The city of Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture, is known as one of the world’s oldest jade-producing regions. Even today, it’s arguably the most notable location in Japan where jade can be found. This is believed to be due to the city’s geological position, where the Fossa Magna and the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line meet. A plethora of minerals formed 20 to 500 million years ago were brought from the mountain ranges in the east, carried by such rivers as the Himekawa. As a result, many of these stones ended up on the coast of Itoigawa, often…
