Niigata Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Niigata (新潟) [1] is the capital of Niigata prefecture, Japan and the largest city on the Japan Sea coast.
Contents |
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 distence 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.
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, ferrie 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
Buy
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.
Sleep
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.
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