 In May 2008, the city hosted the 2008 G8 Labor Ministers Meeting.On March 12, 2011, several hours after the massive 9.0 Tohoku earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Niigata and Nagano Prefectures experienced an estimated magnitude 6.6 earthquake.Niigata is situated on a fertile coastal plain on the Sea of Japan coast, facing Sado Island.