Quick facts
Niigata overview
Niigata (orange) and the other large cities of Japan
Niigata lies in Japan at 37.92°N, 139.04°E, about 1 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Tokyo (UTC+9); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Chiba (979,768) and larger than Hamamatsu (791,707). The largest city in Japan is Tokyo with 9,733,276 people; the capital, Tokyo, has 9,733,276.
The national capital, Tokyo, is about 255 km away; the nearest large city is Jōetsu, 112 km from Niigata.
Japan as a whole has a live population of 122,222,547 (-0.6% a year) and ranks #12 of 238 countries — see the Japan population page for the full statistics and the Japan atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Niigata
Largest cities in Japan
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Niigata?
Niigata has about 797,591 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Niigata the capital of Japan?
No. The capital of Japan is Tokyo (9,733,276 people), about 255 km away. Niigata is the 14th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Niigata compared with the rest of Japan?
Its 797,591 residents are 0.7% of the 122,222,547 people living in Japan today. Tokyo is larger with 9,733,276 people.
Where is Niigata?
In Japan, at latitude 37.92 and longitude 139.04, 1 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Jōetsu (112 km), Tsuruoka (112 km), Yamagata (121 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Niigata Population 2026 — Japan. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/japan/niigata/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/japan/niigata/">Niigata Population 2026 — Japan</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.