Niigata

Niigata stretches along Japan's west coast where the Shinano River meets the Sea of Japan. In this city, you can taste sake at century-old breweries, watch geigi (local geisha) perform classical dances, explore the maple gardens of the Northern Culture Museum, or take a day trip to Sado Island to ride in wooden tub boats. The surrounding rice fields produce the premium Koshihikari rice, which you'll find in restaurants throughout the city.

Train and Bus Routes to Niigata

Take the Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to reach Niigata Station in two hours. If you're coming from Osaka or Nagoya, change trains in Tokyo. From Niigata Airport, 6 km north of downtown, you can fly to major Japanese cities and several international destinations. Highway buses connect to Tokyo (5 hours), Kyoto (7 hours), and Osaka (9 hours).

Shinano River and Historic Waterways

The Shinano and Agano rivers flow through Niigata's center. Walk across the six-arch Bandai Bridge, a national cultural asset, to see both rivers meet the sea. In the Furumachi district, you can follow the remaining waterways past 19th-century merchant houses with their distinctive black-tiled roofs and wooden storefronts.

Rice and Seafood Dishes

The local Koshihikari rice has a sweet aroma and pearl-like appearance. At local restaurants, you'll find Hegisoba - seaweed-flavored buckwheat noodles served on wooden trays, and Sasa Dango - sweet rice cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves. From November to March, restaurants serve fresh local crab, while each season brings different fish like flounder in winter and yellowtail in spring.

Where to Try Local Sake

Step into Ponshukan at Niigata Station to sample from 100 different sake varieties through vending machines. Walk to the Imayo Tsukasa brewery to see the sake-making process and taste different grades of sake. The cold winters and mountain water create conditions that give Niigata sake its clean taste.

Architecture and Gardens

The Northern Culture Museum's grounds include maple and pine gardens with stone pathways and water features from the 1800s. Inside the former merchant mansion, you can sit in original tea rooms with tatami floors. The Minatopia museum occupies an 1869 customs building, where you can learn about Niigata's history as a trading port through artifacts and photographs.

Summer and Winter Events

During the Niigata Festival in August, fireworks light up the Shinano River while 15,000 dancers perform through downtown. The Tokamachi Snow Festival in February fills the city with large snow sculptures and hosts snow sliding competitions. When snow covers the nearby mountains, you can soak in Iwamuro Onsen's outdoor baths with views of the winter landscape.