is a multi-purpose international convention center

Convention center

A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...

 located in Niigata

Niigata, 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, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....

, Niigata Prefecture

Niigata Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The center was opened on May 1, 2003 and contains a hotel, restaurants, an art museum, conference rooms, and the offices of several international organizations.

Since 2004, Toki Messe has been the site of home games for the Niigata Albirex Basketball Team

Niigata Albirex BB

, formally Niigata Albirex Basketball, is a Japanese basketball club. It is based in Niigata City and plays its games chiefly in the Niigata City gym and Toki Messe.- Outline :...

.

Toki Messe is the tallest building on the Sea of Japan

Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...

, and has an observation deck

Observation deck

__FORCETOC__ An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper or observation tower...

 on the 34th floor where one can view the areas in and around Niigata

Niigata, 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, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....

. Depending on the weather, one can also see Sado and Awashima

Awashimaura, Niigata

is a village located on Awashima Island, in Iwafune District, Niigata, Japan.As of 2005, the village has an estimated population of 438 and a density of 44.42 persons per km². The total area is 9.86 km²....

 islands.

The complex is named after the toki

Crested Ibis

The Crested Ibis , also known as the Japanese Crested Ibis or Toki , is a large , white-plumaged ibis of pine forests. Its head is partially bare, showing red skin, and it has a dense crest of white plumes on the nape. This species is the only member of the genus Nipponia.Their habitat is usually...

, the official bird of Niigata Prefecture

Niigata Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...

.

On the opening night of August 26, 2003, an incident occurred where a 40 meter section of raised walkway connecting Toki Messe to the Sado Ferry Terminal collapsed. At the time, many assumed this was due to terrorism

Terrorism

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...

 from pro-North Korean groups

Chongryon

The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan , abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chae Ilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe in Korean or Zai-Nihon Chōsenjin Sōrengōkai in Japanese), abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents...

, as the North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

n Mangyongbong-92

Mangyongbong-92

The Mangyongbong-92, named after a hill near Pyongyang, is a passenger ferry built in 1992 to celebrate the North Korean leader, Kim Il Sung's 80th birthday. The ferry was built with funds from Chongryon, the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan.The ferry makes 20 to 30...

ferry had just departed from nearby Niigata Port the same day. However, a later investigation revealed faulty construction. Since then, Toki Messe has not been directly connected to the ferry terminal.

External links

• TOKI MESSE: Niigata Convention Center, Official website
• Toki Messe / Niigata Convention Center, Maki and Associates