Kōshin'etsu (甲信越) is a subregion of the Chūbu regioninJapan consisting of Yamanashi, Nagano, and Niigata prefectures.[1]
The name Kōshin'etsu is a composite formed from the names of old provinces which are adjacent to each other — Kai (now Yamanashi), Shinano (now Nagano) and Echigo (now Niigata). The region is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to its north west, Hokuriku region to its west, Tōkai region to its south west, Kantō region to its south east, and Tōhoku region to its north east. The name for this geographic area is usually combined with Kantō region (as in "Kantō-Kōshin'etsu"[2]); and it is sometimes combined with Hokuriku region (as in "Kantō-Kōshin'etsu-Hokuriku"[3] or "Hokuriku-Kōshin'etsu"[4]).
The Kōshin'etsu subregion economy is for almost all purposes the same as the Shin'etsu subregion economy. The economy of Kōshin'etsu subregion is large and highly diversified with a strong focus on silverware, electronics, information technology, precision machinery, agriculture and food products, and tourism. It also produces crude oil. Until 1989, the Kōshin'etsu subregion also partook in gold mining, particularly at Sado Island.
Per Japanese census data,[7] and,[8] Kōshin'etsu subregion has had negative population growth since 2000
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 3,922,000 | — |
| 1930 | 4,281,000 | +9.2% |
| 1940 | 4,438,000 | +3.7% |
| 1950 | 5,333,000 | +20.2% |
| 1960 | 5,205,500 | −2.4% |
| 1970 | 5,080,000 | −2.4% |
| 1980 | 5,339,000 | +5.1% |
| 1990 | 5,484,000 | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 5,579,073 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 5,389,974 | −3.4% |
| 2020 | 5,097,181 | −5.4% |
Media related to Kōshin'etsu region at Wikimedia Commons
