Vibrant Metropolis, Celebrated for Its Cuisine Culture, Quaint Streetscapes, and Brewing Community
Niigata is a beautiful city whose northwest faces the Sea of Japan. As one of Japan's leading agricultural cities, Niigata has a beautiful landscape of rice fields, well-known for its sake and rice heritage. Thanks to its abundant nature and perfect climate, Niigata became an agricultural powerhouse and historically acquired a reputation for its plentiful, abundant food output.
Life in Niigata City is closely tied to its coastal location on the Sea of Japan. During the Edo Period, Niigata positioned itself as one of Japan's leading port cities, helping facilitate trade between Hokkaido in the north down to the Seto Inland Sea and Kyoto/Osaka areas. These trade channels ensured a combination of regional ingredients, wares and skills passed through Niigata city, helping the city flourish in terms of food culture. With this kind of heritage, Niigata City is often seen as the center of Niigata's wider burgeoning food culture but also lays claim to many other cultural attractions too.
“Nuttari Terrace Street” was renovated from the Japanese old “nagaya“(row houses) that used to be called “Nuttari Market Street”. It was 2015 that Nuttari Terrace Street officially started after all nagaya had been occupied by unique shops, including Izakaya(Japanese-style restaurant), ceramic art studio, bakery, deli, accessory shops, and bookstore etc.
"Furumachi" was once a flourishing geisha district during the Edo Period. In fact, Niigata City's Furumachi district was considered one of the three most prestigious areas in Japan for geisha, or geigi as they are known here. Due to Niigata City’s past as the main port of call on the Kitamaebune route, Furumachi emerged as a lively entertainment district. Here, highly-skilled geigi would entertain the visiting merchants with their dancing and shamisen (traditional Japanese string instrument) performances.
While Niigata has many delicious foods to boast, it is most notable for its rice and its sake. "Ponshukan", located in Niigata Station, especially offers over 90 of the prefecture’s sake brands to taste test from a vending machine.
Life in Niigata City is closely tied to its coastal location on the Sea of Japan. During the Edo Period, Niigata positioned itself as one of Japan's leading port cities, helping facilitate trade between Hokkaido in the north down to the Seto Inland Sea and Kyoto/Osaka areas. These trade channels ensured a combination of regional ingredients, wares and skills passed through Niigata city, helping the city flourish in terms of food culture. With this kind of heritage, Niigata City is often seen as the center of Niigata's wider burgeoning food culture but also lays claim to many other cultural attractions too.
“Nuttari Terrace Street” was renovated from the Japanese old “nagaya“(row houses) that used to be called “Nuttari Market Street”. It was 2015 that Nuttari Terrace Street officially started after all nagaya had been occupied by unique shops, including Izakaya(Japanese-style restaurant), ceramic art studio, bakery, deli, accessory shops, and bookstore etc.
"Furumachi" was once a flourishing geisha district during the Edo Period. In fact, Niigata City's Furumachi district was considered one of the three most prestigious areas in Japan for geisha, or geigi as they are known here. Due to Niigata City’s past as the main port of call on the Kitamaebune route, Furumachi emerged as a lively entertainment district. Here, highly-skilled geigi would entertain the visiting merchants with their dancing and shamisen (traditional Japanese string instrument) performances.
While Niigata has many delicious foods to boast, it is most notable for its rice and its sake. "Ponshukan", located in Niigata Station, especially offers over 90 of the prefecture’s sake brands to taste test from a vending machine.
