Niigata is the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, in the Chūbu region and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island. As of January 31, 2012, the city has an estimated population of 804,193 and a population density of 1,107.57 persons per km². The total area is 726.09 km².