Niihama Facts for Kids

This page is about the city in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. For the district in Tampere, Finland, see Niihama (district).

Quick facts for kids

Niihama

新居浜市

City

Downtown Niihama and Seto Inner Sea

Flag

Seal

Niihama

Location in Japan

Country

Japan

Area

• Total

234.50 km² (90.54 sq mi)

Population

(July 31, 2022)

• Total

115,824

• Density

493.919/km² (1,279.24/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+09:00 (JST)

City hall address

1-5-1 Ikkuchō, Niihama-shi, Ehime-ken 792-8585


Symbols
Flower	Azalea
Tree	Camphor Laurel

Niihama City Hall

Aerial View of Central Niihama

Niihama (新居浜市 (Niihama-shi)) is a city located in the eastern part of Ehime Prefecture, Japan. As of July 31, 2022, about 115,824 people lived there in 57,781 homes. The city covers an area of 234.50 square kilometers. It is the third largest city in Ehime Prefecture by population.

Niihama is well-known for its historic Besshi copper mine. It is also famous for the exciting Niihama Taiko Festival. This festival is sometimes called "The Man Festival" (otokomatsuri). It is a lively event that attracts many visitors from all over Japan every year.

Exploring Niihama's Location

View of Kuchiya in Niihama in 1881

Niihama is in the north-central part of Shikoku island. It is in the eastern area of Ehime Prefecture. Mountains surround Niihama to the south and east. Hills are to the west, and the Seto Inland Sea is to the north.

The Kokuryo River flows from the mountains into the Seto Inland Sea. This river divides the city into two parts: east of the river (kawahigashi) and west of the river (kawanishi). Because of the surrounding mountains, Niihama feels a bit separate from its nearby cities. These include Saijō to the west and Shikokuchūō to the east. The island of Ōshima is also part of Niihama. In 2003, the mountainous village of Besshi joined Niihama. This greatly increased the city's size.

What is Niihama's Climate Like?

Niihama has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm summers and cool winters. There is usually light snowfall in winter. The average temperature in Niihama is about 13.2 degrees Celsius. The city gets about 1839 millimeters of rain each year. September is usually the wettest month. Temperatures are highest in August, around 24.4 degrees Celsius. They are lowest in January, around 2.0 degrees Celsius.

Niihama's Population Over Time

The number of people living in Niihama grew steadily until around 1980. Since then, the population has slowly decreased.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1920	49,414	—
1930	61,406	+24.3%
1940	88,639	+44.3%
1950	88,639	+0.0%
1960	117,317	+32.4%
1970	126,992	+8.2%
1980	132,736	+4.5%
1990	129,467	−2.5%
2000	125,814	−2.8%
2010	121,735	−3.2%
2020	115,938	−4.8%

A Look at Niihama's Past

Niihama is located in an ancient area called Iyo Province. People have lived here since very old times. During the Edo Period, under the Tokugawa shogunate, the area was mostly managed by Saijō Domain or Komatsu Domain.

The famous Besshi Copper Mine opened in 1744. The village of Niihama was officially created on December 15, 1889. This happened after the Meiji restoration when Japan created its modern town system. It became a town on January 1, 1908. Later, on November 3, 1937, Niihama merged with two villages, Kaneko and Takatsu. This merger officially formed the city of Niihama.

Niihama's Economy and Industry

Besshi Copper-mine Memorial Museum

The Besshi copper mine played a huge role in Niihama's economy. It was once one of the most productive mines in the world. This mine helped start the powerful Sumitomo zaibatsu, a large business group.

Even though the mine is now closed, Sumitomo still has a big presence in Niihama. You can learn about the mine's history at a small museum and hot spring attraction called Minetopia Besshi. Today, Niihama's economy relies heavily on its factories and port activities.

Learning in Niihama

Niihama has many schools for young people. The city government runs 17 public elementary schools and 12 public middle schools. For older students, the Ehime Prefectural Board of Education operates five public high schools. Niihama is also home to the Niihama National College of Technology. This college focuses on teaching students about technology.

Getting Around Niihama

Railways

You can travel by train in Niihama using the Shikoku Railway Company's Yosan Line.

Takihama
Niihama
Nakahagi

Highways

Major roads connect Niihama to other areas:

Matsuyama Expressway
Japan National Route 11
Japan National Route 192

Ports

The Port of Niihama is an important place for shipping and trade.

Friendship Cities

Niihama has a special friendship with one city:

Dezhou, Shandong, China (since November 1997)

Exciting Festivals and Celebrations

The Niihama Taiko Festival

Two Taiko floats ram each other in battle in Niihama's Yamane Park during the Taiko Festival in October, 2004.

The Niihama Taiko Festival is a big harvest festival. It takes place every year from October 16 to 18. Each of Niihama's 50 neighborhoods has its own special Taiko float. These floats are beautifully decorated. They have a wooden frame covered in panels made with gold thread. A fabric top, usually red and white, covers the column. This top represents the sun. Long black cushions with tassels surround it, symbolizing clouds and rain. The design shows thanks for a good harvest. Gold dragons decorate the top panels, while the lower panels show traditional buildings, animals, or legends.

Inside each float, a drummer plays a deep-sounding taiko drum. This drumbeat guides about 150 men who carry the float. Four crew members stand on the beams and use flags, whistles, and chants to guide the others. Four more stand on top of the float, about 5.4 meters (18 feet) high.

These floats are very heavy, weighing over two and a half tons. They can cost more than $100,000 US to build! Local donations help pay for them. For three days, from October 16 to 18, the teams carry the floats for 12 to 14 hours each day. They parade them all over the city and display them in parks and shopping centers.

A main event is the display of the Taiko floats in Yamane Park, Takihama Station, and other places. In some years, eight floats are loaded onto barges to travel by sea. Sometimes, the Taiko-carrying teams have friendly "battles." They ram their floats into each other until one or both floats are damaged.

Fun Places to Visit in Niihama

The main temple at Zuiō-ji

Zuiō-ji Temple

Zuiō-ji is a Sōtō Zen temple located near the mountains in southern Niihama. It welcomes visitors to join Sunday morning zazen (meditation) sessions. You can even stay overnight there. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Niihama.

Beautiful Waterfalls

The mountains between Niihama and Besshi village have two large waterfalls. These are Chōshi no Taki and Mato no Taki (which means "Waterfall at the Demon's Door").