Things to see and do
Traditional Hon-cho market (10am-5pm); Hakusan Koen Park and adjacent Marinepia Nihon-kai aquarium; Shibata Castle and Gardens; tulip festivals in spring; Bandai Bridge - illuminated at night; Niigata Festival in August - huge fireworks display and colorful procession; Niigata ‘Big Swan’ Stadium - host to Niigata Albirex. more stadium info
Hakusan Park & Shrine is a beautiful place for cherry-blossom viewing in spring and is the venue for the culmination of Niigata's portable shrine festival (part of Niigata Festival) from August 7-9. The last day of the Niigata Festival has a huge fireworks display over the Shinano River (Japan's longest river at 369km) and visitors can join in the Folk Dancing Parade (daiminyonagashi) over the Bandai Bridge with around 20,000 fellow participants.
The former Niigata Customs House, dates from 1869 when the port opened up to western trade and is part of the Niigata City Folk Museum.
Niigata has some pleasant beaches in summer and the Marinpia Nihonkai Aquarium has a popular dolphin show.
In winter, Niigata is a good point of access to ski and snowboard resorts in nearby Yuzawa Kogen, Tainai and Shibataninoji Ninox Snow Park all reached by local train from Niigata Station.
There are also a number of onsen resorts within easy reach of Niigata city including: Senami, Tsukioka, Deyu, Murasagi, Shirone, Odate, Iwamuro and Yahiko.
Senami Spa, north of Niigata, has views of the sea and is set in a pine forest. 10 minutes by bus from Muraki Station.
Shirone is known for its fighting kite-flying festival (tako-age) held in June.
In Yahiko, south of Niigata city, Yahiko Shrine holds an annual lantern festival in July. Mount Yahiko (altitude 638m) is known for its autumn leaves and views of Sado Island and the Japan Sea.
Toki Messe Niigata Conference Center
Tel: 025 246 8400
Niigata City Ryokan Co-operative
Tel: 025 228 5225
Niigata is the main port of access for Sado Island (Sadogashima) - an historic place of exile in medieval times, dotted with fishing villages and noted for its unspoiled nature, rich heritage of performing arts, and lively festivals featuring ondeko, or 'devil drumming'. It is home to the world-famous Kodo Drummers, a taiko drumming troupe (not, however, directly related to the local ondeko) recruited from throughout Japan based in Kodo Village on the southern Ogi peninsula. They form the core of the annual mid-summer Earth Celebration that invites indigenous acts from all over the world to Sado in August.
Access to Sado Island
There are flights to Sado from Niigata airport and ferries and jet-foils from Niigata to Ryotsu (the main town on Sadogashima).
Tel: 025 245 1234
There are also ferries and hydrofoils to Ogi on the south-west of Sado from Naoetsu-ko and ferries from Akadomari (on the southern coast of Sado) to Teradomari. Naoetsu-ko and Teradomari are both south-west of Niigata on the JR Shinetsu Main Line from Niigata.
Nightlife & Eating Out
Entertainment district: Furumachi area.
Choose your fish live from a pool in Essa in the basement of the WITH Building on Higashibori.
Canadian-owned Northern Lights, situated south of the station, serves a delicious cheese fondue as its specialty.
Immigrant's Cafe serves food from Vietnam, Cambodia and all points east, with friendly English speaking staff. Immigrant Cafe's branch restaurant, Immigrant's Med, serves Italian food with the same combination of friendly and bilingual staff.
Pooja Indian Restaurant (Tel: 025 223 9225) serves authentic Indian food at reasonable prices.
The friendly Lone Star has TexMex and Barbeque.
Foreign exchange banks on Akashi Dori and Masaya-Koji streets, near Niigata Station.
Tourist Information
"i" Information Center (8.30am-7pm; tel 025-241-7914) outside the Bandai exit of Niigata Station.
Access
AirNiigata Airport info: tel 025-275-2633. Flights from Osaka (Itami) (8 daily), Tokyo, Nagoya, Sapporo, Hiroshima and Okinawa as well as Seoul (daily), Shanghai, Xian, Harpin, Guam, Khabarovsk, Irkutsk and Vladivostok.
ANA Tel: 025 244 5812
Aeroflot Tel: 025 244 5935
Vladivostok Air Tel: 025 279 5105
Korean Air Tel: 025 244 3311
China Airlines Tel: 025 227 4158
Train
Japan Railways (JR) Joetsu Shinkansen super-express from Tokyo (2 hours) to Niigata Station. Change at Takisaki for the Nagano Shinkansen line. Some trains from Niigata to Osaka and Kyoto. Niigata Station Tel: 025 248 5211
Bus
Long-distance bus services from Ikebukuro (Tokyo) to Niigata (6 daily). Niigata also has bus links to Sendai, Kyoto and Osaka.
Ferry
Ferry to Otaru (for Sapporo, 18 hours) run by Shin-Nohonkai Ferry (tel 025-273-2171) Daily, except Mondays.
 Internet Access
BSN I- Net "Ke-Ya-Ki Club"
Yoneyama 2-4-1, Niigata
Tel 025-243-0211, free
10am-5.30pm
Internet Access
Shin-Den
Mandai 2-2-2, Niigata
Tel 025-243-6500, free
10am-8pm
Book Hotel Accommodation in Niigata Here
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Hotels in Niigata - Agoda
Rent A Mobile Phone
Rent A Mobile Phone in Niigata
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Niigata Entertainment: bars, restaurants, clubs
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Japan City Guides: Niigata
population – 480,000
