Good afternoon from the Itoigawa Global Geopark!

Today’s addition to the Geopark Blog is all about the continuing construction you might have seen downtown:

The new Itoigawa Station sees more construction!

In front of the station, crews have begun to erect the frame for what will be an arcade which will run along the front of Itoigawa Station’s North (Sea of Japan) Entrance. It is beginning to take shape, but with all the work going on, it’s hard to get a feel for what the finished product will look like.

But not to worry, we have a mock-up:

Artist’s rendition of the completed North Gate Arcade.

The completed shelter will look like gangi, the traditional shelters built over streets in the snowy regions of Japan. The rotary in front of the station will be more open than before and feature multiple bus stops and taxi parking. No more waiting in the hot summer sun or rain for your bus or taxi! At Itoigawa Geopark, we want to make getting from the station to your next destination, whether its your hotel, the Fossa Magna Museum, or one of our 24 geosites as quick and as pleasant as we can.

Looking from the station, to downtown Itoigawa…

View of Downtown Itoigawa from Itoigawa Station.

…you can see there is still a lot of work to go! In the next few months, work is going to begin to replace the old arcade which once covered the sidewalks on downtown’s “Jade Road.”

Itoigawa Station and the Old Jade Road Arcade

Aging and in need of repair, the arcade was removed several year ago, leaving the downtown area open. Rather than complain about the loss of the shelter, many people commented on how much brighter downtown felt without the large roofs covering the entire sidewalk.

Taking this in mind, a new design for Jade Road was envisioned:

A view of the planned arcade from Itoigawa Station

The new roof will only be about half as wide, offering shelter from the rain and snow, but keeping the bright, open atmosphere we’ve come to enjoy.

In preparation for the Hokuriku Shinkansen, Itoigawa is getting a fresh look downtown, but great care has been taken to preserve the traditional charm that makes Downtown Itoigawa and the Jade Road an enjoyable place to visit, shop, play, and live.

We’ll see you there!

-Ishikoro