Niigata
Honshu's sake country
The rice is right in Niigata, where there's skiing in winter, festivals in summer and sake all year round.
Benefiting from the heaviest snowfall on Japan’s main island of Honshu, Niigata is known for its top-notch winter resorts featuring long gondolas and historic hot springs, like Tsubame Onsen. But the snow also blesses the prefecture with another famous attraction — rice.
When spring comes, the snow melts, bringing nutrient-rich water from the mountains down to the paddy fields and creating the perfect conditions for some of the fluffiest grains you’ll ever taste. Of course, where there’s rice, there’s also sake (rice wine), and happily, the prefecture has plenty of opportunities to sample the national drink; you can drink it, eat it and even bathe in it.
From Tokyo, it’s a fast and cheap bullet train to the enormous JR Echigo-Yuzawa station, which has its own onsen and sake tasting bar.
Niigata City
Raise your glass for a kanpai (cheers) with Niigata’s quality sake.
Niigata City is the bustling prefectural capital, split in two by Japan’s longest river, the Shinanogawa, and bordered by Japan’s Sea. Stock up on fresh seafood and premium rice. Taste the difference and enjoy the enormous range of locally brewed sake (there are 100 breweries in the city).
Similar to Oktoberfest, but for sake, the city celebrates Sake-no-jin in March. Visitors can sample more than 500 types at the fair and enjoy performances, seminars and other sake related entertainment.
Sado Island
Glide through the water in style.
Just across the water from Niigata city is Sado island, reachable with a one-hour jetfoil or two-hour ferry. A former place of exile for political dissidents, nowadays its mountains, beaches and delicious persimmons attract crowds of urban escapees.
Divided into five main areas, each part of the island offers an entirely different experience. A must-try attraction on the island would have to be the Hangiri or (washtub boats) in Shukunegi. For any Studio Ghibli fan, riding a Hangiri will make you feel like you’ve spirited away as you explore the shoreline around Ogi Peninsula.
In August, you can catch the Earth Celebration, a music and arts festival hosted by the famous Kodo Drummers.
Naeba Ski Resort
Naeba’s autumn colors in full force
In the winter, Naeba’s slopes are the starting point for the world’s longest gondola, which links four ski resorts across the mountains and some of the season’s highest quality powder.
Another big festival is Fuji Rock, a three-day international music extravaganza that draws more than 100,000 people to the scenic ski resort of Naeba in late July. It’s a huge event, with several stages featuring foreign and Japanese acts, as well as fantastic food, workshops, a fairground and surprisingly clean toilets.
Plan your trip to Niigata with the links below!
