This walking tunnel is in Joshinetsu Kogen National Park in Tokamachi. It opened as a tourist location in October of 1996 as a place where you can safely see Kiyotsu Gorge, one of Japan's three largest gorges. There are three viewing platforms along the 750-meter long tunnel with a panorama station at the deepest part. Here you can appreciate the country's beautiful natural gorges and columnar jointing topography designated as a National Natural Monument. No matter the season, be it the new sprouting leaves of spring, the verdant greens of summer, the crimson colors of fall, or the fresh snow of winter, lots of tourists come to enjoy the ever-changing beauty of the gorge. The tunnel is closed from mid-January to late March.

As Japan’s largest gold mine this was under the Tokugawa shogunate’s direct control and was engaged in the production of koban (small former Japanese oval gold coins). Operations ceased in 1989 due to an exhaustion of its resources, which brought to a close 400 years of history. The mining and refining facilities on the grounds have been designated as National Important Cultural Properties. Currently visitors can see exhibits of model exhibits of the Sado Kinzan during the Edo period based on drawings from Sado Kinzan Emaki (picture scrolls) as well as the remains of actual tunnels that were used.

This stadium is the central facility in Niigata Prefectural Sports Park and is also a certified first class track-and-field event ground. Maximum capacity is around 42,300 spectators. The renowned comprehensive stadium facility is fully capable of hosting international-level events. It also served as the stadium for the opening game in Japan during the 200 FIFA World Cup, even event watched by the world. Also used as the home stadium of the Albirex Niigata J1 League professional soccer team. During Albirex games, the facility is filled with fans.

This roadside station is in Noukodomari, Itoigawa City. In addition to the main building with four restaurants and shops, there is the “Sengyo Center” that sells seafood from the Sea of Japan, and the “Kaniya Yokocho” (fishing forbidden in January and February) which sells red snow crabs caught in Nou Fishing Port. And, in the adjacent “Kanikani Kan,” there are tables and a place to wash your hands. They bring the crab soon after purchase, so you can try it.

A hot spring district which was first developed over 100 years ago and which has long been loved as the retreat of Niigata. The area's beautiful emerald green sulfur springs contain some of the highest mineral concentrations of any spring in the country. Boasting powerful whitening and antibacterial effects, their waters are said to aid recovery from fatigue and promote health in addition to easing skin diseases, cuts, and other ailments. These waters also leave the skin smooth and soft and have long been revered for their beautifying and antiaging properties. The district is home to mixed gender bathing facilities, hot spring inns, and hand- and footbaths and, unusual for an area with sulfur springs, hot spring water drinking facilities, and this hot spring village also bears the self-imposed title of the worst-tasting hot spring in Japan.

Kasugayama Castle was built on Mt. Kasuga, transforming the entire mountain into an important strategic position; the Castle is famous as the main residence of Uesugi Kenshin. It is ranked 32nd in the list of the Top 100 Castles of Japan. Restoration work is currently underway, and the Castle is gradually starting to regain some of its former appearance. When the castle was still intact, the Honmaru (central bailey) was located on the mountain-top, with a castle town at the foot of the mountain where the residences of important retainers and the lord’s relatives were located. Kasugayama Castle is located around 13-minute drive from Kasugayama Station on the Myoko Haneuma Line.

This resort in Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture sits between Joetsu Kokusai Ski Area and Nakasato Kiyotsu Ski Resort. The 510-hectare resort features hot springs and a variety of seasonal activities to try, making it a popular destination. The resort's Atema Onsen hot springs spa features alkaline spring waters thought to have effects including relieving nerve and muscle pain. Guests can enjoy the changing scenery of the four seasons from one of its four bathtubs. In addition to all-season activities like swimming in the resort's indoor pool or enjoying soba noodle-making lessons, guests can enjoy a number of seasonal activities. These include indoor soccer, tennis, and canoeing during the green season, and snow activities like skiing during the winter.

At the Roadside Station Tsubame-Sanjo Regional Industries Promotion Center, the Regional Products Store displays and sells Sanjo cutlery, and the restaurant Messepia features a choice of cutlery and local dishes. Both are popular. At the Regional Products Store, you can buy souvenirs with that special Niigata flavor, such as local sake, koshihikari rice and Echigo sweets, in addition to western kitchenware and knives. Approximately five minutes by car via Sanjo Tsubame Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway.

At Hoshitoge, around 200 tanada (terraced rice fields) of different sizes dot the slopes; the appearance of the landscape changes with the seasons and with the time of day. During the period when the “Sea of Clouds” effect and the “Mizukagami” phenomenon (whereby the surface of the flooded rice fields shines like a mirror) are most common, the Hoshitoge area receives large numbers of tourists from throughout Japan. However, the fields are located on working farms, so visitors are asked to be respectful and considerate. The Hoshitoge terraced rice fields are located around 20-minute walk from Matsudai Station on the Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line.

The Fossa Magna Museum opened 1994 is a museum about rocks for learning about our natural environment and resources, as provided by the Earth across ages and geological eras. In the six-room exhibition area, you can see fossils and beautiful ores (jade) of Itoigawa River. Approximately 10 minutes by car via Itoigawa Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway.

Approximately a ten-minute walk from the Echigo Tokimeki Railway's Itoigawa Station, the incredible variety of stones on this shingle beach are brought downstream by the river. The flowing water smooths the edges of the stones, and occasionally, Jade can be found mixed in with the rounded stones, being carried through the city by the Himekawa River. If a person is lucky enough to find some, they are allowed to take it with them. In addition to Jade, other beautiful stones and precious stones can sometimes be found in the river, and you can ask for the stones to be appraised at the Fossa Magna Museum in Miyama Park in the city.

Shibata Castle (also known as Ayame Castle) is a designated National Important Cultural Property. The Castle is one of only a handful of surviving castles that were built using the Namako-kabe design (characteristic of castles in Northern Japan) whereby the joints between the stone blocks that form the walls are made as neat as possible by cutting the blocks precisely to shape using the Kirikomihagi technique, for improved aesthetic effect. The three-tiered Yagura tower, which was built instead of a conventional Tenshu-kaku (central tower), was a distinctive building decorated with three Shachihoko (legendary sea-creatures) on the roof; this tower was reconstructed in 2004 and is well worth seeing.

Takada Park was built on the site of what was formerly Takada Castle, a castle built as a residence for Tokugawa Tadateru, the sixth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu; the entire Park has been designated as an official Historic Site by Niigata Prefectural Government. A variety of cultural and sporting facilities are located within Takada Park, including the reconstructed Sanju-yagura (three-tiered tower) of the old Takada Castle, the Castle Museum, the Kobayashi Kokei Memorial Museum of Art, Takada Library, and the Mimei Ogawa Literature Museum (located inside the Library), making the Park a favorite place for local residents to spend their leisure time. With around 4,000 cherry trees, Takada Park is also a popular spot for viewing the cherry blossom in spring. Takada Park is located around eight- minute drive from Takada Station on the Myoko Haneuma Line.

Occupying an extensive site, Echigo Hillside National Government Park has plenty of fun things to do and experience. This is a nature park where visitors can enjoy the beautiful flowers and scenery (which changes with the seasons), experience life in a Satoyama (traditional community-managed forest) habitat, and learn about the different plants and animals that have evolved in concert with human agricultural activity. Visitors can eat in the Rest House, or enjoy an outdoor barbecue. Echigo Hillside National Government Park is located around 10-minute drive from the Nagaoka Interchange of the Hokuriku Expressway.

Kojimaya Souhonten, said to be the birthplace of local specialty Hegisoba, located in Nakayashiki, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture. Hegisoba is a type of soba that is served in a wooden dish called a hegi. Funori seaweed is added to the homemade buckwheat flour ground on a millstone to make this popular Niigata specialty. The restaurant serves a variety of dishes from bowls of noodles to more formal dishes, priding itself on always sticking to the three principles of freshly ground, freshly kneaded, and freshly boiled. A popular dish on the menu is their seasonal Tenbara-zen served with a large portion of kakiage (mixed vegetable and seafood tempura). There is also an area in the restaurant which introduces the history of the biggest water mills in the prefecture and the story behind hegisoba.

Sekiyahama Beach Resort is located close to the town center; the beach is protected by wave-dissipating concrete blocks and breakwaters, and there are plenty of food and beverage stalls on the beach in the summer months. It is famous as a great place for strolling on the beach or for cycling. The gentle waves make this a very popular beach; the large, free car-park with a capacity of 650 vehicles adds to this popularity. Please note that water sports such as surfing and boating are prohibited. Sekiyahama Beach Resort is located around 20-minute drive from both the Niigata West Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway and the Niigata Central Interchange on the Ban-Etsu Expressway.

Located a 20-minute drive from Ishiuchi Station at the top of the Uonuma Skyline, this observation deck sits at an elevation of 920 meters. The skyline is a 20 kilometer-long scenic public road between Hakka Pass and Juni Pass known for great seasonal of fresh greenery in spring and summer and autumn foliage in the fall. Visitors to the observation deck, construction of which started in 1967, can see all the way from Shiozawa to Yuzawa. On clear days, it is even possible to see all the way to Mt. Iijisan. The observation deck is also known as the southernmost spot in Niigata Prefecture for enjoying nighttime views of the cities below. It is also a great place to enjoy an overhead view of the night sky.

This lake is in Uonuma, Niigata. It's a man-made lake created by the Okutadami Dam which sits between Hinoemata, Minamiauzu, Fukushima, and Uonuma, Niigata on the Tadami River, a tributary of the Class A Agano River. Also called Ginzan Lake (Silver Mountain Lake) it's known for its superb water quality from the snow melt of neighboring valleys and picturesque autumn scenery. From late July to early November it's famous as a great place to catch smelt, char, and cherry-trout.

Teradomari Aquarium showcases the fish that live in the Sea of Japan. Besides the live specimens in the Aquarium, there are also fascinating displays about other natural creatures, including seabirds such as seagulls and kittiwakes, many different types of seaweed and small fish species, etc. The first to third floors of the Aquarium have approximately 10,000 fish belonging to around 400 different species from all over the world; visitors can watch the fish being fed. Teradomari Aquarium is located around 35-minute walk from the Nakanoshima Mitsuke Interchange of the Hokuriku Expressway.

This ropeway located a five-minute drive from Yuzawa Interchange connects Echigo-Yuzawa hot springs town with the Yuzawa Kogen Alps no Sato. Yuzawa Kogen Alps no Sato is a leisure complex with a number of attractions including trekking, zip-line adventures, and more. The 1,300-meter-long ropeway takes seven minutes to reach the top. The size of each cable cars of two cable cars, among the world's largest, is the size of two busses. Up to 166 people can ride in either the red Alpen Flora or the blue White Spur. Take in the great views of the seasonal scenery of Yuzawa Kogen from the cable cars' big windows as you enjoy a graceful stroll through the air.

This popular kaiten-zushi restaurant sources all of its fish and rice from Sado. It is located in Pier Bandai, in Chuo Ward, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture. The restaurant expertly selects fish freshly caught in the morning off the coast of Sado, and uses them that very same day. The many different types of sushi prepared by the chefs in front of their customers are a harmony of fresh fish and plump, glossy rice. For customers interested in the individual dishes, the salt-grilled blackthroat perch and assorted sashimi set are popular. There are both table seating and counter seats available, and the restaurant is very convenient for families and group.

This is a winery located along the hilly coastal area in Nishikan Ward, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture. In the vast vineyard there are various kinds of facilities such as a wine shop, a wine cellar, a restaurant, a bakery, a day-trip hot spring facility, an accommodation facility and an English garden. Wine is made from grapes grown in a climate where there is almost no snowfall and has low rainfall, where high heat is accumulated after the rainy-season, unique to the region. Wine tours, reservations required, are also held.

This large museum, about 10,000 square meters in area, is located in Sekiharamachi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. The permanent exhibitions focus on the Jomon period and introduce the folk culture and history of Niigata. The “Jomonjin no Sekai Corner” teaches about the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of the Jomon settlers throughout the seasons. You’ll also find excavation reports and archaeological studies on Jomon culture, models of the covered walkways of Gangi-dori in the snowy Takada region, an explanation of the history of rice-making, and more.