region image

Niigata

Leading ski getaway famous for rice and sake

About Niigata
Photo: Krishna.Wu / Shutterstock.com

Top Attractions in Niigata

Niigata Top 10

Upcoming Niigata Events

Plum Blossom Season at Hakusan Park

Plum Blossom Season at Hakusan Park

Late Jan - Late Mar

After snowy winters, the signs of imminent spring are cherished in Niigata. One of the first signs that spring is on the way are..

Free Entry
Tsunan Snow Carrot Digging Competition

Tsunan Snow Carrot Digging Competition

Sunday - Mar 24th

The Tsunan specialty of snow carrots are sweet and almost fruit-like in taste, and they're celebrated at the Tsunan Snow Carrot..

¥1,500
Murakami Machiya Doll Tour

Murakami Machiya Doll Tour

Mar 1st - Apr 3rd

The annual Murakami Machiya Doll Tour involves traditional hina dolls on display at equally historic venues–machiya are tradit..

¥300

Where to eat in Niigata

Sanpoutei in Koide

Sanpoutei in Koide

Rufus Starbuck

A gluttonous friend recently revealed to me that he makes a stop on his way back to his hometown, pulling off the expressway i..

Places to stay in Niigata

Latest Niigata Reports

JR Tadami Line

JR Tadami Line

Kim

The JR Tadami line is a scenic railway route that runs through the mountainous regions of Fukushima and Niigata prefectures. The..

Kajikawachisui Memorial Park

Kajikawachisui Memorial Park

Kim

For those living in or visiting Niigata Prefecture during sakura season, one of the region's best spots to explore is the Kajikawachisui..

4
Close

About Niigata

Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Chubu
Island Honshu
Capital Niigata
Population 2,374,450
Area 12,584.10 km²

What’s the most important food in the everyday diets of Japanese people? The answer is rice, and no prefecture does it better than Niigata Prefecture (新潟県, Niigata-ken) and their Koshi Hikari brand when it comes to rice. And that also means you can find some of Japan’s top sake there too.

Niigata is also one of the top hot springs and winter sports destinations as well; the popular Naeba Ski Resort doubles as the host of the Fuji Rock Festival (Japan’s largest outdoor music event) in late July. The Nagaoka Festival almost immediately after it is one of the three biggest fireworks displays in Japan.

Niigata’s beaches are wildly underrated, often overlooked at the expense of those on the Pacific coast. The idyllic island of Sado is famous for being the breeding spot of the rare Japanese crested ibis and for its gold mine. 

Close