Niigata

Niigata (Xinxi), the poetic "Snow Country" depicted by Yasunari Kawabata. Blessed with exceptional powder snow, Niigata has become a sacred destination for Japanese skiing enthusiasts. Just a shinkansen ride north from Tokyo or a direct flight under 3 hours from Shanghai will bring you to this land gently embraced by mountains and sea—Niigata, Tokyoites' secret backyard and Japan Sea's bountiful gift of fish and rice. In Niigata, you can surrender yourself to the misty warmth of hot springs, letting your skin remember the tenderness of Yuzawa; or hike through alpine trails to touch Japan's backbone above the sea of clouds. During midsummer, the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale transforms rice fields into canvases, using contemporary art to compose rural poetry. The scenery here speaks softly yet carries profound power—it belongs to travelers willing to slow down and measure the land with all five senses.