Get in
By train
Niigata is the terminus of the Joetsu Shinkansen line to Tokyo. The fastest trains take just over 2 hours and cost ¥10,270 one-way. The Shinkansen is also a fast and cost-effective way to access Niigata from Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe (5 hours and about ¥22,000 each way, with a change of trains in Tokyo).
A cheaper way to reach Niigata from Tokyo is to take the Moonlight Echigo from Shinjuku, which makes a 6-hour run leaving Tokyo at night and arriving in Niigata very early in the morning. The train costs ¥5,910 each way, but is more popular during Seishun 18 Ticket seasons when the price can be as low as ¥2,000.
The Hokuetsu limited express runs from Toyama and Kanazawa five times a day (3.5 hours, ¥8,280 one way from Kanazawa).
Trains to and from the north are fewer and farther between. The most convenient service is the Inaho limited express to Akita, which runs three times a day (4 hours, ¥7,020 one way). Local trains also run up and down the Japan Sea coast, but only run every two hours or so toward the northern part of the prefecture.
By plane
Niigata Airport handles international flights from the Russian Far East (Vladivostok twice weekly on Vladivostok Air; Khabarovsk twice weekly; Irkutsk once weekly), Korea (Seoul daily on Korean Air), China (Shanghai and Xian three times weekly on China Eastern, Harbin four times weekly on China Northern), and Guam (twice weekly on Continental). There are also frequent domestic flights from Osaka (¥25,100 one way), Sapporo (¥28,700 one way), Fukuoka (¥31,700 one way), and other cities.
By bus
Niigata Transit runs highway buses to Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo (5.5 hours, ¥5,250 one way), Nagoya (7.5 hours, ¥7,800 one way), and overnight to Osaka and Kyoto (8 hours, ¥8,450 each way), as well as to a number of other cities.
By boat
Sado Kisen operates frequent services to Ryotsu on Sado Island. Rapid ferries cost ¥5,960 and cover the distance in one hour, while larger car ferries cost just ¥2,060 but take 2.5 hours.
Ferries to Vladivostok appear to be discontinued until further notice, but as of 2005 there are still regular services from Toyama.
Get around
They have a bus system that is very good, but also its very easy to walk everywhere, most of the main attractions are all within walking distance from each other.
See
Niigata is a large city but it has few attractions for the tourist in itself. Tourists may head for the close Sado Island.
There is "Echigo hillside park" in Nagaoka, near Niigata city. It is a national park and it costs 400 yen for adults. You can see beautiful Japanese flowers, trees and garden. Also, it has great restaurant and BBQ place.
Nagaoka is famous for fire works. Nagaoka festival is held in August 1 to 3 every year. On August 1, an eve event is held, on 2 and 3, fire works is launched. About twenty thousands fire works are launched aroud Shinano river side for 2 days.
In Niigata, you can enjoy Shinano River Cruise. You can see the scenery of Niigata City from the waterbus that runs along the Shinano River. There is also an open-air deck where passengers can relax and enjoy the view from the river outside. There are three cruises a day.
It has an excellent museum, the Northern Culture Museum, which was originally a wealthy family's home, built 1885-1887. The museum comprises several buildings, and a few restaurants/cafes. Documents and art collections including paintings and sculptures from former households are on display. It is worth at least a half day visit.
Do
There are many things to do in Niigata, it has a wonderful shopping area, the rainbow tower, the ocean is not that far away, it has a beautiful theater, ferry rides down the river, museums, in the winter you can watch the swans come in and much much more. Just check out their site and you can see that there are many things you can do as a tourist
Eat
Niigata area is famous for their rice, Niigata has the best rice in the country.
Drink
Along with hundreds of Izakayas and other Japaneses bars, there are a number of foreigner-run bars in the city. These include: Hot Spot, Northern Lights Canadian bar, Shame and Immigrants Cafe, which also does great food at reasonable prices.
Get out
Niigata prefecture is an area rich in natural resources and it's natural park area ranks second in the nation. Niigata-ken also has the second most bathing beaches in Japan, the third most ski resorts and the fourth most hot springs (onsen) in the country.
is located on Honshū island on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name Niigata literally means "New Lagoon".
History
Niigata prefecture was originally divided into Echigo Province and Sado Province until the Meiji Restoration. During the Sengoku period it was ruled by Uesugi Kenshin.
Niigata-shi (the city) is the largest and most important among the cities which face the Sea of Japan. It has been an important seaport since the opening of Japan by Matthew Perry in the mid-1800s, especially for trade with Russia and northern Korea, and was the first port on the Sea of Japan to be opened to foreign trade.
The Etsuzankai organization, led by prime minister Tanaka Kakuei, was highly influential in bringing infrastructure improvements to Niigata in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Joetsu Shinkansen high speed rail line and Kanetsu Expressway to Tokyo.
Today, Niigata is well-known for being visited by a freighter from North Korea once a month: one of the few direct contacts with the communist country.
On October 23, 2004, the Chuetsu Earthquake struck Niigata Prefecture, causing shaking measured at Shindo 6+ at Ojiya.
On January 9, 2006, a heavy winter storm caused much trouble in the prefecture and its surroundings. At least 71 people died and over a thousand were injured.
On July 16, 2007, the area saw another series of earthquakes--the 2007 Chuetsu Earthquake (:ja:新潟県中越地震|新潟県中越地震)--the first at 10:19 local time and the last at 15:53 local time (aftershocks are continuing as of this writing 21:47, 16 July 2007 (UTC)). The biggest quake measured 6-upper on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale in Niigata, and 6.7 on the Richter scale according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Geography
Niigata prefecture stretches about 240 km along the Sea of Japan from southwest to north east, with a coastal plain between the mountains and the sea. It also includes Sado Island.
Because of the shape, Niigata prefecture is often called small Honshū-Main Island. It could be placed in either the Hokuriku or Koshinetsu regions, each considered part of the greater Chubu region.
The prefecture is generally divided into four geographical areas: Joetsu (in the south), Chuetsu (in the center), Kaetsu (in the north), and Sado Island. It is home to the mouth of the Shinano River, the longest river in Japan.
Cities
20 cities are located in Niigata Prefecture:
ǂ Scheduled to be dissolved following mergers.
Mergers
:the town of Kurosaki from Nishikanbara District was amagalated into the city of Niigata.
:the town of Toyoura from Kitakanbara District was amagalated into the city of Shibata.
:the city of Ryotsu merged with all towns and villages within Sado District (dissolved with this merger) to form the city of Sado.
:the towns of Suibara and Yasuda and the villages of Kyogase and Sasakami (all from Kitakanbara District) merged to form the city of Agano.
:The towns of Muika and Yamato from Minamiuonuma District merged to form the city of Minamiuonuma.
:The towns of Horinouchi and Koide and the villages of Hirokami, Irihirose, Sumon and Yunotani (all from Kitauonuma District) merged to form the city of Uonuma.
:The town of Yasuzuka and the villages of Maki, Oshima and Uragawara (all from Higashikubiki District) the towns of Itakura, Kakizaki, Ogata and Yoshikawa and the villages of Kiyosato, Kubiki, Nakagou and Sanwa (all from Nakakubiki District)+the town of Nadachi from Nishikubiki District=>the city of Joetsu.
:The city of Itoigawa merged with the remaining parts of Nishikubiki District (dissolved by this action) - the towns of Nou and Oumi to form the city of Itoigawa.
:The city of Niitsu, Shirone and Toyosaka, the towns of Kameda, Kosudo and Yokogoshi from Nakakanbara District and the town of Nishikawa and the villages of Ajikata, Iwamuro, Katahigashi, Nakanokuchi and Tsukigata from Nishikanbara District were all merged into the city of Niigata.
:The remaining parts of Nakakubiki District (dissolved by this action) - the town of Myokokogen and the village of Myoko were merged into the city of Arai. Arai changed its name to Myoko at the same time.
:The town of Oguni from Kariwa District, the village of Yamakoshi from Koshi District, the town of Nakanoshima from Minamikanbara District and the towns of Koshiji and Mishima from Santo District merged into the city of Nagaoka. (Koshi District was thereby dissolved.)
:The city of Tokamachi merged with the towns of Matsudai and Matsunoyama from Higashikubiki District (dissolved by this merger) and the town of Kawanishi and the village of Nakasato from Nakauonuma District to create the city of Tokamachi.
:All municipalities within Higashikanbara District merged to form the town of Aga.
:The towns of Nishiyama and Takayanagi from Kariwa District were merged into the city of Kashiwazaki.
:The town of Shiunji and the village of Kajikawa from Kitakanbara District were merged into the city of Shibata.
:The city of Sanjo merged with the town of Sakae and the village of Shitada (both from Minamikanbara District) to create the city of Sanjo.
:The town of Nakajo+Kurokawa (both from Kitakanbara District) merged to form the city of Tainai.
:The town of Shiozawa from Minamiuonuma District merged into the city of Minamiuonuma.
:The town of Maki from Nishikanbara District merged into the city of Niigata.
:the city of Gosen merged with the town of Muramatsu from Nakakanbara District (dissolved by this merger) to form the city of Gosen.
:The city of Tochio, the towns of Teradomari and Yoita and the village of Washima from Santo District were all absorbed into the city of Nagaoka.
:The city of Tsubame merged with the towns of Bunsui and Yoshida from Nishikanbara District to create the city of Tsubame.
Future mergers
Economy
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
The major industry in Niigata is agriculture. Rice is the principal product, with Niigata ranking 2nd (after Hokkaidō) among the prefectures for total rice output. The area around Uonuma is especially known for its Koshihikari variety of rice, which is widely thought of as the highest quality rice in Japan.
Rice-related industries are also very important to the local economy. Niigata prefecture is known throughout Japan for its quality sake, senbei, mochi, and arare. In sake production, Niigata is third in the country after Gunma and Kyoto prefectures.
The prefecture is famous as the original home of the ornamental carp known as koi, and the best-quality koi are still considered to come from the farms of Niigata.
The production volume of azaleas and cut lilies grown in Niigata is one of the highest in Japan. Niigata also enjoys increasing volumes of cut flowers and flower bulb production: along with Toyama prefecture, Niigata produces the most tulips in the country.
Mining and manufacturing
Niigata is a source for crude oil, not often found on the Japanese islands. Relating to this, there is also much production of kerosene heaters (useful in the cold Niigata winters).
Ginsan on Sado Island was an active gold mine until its closing in 1989.
Metal manufacturing is also prevalent. Sanjo and Tsubame produce 9% of all metal silverware in Japan, by far the most for one area in the country. After Osaka, the two cities also produce the most scissors, kitchen knives, and wrenches.
Niigata supposedly produces the most knitted textile products in the country. However, it has been suggested that some of these are actually from China.
The nuclear power plant with the highest energy output in the world is located in the tiny village of Kariwa.
Demographics
In 1885, Niigata was the most populous prefecture, beating out even Tokyo and Osaka prefecture. However, according to the 2003 census Niigata ranks as the 14th most populous.
Like much of Japan, Niigata shows signs of an aging population, specifically in the more rural areas.
Culture
Food
Niigata is known for the following regional specialities:
Niigata's firsts
Niigata in film and literature
Tourism
Much of the tourism in Niigata centers around the popular winter activities of skiing and going to onsen, especially in the alpine areas of Myoko and Yuzawa.
Sado Island off the west coast of Niigata is also another popular tourist spot. It is easily accessible via ferry from Naoetsu or Niigata City.
Prefectural symbols
http://www.pref.niigata.jp/seisaku/kokusai/english/symbol/symbol.html
Notables
Politics and the military
Arts and culture
Sports
Professional sports clubs
External links
