Iwamuro, Niigata
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Iwamuro 岩室村 |
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|---|---|
| Former municipality | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Hokuriku |
| Prefecture | Niigata Prefecture |
| District | Nishikanbara District |
| Merged | March 21, 2005 (now part of Niigata) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 36.11 km2 (13.94 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 9,865 |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) |
Iwamuro (岩室村 Iwamuro-mura?) was a village located in Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The area is famous for onsen near Yahiko mountain. Farming remains the predominant industry in the area. It is served by National Route 116 and Niigata Route 55.
On April 1, 2007, Iwamuro became part of Nishikan-ku ward (西蒲区, Nishikan-ku?) of Niigata city.
Iwamuro, which means 'stone' and 'room' in kanji, lies at the foot of Yahiko Mountain (弥彦山 Yahiko yama?). It was originally surrounded by lagoons and marshes before major irrigation work was undertaken in the late 19th and early 20th century. Nevertheless, people have been coming to the area since the Edo period to bathe in naturally-created geothermal waters. Currently there are more than 20 onsens which range in price from cheap (500 yen) to expensive (+20,000 yen). Iwamuro's fame stems from its waters 'perceived' healing properties. An apocryphal tale tells of a farmer's wife who found a goose with a broken leg. She put it in a hot sulphur-smelling pool near her home. The goose's leg got better. The farmer and his wife then became very rich by opening the first onsen in Iwamuro.
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