop. During the Edo period, Kitamaebune ships connecting Osaka and Ezo (Hokkaido) traded rice, marine products, and other products, and many ports flourished. In the 1890s, the economy stagnated due to the modernization of land and sea transportation, such as steamships and railways, and the term "Ura-Nihon" (Backside Japan) was coined. On the other hand, it became a power source area due to hydroelectric power, and heavy chemical industries arose mainly in Niigata and Toyama prefectures, while textile and weaving industries developed in Ishikawa and Fukui prefectures. There are also many traditional industries such as lacquerware, ceramics, washi paper, and silk and linen textiles. Niigata prefecture produces petroleum and natural gas, and Fukui prefecture is a nuclear power generation area. Transportation is provided by the Hokuriku Main Line, Shinetsu Main Line, Uetsu Main Line, Joetsu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen, third sector lines, small and medium-sized private railway lines, as well as the Kan'etsu Expressway and Hokuriku Expressway.

[Takao Yagasaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中部地方の日本海岸沿いの地域で、新潟、富山、石川、福井の四県域をいう。狭義では新潟県を除く三県をさす。古くは越国(こしのくに)と称した。中央高地の北麓(ほくろく)にあたり、能登(のと)半島、富山湾、若狭(わかさ)湾の出入りのあるほかは海岸砂丘が発達し、潟湖(せきこ)が多い。関東地方と近畿地方を結ぶ廊下地帯であるが、深雪地帯で最近まで交通は雪で難渋してきた。信濃(しなの)川、神通(じんづう)川など長大河川が平野を潤し、水稲単作の穀倉地帯である。江戸時代は大坂、蝦夷(えぞ)地（北海道）を結ぶ北前船(きたまえぶね)が米、水産物などを交易し、多くの港が栄えてきた。明治30年代には汽船、鉄道など海陸交通の近代化により、経済が停滞し、裏日本の呼称も生まれた。一方、水力発電による電源地帯となり、主として新潟・富山両県に重化学工業がおこり、石川・福井両県には繊維織物工業が発達した。漆器、陶磁器、和紙、絹麻織物など伝統工業も多い。新潟県は石油、天然ガスを産し、福井県は原子力発電地帯である。交通は北陸本線、信越本線、羽越本線、上越新幹線、北陸新幹線、第三セクター線、中小私鉄線のほか、関越自動車道、北陸自動車道が通じる。

［矢ヶ崎孝雄］

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