Coordinates: 37°54′58″N 139°02′11″E / 37.91611°N 139.03639°E / 37.91611; 139.03639 The Hokuriku region (北陸地方, Hokuriku chihō) was located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lay along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region, which it is currently a part of. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern Japan. Since the Heian period until the Edo period the region was a core recipient of population, the population grew to be much larger proportionately than it is today, despite the rural character. With the growth of urban centers in the 20th century, particularly Tokyo and Chūkyō, the Hokuriku has steadily declined in importance to become relative backwaters. The region is also known for traditional culture that originated from elsewhere that has been long lost along the Taiheiyō Belt. The Hokuriku region includes the four prefectures of Ishikawa, Fukui, Niigata and Toyama, although Niigata is sometimes included in one of the following regions: Shin'etsu (信越): includes Niigata and Nagano prefectures Kōshin'etsu (甲信越): includes Niigata, Nagano and Yamanashi prefectures Hokushin'etsu [ja] (北信越): includes both the Hokuriku and Shin'etsu regions From Wikipedia
