Japan’s Niigata Prefecture announced that its cultural and natural wonders are all set to be discovered by travellers from the United Kingdom.
With the prefectural slogan Discover Niigata; Shaped by Nature, Perfected by Time, the Japanese province is ready for the next chapter in its history as a destination, welcoming the world to discover its authentic charm, cultivated by over a thousand years of history in the heart of Japan’s snow country.
Kenichi Shirai, executive vice-president of the Niigata Prefectural Tourism Association advised travellers: "Although Niigata may not yet be on your travel bucket list, you will discover the beauty of nature through its four distinct seasons, a sake culture passed down from generation to generation, as well as the human warmth of its inhabitants and their refined craftsmanship developed over time. We hope that the encounters and experiences we will build together from today for the UK market will be truly memorable."
Lying between rugged shoreline and alpine mountains, Niigata Prefecture delivers a condensed dose of wild Japan.
Winter blankets the prefecture beneath metres of powder across the Yuzawa and Naeba resorts, while spring greens the terraced paddies, high summer lures swimmers and kayakers to the clear bays of Sasagawa Nagare, and autumn turns mountain beech forests gold.
Tasting Niigata
Niigata Prefecture is often called Japan’s rice basket, and for good reason: its Koshihikari grain, prized nationwide for its glossy texture and subtle sweetness, thrives in mineral‑rich snowmelt.
That same water underpins Niigata’s most celebrated export, sake, whose clean, dry style has earned both domestic devotion and international awards.
The prefecture’s long Sea‑of‑Japan coastline delivers an equally revered seafood haul of sweet snow crab, richly flavored rock oysters and the famed Murakami salmon, prized for its deeply spread umami flavour.
Inland, mountain produce drives a roster of comfort dishes: sasa‑dango (sweet rice dumplings steamed in bamboo leaves) and hegi‑soba, buckwheat noodles bound with the seaweed funori that once served the local textile trade, giving the noodles their unusually smooth bite.
Together these ingredients and traditions make Niigata a must‑visit for anyone in search of authentic Japanese regional cuisine.
Where traditions remain strong
Niigata’s cultural landscape is just as compelling.
Stroll across the arched Bandai Bridge, linger in the sprawling contemporary installations of the Echigo‑Tsumari Art Field, or trace centuries‑old routes to Yahiko‑jinja, a Shintō shrine tucked against the slopes of Mount Yahiko.
Each stop reveals another facet of a prefecture where nature, craftsmanship and quiet spirituality intersect.
The centre of Niigata is around two hours from Tokyo on the Joetsu Shinkansen, yet feels a world away, where the Sea of Japan meets snow‑draped mountains and centuries‑old traditions still shape daily life.
Visitors can ferry across to storied Sado Island for taiko drumming and gold‑mine heritage, sip award‑winning junmai ginjo in brewery cellars perfumed with fresh koji, join lantern‑lit parades at summer festivals, or sink into steamy onsen with outstanding amazing views of sea of Japan.
This seamless blend of coastal scenery, alpine culture and living craft makes Niigata the ideal add‑on for travellers who want authentic nature and heritage without straying far from the capital.
