was a village located in Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The area is famous for onsen near Yahiko mountain. Farming remains the predominant industry in the area. It is served by National Route 116 and Niigata Route 55. On April 1, 2007, Iwamuro became part of Nishikan-ku ward (西蒲区, Nishikan-ku?) of Niigata city. History Iwamuro, which means 'stone' and 'room' in kanji, lies at the foot of . It was originally surrounded by lagoons and marshes before major irrigation work was undertaken in the late 19th and early 20th century. Nevertheless, people have been coming to the area since the Edo period to bathe in naturally-created geothermal waters. Currently there are more than 20 onsens which range in price from cheap (500 yen) to expensive (+20,000 yen). Iwamuro's fame stems from its waters 'perceived' healing properties. An apocryphal tale tells of a farmer's wife who found a goose with a broken leg. She put it in a hot sulphur-smelling pool near her home. The goose's leg got better. The farmer and his wife then became very rich by opening the first onsen in Iwamuro. Behind Yahiko mountain lies the fishing village of . During the Meiji period copper mining flourished in the foothills north west of Maze. At its peak, 60 tons of copper were being extracted each month. Output decreased in the 1920s but in 1943, mining was temporarily revived. Work ended at the end of the war. During the period of the Tokugawa shogunate, Maze was one of the ferry points to the banishment island of Sado. A small watch tower was sited just of north of the village. Samurai were tasked with guarding the shore and questioning all who landed from boats. South of the harbour is Maze Beach, which is popular with surfers. North of the village is the Nihonkai Maze Circuit which holds regular weekend meetings throughout the summer months, attracting sports car drivers from across Japan. Geography The sulphurous waters in Iwamuro rise from depths of up to . They have an average surface temperature of 24.3 °C and are highly saturated in mineral salts. Iwamuro lies on a fault zone between Yahiko mountain and the bedrock beneath the Niigata Plain. In 2006, due to the number of onsens in the area, additional bore holes were drilled to a depth of . Rice farming is predominant throughout the area although there are several dairy