Niigata city [新潟市]

Niigata city is the prefectural capital of Niigata Prefecture.
It is located a little at the north part of the prefecture.

The city faces the Sea of Japan, and is the largest on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu Island.

Shinano River and Agano River flows through the city.
The central area of the city is around the mouth of Shinano River.
(Shinano River is the longest river in Japan, but the length is only 367 km.)

A town has been in this area from ancient times, and has been an important point of water and land transport.

Niigata Port is an important port on the Sea of Japan side.
And Niigata station is the terminal of Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo.

Welcome to Niigata city

Sake of Niigata

Niigata Prefecture is a major rice producing area.
So, it is the area that Sake is also tasty.

Niigata Prefecture has the most sake breweries (89 breweries) in Japan.
Many of Sake in Niigata are drier than the other region.

There is Ponshu-kan (ぽんしゅ館) in the building of JR Niigata station.

There are all sake of Niigata Prefecture in this facility and you can buy them.
And you can try five different types of sake for 500 yen.

Ponshu-kan

You can visit Sake brewery close to JR Niigata station.
There is Imayo-tsukasa Sake Brewery (今代司酒造) about 1.2 km east of the station. (About 20 minutes walk)

The small brewery was founded in 1767.
You can tour the brewery on the hour from 9:00 to 16:00.

Imayo-tsukasa Sake Brewery

Bandai Bridge (萬代橋)

Bandai Bridge ("Bandai-bashi" in Japanese) is a bridge across Shinano River in the central Niigata city.
It is located about 1 km northwest of JR Niigata station.

It is made of reinforced concrete with granite siding, and has six arches.
The length is about 307 meters and the width is about 22 meters.

The first bridge was built in 1886, and the current bridge was rebuilt in 1929.

In 1964, the Great Niigata Earthquake occured.
Another new bridge completed in 1962 was destroyed, but this old bridge withstood the earthquake.

Damaged Niigata citizens were encouraged by the strength of the bridge, so it became the symbol of Niigata city.

It has been designated as a nationally important cultural property in 2004.

Toki Messe (朱鷺メッセ)

Toki Messe is a complex facility with some buildings for a exhibition hall, an international conference hall, a hotel, offices and a few consular offices.

It is located about 1 km northeast of Bandai Bridge and beside Shinano River.

A tall building "Bandaijima building" in this facility has the observation room on the 31th floor at the level of 125 meters.
Currently, the name of the observatory is Befco Bakauke Observatory Room. (The name is by naming rights of a rice cracker maker in Niigata.)

We can see the scenery of Niigata city, Sea of Japan, Sado island on the observatory.

Toki Messe

Hakusan Shrine (白山神社)

Hakusan Shrine is a Shinto shrine located about 1.5 km east of Bandai Bridge.

The shrine was founded in the 10th or 11th century, and was transferred in deities from sacred Mount Hakusan in Ishikawa Prefecture.

The current main shrine was built in 1647.

This shrine is known as the god of marriage.
If you visit here and worship, you may succeeded in love.

Niigata Saito Villa (旧齋藤家別邸)

Niigata Saito Villa is a villa with Japanese garden.
It is located about 1.2 km west-southwest of Bandai Bridge.

This villa was constructed by Saito Kijuro in 1918.
He was a wealthy merchant in this region.

Niigata city obtained ownership of the villa in 2009, and has opened to the public.
It is designated as National Scenic Beauty.

Both the villa and the Japanese garden are excellent works.

Niigata Saito Villa

Marinepia Nihonkai (マリンピア日本海)

Marinepia Nihonkai is an aquarium by the Sea of Japan, and is located about 3 km northwest of Niigata station.
"Nihonkai" means "Sea of Japan".

It is the largest aquarium on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu Island.
About 450 kinds of 20,000 sea creatures are bred in this aquarium.

Marinepia Nihonkai

How to get here

By Joetsu-Shinkansen, 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes from Tokyo.

By express bus, about 6 hours from Tokyo, about 11 hours from Osaka. (Night bus)

Other Tourist Attractions in Niigata Prefecture

Echigo-Yuzawa Naeba ski resort Kiyotsukyo gorge Hoshitoge Rice Terrace Fukushimagata lagoon Lake Hyo Tsukioka Onsen Sasagawa-nagare coast Yahiko Shrine Myoko highland Sado Island

Return to Niigata Prefecture Return to Koshin-etsu Region