Japan · Niigata · 3 cities
Air quality in Niigata today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Jōetsu has the cleanest air of the 3 cities we track in Niigata (AQI 22, Good), and Niigata the worst (AQI 33, Good). Nagaoka has the most tree cover, at 11.8% — #100 of 207 cities measured in Japan.
Every city is measured the same way, over the same 2 km around its center: the air quality right now, from ground stations where there are any, and its tree cover.
AQI 21
Average right now
Good
- cities tracked
- 3
- average tree cover
- 9.9%
- Japan: 16.4%
- worst air now: Niigata
- 33
- cleanest air now: Jōetsu
- 22
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Niigata · average AQI 21
Air quality today across Niigata, city by city
| Niigata | 33Good | 7.8% | 47.6K | #148 of 207 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nagaoka | 8Good | 11.8% | 54.4K | #100 of 207 |
| Jōetsu | 22Good | 10.1% | 61.0K | #122 of 207 |
Air quality is the US AQI from ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ where available, otherwise the Open-Meteo / CAMS model, refreshed hourly. Tree cover is measured within 2 km of each city center from Sentinel-2 imagery; the rank compares every city measured in Japan.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Niigata lost?
Since 2001, Niigata has lost about 6,210 hectares of forest (about 8,700 football pitches): under 1% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 1,170 hectares (19%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 6,210 haabout 8,700 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- under 1%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 1,170 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 38 ha | 167 ha | 205 ha |
| 2002 | 67 ha | 206 ha | 273 ha |
| 2003 | 5 ha | 30 ha | 35 ha |
| 2004 | 97 ha | 414 ha | 511 ha |
| 2005 | 96 ha | 290 ha | 386 ha |
| 2006 | 18 ha | 97 ha | 115 ha |
| 2007 | 90 ha | 374 ha | 464 ha |
| 2008 | 54 ha | 291 ha | 345 ha |
| 2009 | 48 ha | 248 ha | 296 ha |
| 2010 | 57 ha | 246 ha | 303 ha |
| 2011 | 106 ha | 177 ha | 283 ha |
| 2012 | 72 ha | 265 ha | 337 ha |
| 2013 | 35 ha | 154 ha | 189 ha |
| 2014 | 27 ha | 147 ha | 174 ha |
| 2015 | 10 ha | 78 ha | 88 ha |
| 2016 | 21 ha | 184 ha | 205 ha |
| 2017 | 39 ha | 146 ha | 185 ha |
| 2018 | 73 ha | 180 ha | 253 ha |
| 2019 | 39 ha | 217 ha | 255 ha |
| 2020 | 71 ha | 183 ha | 254 ha |
| 2021 | 22 ha | 155 ha | 177 ha |
| 2022 | 11 ha | 177 ha | 187 ha |
| 2023 | 30 ha | 178 ha | 208 ha |
| 2024 | 15 ha | 203 ha | 218 ha |
| 2025 | 25 ha | 242 ha | 267 ha |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 211 hectares a year in 2021–2025, against 230 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2004, when about 511 hectares of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in Niigata?
- Loggingcan grow back65% · 4,030 ha
- Towns and roadscleared for good11% · 664 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good4.1% · 252 ha
Also: mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Source: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Global Forest Change (GFC-2025-v1.13); causes: WRI/Google DeepMind drivers of forest loss; both CC BY 4.0, summed by Airleaf for each area. How it's measured
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