NIITSU

city, Niigata ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies on the Uetsu Line (railway), 150 miles (240 km) north-northwest of Tokyo. Oil was discovered southeast of Niitsu in the 17th century, and exploitation began in 1898. Three railway lines were subsequently opened through the city. Although the output of the oil fields has decreased significantly, Niitsu continues to be an important transport and commercial centre, producing tulip and hyacinth bulbs for export to the United States. In the late 1960s it developed as a residential suburb of Niigata city. Pop. (1980) 62,282.