Niigata Prefecture
This open-air gallery was conceived in 2000 as a way to bring visitors to this enchantingly beautiful rural area of green fields and historical wooden…
©Yamata Katsuaki/500px
Niigata Prefecture
Skirting the west coast of Tōhoku, Niigata Prefecture (新潟県; Niigata-ken) is known for its snow-covered mountains, rocky coastal stretches and established onsen villages. In summer thousands descend on the small mountain hamlet of Naeba for the famed Fuji Rock Festival, while in winter city slickers carve up the slopes around Naeba and nearby Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen. The prefecture's sprawling capital city, Niigata, is an industrial and transport hub, with excellent transport connections, and is the gateway to quiet Sado-ga-shima, a working island with an interesting history and a rugged natural beauty.
Leave the planning to a local expert
Experience the real Niigata Prefecture. Let a local expert handle the planning for you.
Get startedAttractions
Must-see attractions
Niigata Prefecture
Wander the polished wooden floors of this beautifully preserved Japanese summer house built in 1918, a luscious example of turn-of-the-century Japanese…
Niigata Prefecture
This petite, elegant museum stages interesting temporary exhibitions by Japanese artists and also has a well-curated permanent collection of local and…
Nippō Media Ship Sora-no-hiroba
Niigata Prefecture
Visit the observation deck on the 20th floor of this skyscraper for amazing 360-degree views over the Sea of Japan, Niigata city and the distant mountains…
Niigata Prefecture
You'll have to venture up a steep mountain to access this gold mine, which produced large quantities of gold and silver until its demise in 1989. Descend…
Niigata Prefecture
This lovely little museum displays memorabilia from the life of author Kawabata Yasunari, the first Japanese recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature,…
Niigata Prefecture
Come to this former 1920s schoolhouse, saved from demolition to take up a new life as a folk museum, to gawk at all manner of Sado's cultural artefacts …
Niigata Prefecture
This rustic wooden temple, with its thatched roof and pleasant gardens, is where the Buddhist monk Nichiren was first brought when exiled to Sado in 1271…
Plan with a local
Articles
Latest stories from Niigata Prefecture
Filter by interest:
Food
Riding Japan’s ‘New Golden Route’: Traditional Niigata, Shiga and SaitamaFeb 17, 2021 • 8 min read
Guidebooks
Purchase our award-winning guidebooks
Get to the heart of Niigata Prefecture with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.