The Mid Niigata Prefecture Earthquake(中越地震, Chuetsu jishin) occurred at 05:56 p.m.(Japan Time) on October 23rd in 2004 and caused 68 deaths. Some people that took shelter in cars after the earthquake developed symptoms of economy-class syndrome. Niigata Prefecture is a heavy snowfall area, so heavy snows crushed many quake-damaged houses during winter.
The earthquake caused great damage to former Yamakoshi village(旧 山古志村) which is the birthplace of Nishikigoi(錦鯉, coloured carp) and is still a main producer of the coloured carp.
The brisk exports of coloured carps has rescued the carp farmers in Niigata Prefecture from the doldrums.
Ushi-no-Tsunotsuki(牛の角突き) is a kind of bullfights that have taken place in some areas of Niigata Prefecture since the Edo period. The bullfight appeared in "Nansou Satomi Hakkenden (南総里見八犬伝)", which is an epic novel written by Takizawa Bakin(滝沢馬琴).
It has been designated a significant intangible folk cultural asset of the country.
Unlike bullfighting in Spain, bulls are never injured in the bullfight. Villagers name the bulls for the bullfight and cherish them. So they lamented their bulls' death due to the earthquake.
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