Chubu, Japan · City
The prefectural capital, home to more sake breweries than any other prefecture in Japan: the Ponshukan right inside the station (tasting over 100 local sakes from vending machines, plus a "sake bath" for your feet), the Furumachi geisha district, Hakusan park and shrine, and a riverside walk along the Shinano to the Toki Messe observation deck.
Train — Direct Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo, no transfer, ~1h31-1h56 depending on the train (Toki faster than Max Toki), ¥10,450 unreserved. A 100% JR East route. It's also the prefecture's real hub: local lines to Yahiko and Murakami, and the port the ferry to Sado Island departs from, all start here.
Right inside Niigata Station: coin-operated tasting machines for over 100 local sakes, and a curious "sake bath" to soak your feet in.
The city's benchmark market, with fishmongers selling from the Sea of Japan, Koshihikari rice, local fruit and several places to eat the goods on the spot.
A six-arch bridge from 1929 over the Shinano, an urban symbol of Niigata and an Important Cultural Property; it takes a few minutes to cross on foot and it is lit at night.
An 1869 building and Important Cultural Property: the only one surviving from the five ports Japan opened to foreign trade. Next to it, the Minatopia museum tells the city's port history.
The city's old geigi entertainment quarter, with narrow lanes, traditional restaurants, and bars where a handful of active geigi still perform.
Soba kneaded with funori seaweed and served in rolled portions on a wooden tray; in many places it is eaten with mustard instead of wasabi.
A 300-year-old hot spring village within the city limits of Niigata itself, with traditional ryokan, a neighbourhood public bath and a short, very quiet street.
Niigata has produced a disproportionate number of manga authors, among them Rumiko Takahashi, and the city devotes two free venues to them, with original artwork, giant figures and drawing workshops. The Manga House closes on Wednesdays.
In August, three days of mass street dancing, a mikoshi parade and a fireworks display over the Shinano River.
Niigata has more sake breweries than any other prefecture in Japan; several in and around the city itself offer guided tours and tastings.
Every March some ninety breweries from the prefecture bring more than five hundred sakes together under one roof for tasting with a glass and a ticket; the ticket must be bought in advance.
The mansion of a family of major rice landowners, preserved with its gardens and a hundred-tatami hall; it explains very well how rural Niigata worked before the land reform.
Niigata's version of katsudon: thin breaded pork cutlets dipped in sweet soy sauce and served over rice with no egg or onion.
Furumachi has the highest concentration of izakaya and sake bars north of Tokyo on the Sea of Japan coast; many places serve prefectural labels exclusively.
The city's team plays at Big Swan stadium, one of the venues for the 2002 World Cup; the supporters are among the loudest in the Japanese league.
A free observation deck on the 31st floor of the port tower, with the river, the sea and, on clear days, Sado Island; especially good at sunset.
A protected wetland on the outskirts with boardwalks, an interpretation centre and a large concentration of waterbirds in winter.
The largest aquarium on the Sea of Japan coast, with dolphins, penguins and an underwater tunnel; an easy outing with children.
Yakisoba noodles covered in tomato sauce and served on a plastic tray: a local invention from the 1960s that the Mikazuki chain still sells for a few hundred yen.
A declining shopping street that has gradually been repopulated with artisans' workshops, cafes and small shops; a short, very local walk.
A collection of modern and contemporary Japanese and Western art beside the port, with temporary exhibitions and a building open to the water.
Sasa-dango, a mochi cake with sweet bean paste wrapped in a bamboo leaf, and noppe, a mild stew of root vegetables and mushrooms, are the prefecture's home cooking.
A riverside walk along the Shinano to the Toki Messe observation deck, with the city's skyline, and the nearby Hakusan park and shrine, popular during autumn foliage.
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