Niigata Station can be reached from Tokyo in approximately 2 hours by Joetsu shinkansen bullet train. As you emerge through the tunnels on the way, take a look out of the window and you will see a world covered in a silver layer of glistening snow spreading far beyond!

Stretching from north to south between the Sea of Japan and magnificent mountain ranges, Niigata Prefecture is an area blessed with an abundance of nature for its visitors to experience.

Hot springs on the coast, in the mountains, and in villages; sushi made using fish straight from the Sea of Japan; wine cellar tours; skiing and other activities in the snow: these are among the winter Niigata Prefecture highlights we here at JAPANiCAN.com will introduce you to below!

It goes without saying that you can take part in winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding in Niigata, but the real recommendation for visitors has to be the snow festival and Niigata's other fun snow activities. There are many things to do in Niigata in winter that can't be done at any other time of year, such as putting on snow shoes and taking a walk on the mountain snow to enjoy the winter scenery, or taking part in the snow events held in town.

From Tokyo, GALA Yuzawa ski area can be reached in a mere 77 minutes by Joetsu shinkansen (bullet train). Once you alight from the train, the ticket gate will connect you directly to the ski/snow board rental shop and Ski Center Cowabunga, which also features hot spring facilities.
The JTB Sunrise Tours package "Niigata 1-Day Ski Tour: GALA Yuzawa" includes return bullet train tickets, lift pass, and a ski rental discount ticket, all for only 12,900 JPY! Click here for more details.

Winter brings a covering of snow to Shiozawa, which still retains its Edo Period townscape. The local people, who live with this snow, love their home and have banded together in order revitalize the area and to revive it as an inn town.
The town's main street is called Bokushi Street, having been named after the Edo Period writer Bokushi Suzuki who spent his life here and is known for having written the Edo Period bestseller "Hokuetsu Seppu" (Snow Stories of North Etsu Province) about the legends and the daily life of the snow country.

Niigata's climate, natural features, abundance of snow melt water, fertile soil, and temperature differences between day and night make it perfect for the cultivation of rice. All rice grown in these perfect conditions is wonderfully delicious. In particular, Niigata-grown Koshihikari rice is famous throughout the country as Japan's best-tasting rice. Also, with the seafood caught in the Sea of Japan and fatty Murakami beef, Niigata is rich in delicious food to accompany its great rice.
Below are first-hand reports by JAPANiCAN staff members on Niigata's gourmet food!

First-rate kiwami sushi Photo by Niigata Visitors & Convention Bureau

Seasonal sushi made with fish from the Sea of Japan: this is the real taste of Japan. In particular, Niigata City's sushi chefs have created a menu known as Kiwami (First-rate) sushi -- 10 pieces of sushi made using local, seasonal fish as well as others including sea urchin, fatty tuna, and salmon roe, all of which can be enjoyed for 3,000 JPY. This is great for people who wouldn't otherwise know what to order when visiting a sushi restaurant. You can rest easy as the chef will use his skill and the best of the day's catch to create a fantastic meal for you. If you come to Niigata, please try the Kiwami sushi!

This is a great place to come and enjoy some delicious sushi even if you're in a hurry or waiting for your bullet train, as it's only a 2-minute walk from Niigata Station, doesn't close between lunch and dinner, and stays open late.

Address: 1-5-26 Higashi-Ōdori, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture
Telephone: +81- 25-245-6727
Opening hours: Monday - Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 12 midnight; Sundays & Holidays, 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. (Open every day of the year)

Murakami beef is raised on Koshihikari rice straw, and its fattiness is just right. It goes perfectly with rice. I particularly recommend you try some fresh melt-in-your-mouth meat eaten raw as sashimi on a bowl of rice. You have to try it!

Murakami has historically been known as "The Salmon Town", and has a culinary culture that includes over 100 salmon dishes. Salmon is a staple part of the diet here, and the way in which the townspeople waste very little and use every part of the fish, from top to tail -- intestines included -- makes us feel their deep respect for the precious gifts they receive from the Mimote River.

Located in a terraced row of shops, this establishment sells processed salmon goods. Visitors are able to go into the processing area - seeing the rows of salmon hanging from the ceiling is an astonishing sight!

Address: 1-20 Ōmachi, Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture
Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Niigata Prefecture is Japan's leading producer of senbei and other rice crackers. The Kuriyama Beika company, makers of the famous Baka-uke senbei rice crackers (most Japanese people will have tried them), run a senbei theme park called Niigata Senbei Ōkoku (Niigata Senbei Kingdom) located 20 minutes from Niigata Station by car. Here, visitors can find out all about senbei through the many attractions, which include: watching the bakers practice their skills in the Observation Corner; baking your own crackers to eat in the DIY Baking Corner; and enjoying different cracker-related dishes in the Eating & Drinking Corner.

Address: 2661 Niizaki, Kitaku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture
Opening hours: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (DIY Baking Corner closes at 4:00 p.m.; Eating & Drinking Corner open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Blessed with the perfect conditions for brewing and a history of excellence in traditional crafts, the sake produced in Niigata Prefecture is -- both in name and in reality -- the very best in Japan. As Japan's leading sake-producing region, the prefecture boasts 96 sake wine cellars

On the second weekend of March every year, the Toki Messe (Niigata Convention Center) plays host to the Niigata Sake no Jin (Niigata Sake Expo). This event features over 500 refined sake brands from more than 90 of Niigata's sake producers, all of which are available to try -- a boon for drinkers! Bus tours to the event that begin and end in Tokyo and include accommodation are available.
For more information, check the link (Japanese only)

Bottoms up! Photo by Niigata Visitors & Convention Bureau

Also, there are a number of wine cellars in Niigata at which visitors can learn more about the history and sake brewing techniques of the area.
Sake brewing begins with the arrival of the new rice in November and continues until early spring
The best time to see the production process in action is on winter mornings, as the machines are turned on for the billowing clouds of vapor to steam the rice only in the early morning.
The good thing about visiting these breweries is that, after having seen the brewing process, visitors who want to buy some sake are able to taste it first.
However, during the brewing period, the air is filled with a palpable feeling of tension as the workers in the brewery are dizzyingly busy using delicate traditional techniques to produce the finest sake. Take care not to interrupt this delicate process when looking around!

* For reservations for visiting wine cellars, please ask at your hotel.

Jōkamachi and Murakami have long been prosperous sake-brewing areas. Here, the Taiyō Shuzō Brewery came about through the merger of 14 of the old local breweries, and now produces the great ginjō-shu-type sake called Taiyō Zakari. This special sake is brewed using water that flows from the Sea of Japan into the underground Miomote River, and using rice grown specifically for the purpose by the brewery workers.

In winter, Shiozawa is covered in a deep layer of snow. Using this snow country's pure water and the delicious local Koshihikari rice from Uonuma, Kakurei sake is produced. Rather than mass producing the sake, the locals carefully and lovingly produce this high-quality drink by hand.

The [NIIGATA O.C.] Mark (Niigata Original Control)

This mark is only allocated to bottles of sake that fulfill the following five requirements: made using Niigata water; made using Niigata rice; brewed in Niigata; made using Niigata techniques; and of a quality that has been independently verified. Try finding a bottle bearing this mark to have a taste of the best Niigata sake!

The train station at Echigo Yuzawa houses a sake museum called the Ponshu-kan. Here you can taste and compare five of the most famous brands of Niigata sake for 500 JPY. Also, here you can find many fascinating souvenirs that include sweets made with sake and unusual drinking vessels. Why not go and have a look while waiting for your train?

As well as being home to Michelin Guide-listed Sado Island, Niigata is also home to many events based on traditional culture, festivals, and traditional arts. Experiencing each season's festivals, visitors can feel closer to the real Japan. With the traditions of cherry blossom viewing in spring, fireworks in summer, autumn leaves viewing in fall, and the snow festivals of winter, visitors can appreciate the many faces of Japanese beauty.

For Sado Island-related trip information, please check the following links:

Shiozawa and Murakami still feature rows of Edo Period buildings, and during March and April they will hold an event during which visitors are free to see sets of dolls on display in the houses and shops. Not only can you see these hinasama dolls, which have been passed down from generation to generation, but you will also have the precious experience of being able to take a peek into the lives of the people of Niigata.

[Shiozaki] Doll Snow-View Display (Hina Yukimi Kazari):
From 20 February 2010 until 3 April 2010.

[Murakami] Townhouse Doll Viewing (Hina Ningyo Meguri):
From 1 March 2010 until 3 April 2010.
In September there is another event that attracts many repeat visitors, the Townhouse Folding Screen Festival (Machiya no Byobu Matsuri), during which households and shops put on display the folding screens that have been handed down through the generations, as well as other antiques such as everyday articles and art.

If you are going to experience the facets of Japanese culture listed here - sake, gourmet food, hot springs, snow - then you have to stay in an onsen ryokan (traditional Japanese inn with hot spring baths)!
Niigata, which boasts the third most hot springs of any prefecture, is a treasure trove of hot springs as anywhere you go, be it in the mountains or on the coast, you will find good-quality hot springs welling up. There are around 200 hot springs here to soothe the soul, including Yuzawa Onsen (made famous by the novel "Snow Country"), and Senami Onsen on the Sea of Japan that boasts what is said to be Japan's best sunset, both at approximately an hour from Tokyo by bullet train. Staying at a traditional Japanese ryokan inn means great food and hot spring baths.

The hot springs at Senami Onsen were discovered over 100 years ago, and are located only 10 minutes from Murakami City. What could be better after having visited the old houses in Murakami's castle town than to see a wonderful sunset, eat some delicious seafood from the Sea of Japan and then relax in a hot spring bath?

Suggested Senami Onsen area hotels:

Built on the beach of the Senami coast, on clear days the beautiful sunset -- with the sun sinking into the Sea of Japan -- can be seen from everywhere in the hotel including every room, the open-air bath, and the lobby.
Also, guests can enjoy fresh, handmade bread for breakfast every morning - a nice break from Japanese food!

Aikawa Onsen is a hot spring in the Aikawa area of Sado Island. As this onsen is located right on the island's west coast, wonderful sunsets can be seen with the magnificent Sea of Japan spreading out from directly beneath you. Another plus is the fact that there are many sightseeing spots in the surrounding area, including the Sado gold mine.

The hotel is located in a quasi-national park on the picturesque Aikawa Nanaura coast. Features a 230 sq m grass park, a beach walkway, sunsets into the Japan Sea, open-air baths, and serves popular seafood dishes.

This onsen resort, made even more famous as the setting of the novel "Snow Country" by Yasunari Kawabata, is a hot spring town with rows of restaurants and souvenir shops outside its station. But, only a short walk away visitors will find themselves surrounded in nature. The area is easily accessed, taking only 90 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train.

Suggested Yuzawa Onsen area hotels:

This is the ryokan in which Yasunari Kawabata wrote his novel "Snow Country". Given its high elevation, this is a great place to stay if you are looking for peace and quiet. The mineral deposits at the source of this hot spring look like they have beaten egg in them, hence this spring being known as the "Egg Spring". Also, the waters' skin-smoothing effects are appreciated by female visitors - why not take a dip and watch the snow fall?

This hotel features a total of 28 hot spring baths including: the "Sky Bath" on the top floor, from which a grand panorama of the river valley below can be seen; the "Mountain Bath" made of wood and stone and located in a garden; and the "Village Bath" where you can play and have fun.

Kaikake Onsen is a hot spring with over 700 years of history. This spring is said to have curative effects for sufferers of eye disease, and has come to be known as the "Eye Spring". The open-air bath is surrounded by nature giving it an unencumbered and open feeling. Why not come and enjoy watching the snow fall while relaxing in this bath?

Yutagami Onsen sits at the foot of Mt. Gomado, which is famous for its hydrangeas and overlooks Echigo Heiya. It is easy to get here as it is only 20 km (12.4 mi) south of Niigata City, located in the middle of Niigata Heiya.

From the open-air bath on top of this 6-story building, you can see the magnificent view of Echigo Heiya spread out beneath you and even see Sado Island in the far distance. If you want to spend some quiet time in amongst nature, this is the place for you.