2025 Niigata Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in July)

Niigata Prefecture in Japan is another destination where the natural beauty of each season is equally stunning. It also boasts traditional culture, art, various attractions, and delicious food. In spring, Niigata is adorned with vibrant cherry blossoms. During summer, people often go for picnics and camping. Autumn brings the beauty of red and orange leaves, transforming mountains, gardens, temples, and shrines into breathtaking landscapes. When winter arrives, Niigata becomes one of the snowiest prefectures in Japan, making it a place worth visiting again and again.

🌾 Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen (Yuzawa Town) Located in the southern part of Niigata Prefecture, Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen is renowned as a ski resort. In winter, visitors can enjoy skiing and snowboarding, while from spring to autumn, the area offers hot springs and nature walks. The area around the station is also well-equipped with foot baths and shops selling local specialties. 🏯 Niigata City History Museum Minatopia (Niigata City) This museum allows visitors to learn about the history of Niigata City's port town and features exhibits housed in buildings from the Meiji era. The surrounding area is dotted with historical structures such as the Former Niigata Customs House and the Former Fourth Bank Sumiyoshi Branch, making it ideal for a leisurely stroll. 🌸 Takada Park (Joetsu City) Takada Park boasts approximately 4,000 cherry trees and is famous for its nighttime cherry blossom views. In spring, the "Takada Castle Million People Cherry Blossom Festival" is held, attracting numerous tourists. 🏞️ Sasagawa Nagare (Murakami City) This scenic coastal area along the Sea of Japan features stunning rock formations and caves. Visitors can also enjoy the view from the sea by taking a sightseeing boat tour. 🍶 Niigata Sake Brewery Tours Niigata is well-known as a hub for Japanese sake production, with numerous breweries scattered throughout the region. Many breweries offer tours and tastings, providing an unforgettable experience for sake enthusiasts.

A restaurant in the Niigata Fisheries Cooperative Association Direct Sales Center adjacent to Pier Bandai 🐟 When you come to Niigata, you have to try the local fish! It's fresh, delicious, and great value for money! The popular items sell out quickly And right in front of you is a view of Toki Messe! Lunch was late, so I was glad I could eat even though the time was off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~🐟~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Restaurant Jigyo Kobo 📍2-1 Bandaijima, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture ⏰9:30-15:00 Closed on Tuesdays 💰1,000-2,000 yen 🚗5 minutes by car from Niigata Station 🚶19 minutes on foot from Niigata Station 🚲I went there by rental bicycle, 6 minutes by bike ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~🐟~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This information is current, so please check it out before you go! Date of shooting: 2024/10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~🐟~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Right now! This moment! Enjoy it to the fullest Maya trip ✔︎A place I'm glad I went and experienced for myself ✔︎I hope this will be helpful for your outings♫ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~🐟~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #Domestic travel record #Niigata trip #Local fish workshop #Lunch #Niigata gourmet #Niigata sightseeing

If you go to Niigata, you should definitely visit this restaurant where you can enjoy authentic sushi at an affordable price!!! All the toppings are really delicious, but the recommended ones are the three kinds of shrimp and the bomb, which is a platter of leftover sashimi🦐🐟 You can eat the sushi that comes by, but if you ask the chef inside, he will make it for you on the spot!! It's a popular restaurant, so you will have to wait, but in the area where the sushi restaurant is located, called Pier Bandai, there are other shops selling Niigata specialties, so after checking in, you can enjoy shopping while you wait🌾❣️ 📍Location: Benkei Pier Bandai, 2-4 Bandaijima, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture #Seasonal places in Japan

A direct sales store renovated from a building from the mid-Meiji period It's cool even from the gate! This place is close to the station, but you can tour the sake brewery! ...I went too late, so it was fully booked and I couldn't tour Everyone, make sure you make a reservation well in advance! I tried the weekend-only sake brewery pudding and it was sake🍶 They sell alcohol, so it's a great souvenir🎁 And, you don't need to make a reservation to taste ...Why did you come here? I think so, but I couldn't taste it because I couldn't drink alcohol ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~❄️~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery 📍1-1 Kagamigaoka, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture ⏰9:00-17:00 💰Free 📝Reservation required　🚃15 minutes walk from Niigata Station ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~❄️~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Information is fresh, so please check it out when you go! Photo date 2024/10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~❄️~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Right now! This moment! Enjoy the Maya trip to the fullest ✔︎A place I'm glad I went and experienced firsthand ✔︎I hope this will be helpful for your outings♫ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~❄️~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #Domestic travel journal #Niigata trip #Imayotsukasa Sake Brewery #Sake brewery #Near the station #Niigata sightseeing

Go to the sea and enjoy the city view. Visit Furumachi and explore interesting shops. Sit in the garden and enjoy Japanese tea. Visit the aquarium to see small animals. Go to the hot spring and have a fried chicken set meal after the bath. Experience the Showa bathhouse. Niigata Prefecture is famous for its magnificent natural landscapes. 👂️One of the most famous attractions is Yukimura Mountain, which is 2,400 meters above sea level and is one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Japan. At the top of the mountain, you can enjoy breathtaking sunrises and sea of clouds. In addition, Niigata has many lakes and rivers, such as Nagai River and Nakatsugawa River, which offer a variety of water activities such as boating, fishing, and rafting. 🤔 Secondly, Niigata Prefecture has a long history and rich cultural heritage. Here, you can visit many ancient temples and shrines, such as Matsumoto Temple in Takada City and Tendo Temple in Kashiwazaki City. These temples and shrines not only showcase traditional Japanese architectural styles, but also inherit rich religious cultures. In addition, Niigata has many museums and art galleries, such as the Bandai Bridge Art Museum in Niigata City and the Niigata Historical Village in Kashiwazaki City, which allow you to learn more about the history and culture of Niigata. 😆

Introducing beautiful sightseeing spots you definitely want to visit in Niigata ✍🏻 (All photos are from July 2024) This is Hakusan Shrine in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture During the summer festival held here, a lot of wind chimes are decorated throughout the shrine grounds 🎐 ▫️Tanabata Wind Chime Festival▫️ June 29th to July 18th 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Light up) 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM There are more than 1,000 of them! The sound of the ringing wind chimes is soothing. It's cool and soothing to the soul...🫧 In fact, when I visited, I didn't know that the Wind Chime Festival was being held... I went to Hakusan Shrine to see some very cute fortune slips. That's the rice balls in the 6th to 8th pictures and Mt. Fuji! 🍙 Omusubi fortune: 500 yen per time 🗻 Hakusan fortune: 500 yen per time ※There is also a "Kanayama fortune" with a golden Mt. Fuji! Recommended shrines even outside of the summer festival season✨ ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ✍🏻 ᴛʀɪᴘ ᴛɪᴘs ˊ˗ It is said that the sound of the bell has the power to "purify" and "ward off evil spirits". ※From the official website Put your wishes on 1,000 colorful wind chimes and pray for a good relationship🫶🏻 ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ✍🏻 ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ (As of August 2024) Hakusan Shrine Main Hall 📍Address｜1-2 Ichibanhoridori-cho, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture 🚐Parking｜Available ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ #NiigataTourism #NiigataTrip #SummerFestival2024

#Shopping Isetan Department Store in Niigata, Japan 🇯🇵 is located in the Bandai City area of ​​Niigata. It is the largest and most advanced shopping mall in the area, bringing together a variety of luxury brands, jewelry and watches, fashion apparel, etc. 🛍️. The department store is gorgeously decorated, with a spacious lobby, and each floor and area is well-organized, full of luxury and taste. This Isetan brings together many of the world's top luxury brands, including clothing, luggage, jewelry and watches, cosmetics, etc. In addition to internationally renowned brands, Isetan also has many local Niigata brands, such as "Yuepin", which are worth exploring 😚. This time I happened to come across two limited-time theme stores, namely the Masked Ultraman and Pretty Cure stores 😍. These stores not only have a variety of limited edition peripheral products, but also many special edition products, which have attracted many fans to rush to buy them. 🛍️Department store: Isetan Niigata 📍Address: 1-6-1 Yachiyo, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture 🚝Transportation: Take the bus from JR Niigata Station and get off at Bandai Castle Station #JapanTohoku #Overseas Travel #100 Ways to Travel #trip

A business hotel just a 5-minute walk from JR Niigata Station. The breakfast buffet, which uses Koshihikari rice, is popular for its wide variety of options. The hotel is close to the station and has good access. The free Wi-Fi available in the building was easy to connect to and stress-free. The building is a little old, but it was well-cleaned and I had a comfortable stay. It's close to the station and there are many convenience stores and restaurants nearby, so I rarely had any problems during my stay. The staff were also very polite. Compared to other hotels near the station, the price was cheap. Please feel free to take the amenities from the front desk. The selection was good, and everything you need was here. I've stayed here a few times, but maybe it's because I'm a repeat customer? 🧐 When I stayed there the other day, they said they had a large room available so I would show them to that room and they upgraded my room for free🙇♀️ Thank you very much☺️💓 I'll definitely stay here again when I go to Niigata🎶 Please try staying here too🥰 #domestictravel #domestichotel #recommendedhotel #niigata #niigatatrip #travelwithme

#timetotravel Mt.Ninouji , which greatly envelops Kitaechigo, where Kikusui is rooted, Between the Kaji River and the Tainai River, which are filled with clear thaw water that moistens the fertile land after Kitaechigo. It is a huge peak of the Iide mountain range avant-garde facing the Kambara plain for 20km from north to south. In the daily life of Kitaechigo in the northern part of Niigata prefecture, which is embraced by Mt. Ninouji It is full of magnificent nature, clean water, rich culture and warmth of people. Welcome to Kitaechigo. Here are the treasures of Kitaechigo from the perspective of a traveler. "Daily life in extraordinary life" "Extraordinary in everyday life"

#timetotravel Located about 30 minutes south of Niigata City by car, Mt. Kakuda, along with it’s taller neighbor Mt. Yahiko, is a beautiful and integral part of Niigata’s landscape. It’s peak tops out at 473m in elevation. Being from Colorado I’m quite fond of blowing a dismissive breath through my lips and saying, “My house is higher than that.” That’s perfectly true, but no mountain in Colorado can be hiked from sea to summit. Several hiking trails lead to the summit of Mt. Kakuda, but the steepest, most difficult (and therefore the most fun) trail starts on Kakuda Beach just below the Cape Kakuda Lighthouse. The route is about 5km in length and despite being steep for the first half of the climb, I found it to be a fun, easy hike. Sakura in full bloom on my third ascent of Kakuda at the end of April served to enhance the already stunning scenery even further.

#Japan Summer Travel Niigata Prefecture is known as the snow country It snows often here in winter ❄️❄️❄️ It doesn't have to be so cold when you travel this summer 🥶 Bike rental excursions are often my favorite This time I came to two locations here on the west coast Stay at the beach 🏖️ and next to it is a Niigata City Art Creation Village🏡 Creation Village allows many Japanese youths to unleash their creativity 🎭🩰🎨 The drainage airport and sewer cover next to it also have a particularly cultural and creative atmosphere Watched a round of exhibitions Of course, have a cup of coffee and dessert🍦 Sitting here and drinking coffee ☕️ Take a picture of the sunset🌅 Very chill day #Niigata #JapanTravel #OverseasTravel

Took much trouble and a torturous one and a half hour standing ride on the Hayabusa to get here. Did not expect to have so much tourist in the late morning, else I qould have set off earlier from Tokyo. So go early if you're planning a day trip from Tokyo like me! Anyways, came all the way here for this amazing sake-vending machine experience! For ¥1000, you'll get an ochoko(sake cup) and 5 tokens. Depending on the type of sake you picked, insert the amount of tokens required to dispense the sake into the cup. You can purchase more tokens at the cashier for ¥100 per token if you would like to try more. Fotunately, I went to try this at noon when no one else drinks in the middle of the day. When I came back in the evening, there was a freaking long queue and I won't even get to enter at all. The 5 sakes that I tried were of the good value and taste for single coin each. There are alao plenty of other merchandise in the store. This sake vending machines is in the closed off area within the store. Will definitely be back for more! #japantravels #niigata #sake #japanesesake #vendingmachine #ponshukan #ochoko #junmai #junmaiginjo #tokubetsujunmai

It's a little walk from Niigata Station, but it's a new and clean hotel. The rooms are small, but they have an open-air bath and the large public bath is pretty good♨︎ It's small, but there's a gym and a pool🏖️ There's a Lawson on the first floor, so you won't have any inconveniences! I was hoping for a higher floor, but I was happy that they gave me a room on the 19th floor, the top floor☺️ A recommended hotel if you're near Niigata Station💫 📍 APA Hotel & Resort〈Niigata Ekimae Odori〉 5-1-1 Bandai, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture 950-0088 ☎︎ 0570-011-125 #Domestic travel #Niigata #Hotel #Accommodation review #Summer trip #Hot spring #Pool #Gym

Getting There - city bus or train Attractions - lake, birds, seasonal flowers Food & Restaurants - dinning inside the plaza near the lake Entrance fee - free Niigata lake is famous for it’s seasonal events and bird sightseeing. In summer, there is tons of lotus blooming, the bird sightseeing season will be starting from middle to late April. White bird types - small and big white bird The amount of bird - around 8,000 birds Feeding to birds - not allowed Area - about 260 ha #niigata #japan

Getting There - about 1 hr by car from the Niigata station Attractions - seafood products Food & Restaurants - fresh sashimi, fish and seafood restaurants Shopping - fresh seafood A nice restaurant with fresh and rare seafood. They make fishing at the early morning and sell the fishing and make cuisines, sashimi with the fresh taken fishes and sea food products within one day. #japan #niigata

Niigata Furumachi Yabusoba 025-222-7982 1490 Hachibancho, Furumachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata Business hours: Monday-Saturday 11:00-20:00 Sundays and holidays 11:00-17:00 Closed: Wednesdays and the third Tuesday The old town area called Furumachi-dori is about a 10-minute bus ride from Niigata Station. It is a fashionable area with an arcade, cafes and select shops. This restaurant is located in the restaurant district just past Furumachi-dori. I visited on a Sunday afternoon and it seemed to be bustling with customers. The soba noodles are Yabusoba, and although they also have the regular menu, I had the seasonal tomato soba. The soba noodles are based on tomato sauce and topped with deep-fried zucchini and other vegetables. It had a very elegant taste. #Niigata #NiigataGourmet #Gourmet

Specialty Bandai Soba 025-246-6432 1F Bus Center Building, 1-6-1 Bandai, Chuo-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata Hours: 8:00-19:00 Open all year round Bandai Bus Center is a 10-minute walk from Niigata Station, and the curry served at the standing soba restaurant is very famous. Like a typical standing soba restaurant, you purchase a meal ticket and take it to the counter to be served. I went there around 8:10, but I had to wait in line for about 15 minutes to purchase a meal ticket. The curry has a simple, old-fashioned feel. It tastes sweet when you put it in your mouth, but then the spiciness comes on, which was an unexpected taste. It is available for takeout and retort, so it is also good as a souvenir. It is a recommended Niigata B-class gourmet. #Niigata #NiigataGourmet #B-classGourmet

#Japan Attractions #Japan Travel #Hakusan Shrine #Shinji Prefecture This year’s cherry blossom season is earlier than expected, if in previous years you can still catch the cherry blossoms’ tail at this time. This cherry blossom viewing was carried out by bicycle. Start cycling at Shinjuku Station for about 30 minutes or so to Hakusan Park and Hakusan Shrine. If the cherry blossom season has not passed, this park must be full of cherry blossoms on the trees, but now they are floating underground, with a little cherry blossoms blowing snow, which is a different scene. When I get to this park, I must check in at this signatures sign, which proves that I have been to Xinxia. It's a pity that I couldn't take a picture of the sky mirror full of cherry blossom trees.

My favorite place at the airport is the observation deck 👀 I thought you could go in freely at any airport, but here at Niigata Airport, there is a fee to enter the deck 😌 It's a little sad even though it's only 100 yen ⤵️ But the view is outstanding 👍 The fence is low, so it's great for taking photos! You can take pictures of planes taking off and taxiing with the Sea of ​​Japan in the background, and it was a beautiful sunny day and very refreshing ✨ It also has a jungle gym ◎ Visited: September 2022 #Domestic travel #Niigata Prefecture #Niigata City #Niigata #Niigata trip #airport #airport #Niigata Airport #niigataairport

Niigata Airport felt bigger and more spacious than I expected, probably because of the atrium space. ✈️ Each airport has its own unique characteristics, but Niigata Airport has tub boats, sake, and rice! The rice is a huge object, though 😆 In one corner of the JAL counter, there is a lovely cherry blossom tree 🌸 made of small origami cranes, so be sure to find it ✨ It was the release date, so I also got the Niigata Airport Goshoin 👍 Visited: September 2022 #Domestic travel #Niigata Prefecture #Niigata City #Niigata #Niigata trip #airport #airport #Niigata Airport #niigataairport

I went to Niigata for 3 days and 2 nights, staying at Dormy Inn near Niigata Station for the first night, and Hotel Nikko Niigata on the port side (near Furumachi) for the second night! Dormy Inn is famous for its hot springs, but Niigata also has an open-air sauna, which is the best facility for me as a sauna fan! After the bath, they give out free ice cream and Yakult. They also have ramen at night. But before that... When you think of Niigata, you think of fresh seafood and vegetables, so I wandered around looking for a lot of food. I was drawn to Shungyo Sakanagoro, which has been selected as one of the 100 best restaurants on Tabelog lol The food and sake are delicious, and there are many brands from each region of the prefecture, and with the best snacks and lukewarm sake, I ended up drinking too much... lol On the second day, I worked hard... The Hotel Nikko Niigata where I stayed for the second night has an observation deck on the 31st floor and the view from the room is also amazing. On the third day, we visited coffee shops in Furumachi, Niigata, a town notable for its many in-house roasters. We enjoyed coffee at a specialty coffee shop, a coffee shop where you can smoke a cigarette, and a jellyfish tank while eating seasonal curry. It was a really fun place, and I'd love to go back again. #food #hotsprings #greatviews #Niigata #hotel #gourmettrip #coupletrip #gourmetfood #businesstrip #cafe #cafehopping #coffeeshop #Niigatacoffeeshop #Niigatatourism

Chocolate is a standard souvenir🍫 I found out about a shop in Niigata, "Matsuya, a Russian chocolate shop." I was interested in it because it was introduced in the city guide at the hotel, so I went and I really liked it✌️ Russian chocolate...? 🤔 Niigata is close to Russia, so I thought, "I see, I see," but when I asked at the shop, I was told that it's called that because the founder, the previous founder, learned the method from a Russian✍️ The matryoshka🪆 packaging is so cute, and the 12 types of chocolate are delicious and varied😋 The rich fruitiness, not too sweet, and the rustic taste makes me want to eat it again✨ The shop staff were very kind and comfortable, and I want to buy it again when I go to Niigata! It was such a wonderful shop. *Photography inside the store requires permission from the store⚠️ Visited: September 2022 #tripmemory2022 #NiigataPrefecture #Niigata #NiigataCity #NiigataGourmet #Gourmet #Sweets #Sweets #Chocolate #Chocolate #Matsuya

It is a new hotel renovated in 2016 🏨🫶🏻 is relatively new in the local area Once you enter the hotel 🏨 lobby is very trendy ❤️ very modern design ❤️ It uses wood as the main tone with lighting and black and white walls😆 The whole feeling is very trendy🙈 And the lobby has quite a few seats 😌 sitting there will feel very relax 😁 Also its location is within about 5 minutes opposite Niigata Station So if it's two days and one night here 🫶🏻 then this hotel 🏨 is right 😌 I booked a 2-person room🙈 because it may not be in the big city So the room is relatively large ❤️ Its main focus is wooden decoration So the whole feeling is very comfortable 😌 🫶🏻 Hotel 🏨 equipment is normal nothing special The overall stay experience is good and the price is not expensive 👍🏻 Ni Niigata must be considered #japanhotel #holidaygoodplaces #Christmasgoodplaces2022 #travel abroad #parentsgoodplaces #hkfoodie #resident writer #I miss #japan #japanese cuisine #japan travel #japanese cuisine #japan attractions #japan destinations #japan travel guide

I went to Niigata last week. The landmark of Niigata city is Toki Messe. Toki Messe is located at the port leading to Sado Island, and the photo with the port is very beautiful. Sado Island seems to be very popular recently, so I'd like to go there sometime.

I went to Niigata on the Joetsu Shinkansen the other day. It's been 4 years since I last visited Niigata, but I was relieved to see that the scenery and atmosphere of the town hasn't changed at all!! I've been to the famous Hakusan Shrine before, but I didn't know that the Niigata Prefectural Government Memorial Hall was next door, so this was my first time going inside the retro building to see it. There is an assembly hall inside the building, and while looking at photos from that time, I tried to imagine the assemblymen having meetings (lol) This Niigata Prefectural Government Memorial Hall is apparently the only remaining assembly building in Japan. If you have the chance, please visit it. #AutumnTravel

It seems like a baby dolphin has just been born. There was also a dolphin show. It was a set time, but there were plenty of shows and explanations. The special exhibition was Nemo. You can enjoy it even if you go around by yourself! There was also an otter, which got me excited, but I slept the whole time 😅 By showing my one-day bus pass, the 1500 yen admission fee became 1200 yen. #Niigata #Aquarium

I've always wanted to stop by here when I come to Niigata Station! For 500 yen, you get a sake cup and five coins, choose your favorite sake, and press the button to pour it into your sake cup. How fun! They also offer chaser water, so you can drink a lot! I thought it would be best to try it out first. You can buy your favorite sake at the store. You can get a free coin by showing your one-day bus pass. #NiigataStation #Ponshukan #Sake