Visiting Niigata? Our suggestion - take the shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo. You’ll travel by the most expensive railway line ever laid on earth! There is no great scenery to boast of - most of the journey is through tunnels, which effectively connect the coasts of Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan and end up in the snow country of Niigata prefecture in just an hour and forty minutes. Yes, Jap zap at 6 billion yen per km of track!

Niigata City is the capital of Niigata prefecture and is the largest Japanese city along the coast of Sea of Japan. The city dates back to the Edo period and was chosen as one of the five international ports of Japan in the Japan-USA Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1858. In 1889, Niigata was formally incorporated as a city and in 1996 given the status of a "core urban city" by the Japanese Government.

For your trip to Niigata, there are quite a few sights to put in the itinerary but the best is the beautiful island of Sado renowned for its gold mines and historical heritage. In ancient times, Sado was home to political exiles, usually noblemen and influential people. They brought their aristocratic culture to the island. In the Edo period, the island had a thriving gold mining industry coupled with the samurai culture of the merchants from Tokyo. There is a lot to see in Sado - ancient temples, time honoured shrines, places of historic interest and many displays of traditional performing arts, such as folk songs/dances, Noh, Ondeko and drum-beating. There is a jetfoil service from Niigata port that will take you to Sado.

Gokuko Jinja was built in honour of the dead warriors (and horses!) in 1945. Walk the rather formal white flagstone walkway to the main hall where omikuji (flags) are fastened to bushes, trees and branches. The Sunayama Monument is also here, dedicated to the 19-th century Japanese poet, Hakushu Kitahara, whose poem "Sunayama" (Sand Hill) describes the awesome power of the Japan Sea and the spectacular view of the island of Sado from here. This poem was later put to music and since then is a famous folk ballad. There are two other monuments in this park dedicated to famous writers of Niigata. One is in memory of Ango Sakaguchi, a writer, and the other to the renowned haiku poet Basho Matsuo who visited the area in 1689. To the rear of Gokuko Jinja is the Sea of Japan Observatory Tower, which has a sweeping view of the coastline. Take a five-minute walk from the shrine to the Sekiya-hama Beach. It’s a great idea to rent a bicycle and follow the cycling road along the beach to Horiya-hama Beach, a few km north. Both beaches have good water sports facilities.

In the centre of Niigata City is Hakusan Jinja, a 16-th century shrine whose main building has a roof made of beaten copper. It is located within the Hakusan Koen, which is a park with a quaint bridge, walking trails and a swan pond - frequented by office-goers and locals out for a breather.

The Yahiko Shrine was built in the cradle of Mt Yahiko about 1300 years ago. It is the primary shrine of the Niigata Prefecture. Many festivals and traditional pageants make this a well-visited spot.

Do the usual round of the science museum and planetarium (Niigata Kenritsu Shizen Kagakukan) and the Niigata City Art Museum. Don’t miss the Toyano Lagoon noted for thousands of cherry trees planted along the shoreline, especially if you’re there in spring when all of them are in bloom. Gono-no Yakata is a locality where landed gentry built their magnificent villas. Niigata’s samurai farm families settled here in the 18-th and 19-th centuries and spent a part of their massive wealth in constructing homes that had teahouses, gardens and formal reception areas. Most prominent among these are the Watanabe-tei, Sasagawa-tei and Hoppo Bunka Hakubutsukan. They are open to visitors every day except Monday and have nominal admission fees.

Niigata Furusato-muwa is a multiplex that displays the culture of the city and has a tourist centre as well as a bazaar. The main hall showcases the history and the bazaar exhibits crafts and food. The Bazzar-kan also has a street lined with small restaurants that are very popular with local and tourists alike.

The elegant Bandai Bridge spanning the peaceful Shinano River is spectacular in the evening when the lights are lit. Shopping and nightlife are great in both the eastern and western sides of the bridge. The hot spring resorts are at Iamuro-onsen, Yahiko-onsen and Tsukiko-onsen near Niigata City.

Walk into an underwater tunnel for a "seabed" view of multihued fish in West Coast Park, one of the largest aquariums in the world. More than 20,000 types of fish spanning 450 species are on display. Add to that dolphin shows, sea otters and a penguin island! Nearby is Kobari Beach, the venue of the annual Japan Sea "Sunset Concert". It is Niigata’s most popular event and attracts 80 to 90,000 tourists to the city.

For souvenirs visit the market at Furumachi-dori Street - tea-ceremony pottery, electric guitars, and indigenous paper products - there are many boutiques and restaurants in this indoor-cum-outdoor arcade. Other places great for shopping are Plaka Niigata, Nishibori Rosa and Bandai City.

Some dishes worth trying at Niigata are: ama ebi, small, sweet, succulent shrimp from the Japan Sea; noppei, taro, lotus, salmon roe and fresh vegetables cooked into a hearty stew and flavored with shoyu; sasa dango, rice cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves. All the above come with a heap of koshihikari, Niigata's famous rice, considered the best in Japan.

Getting There: Seoul, Khabaovsk, Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Shanghai, X’ian, Harbin, Guam and Honolulu have direct flights to Niigata airport. If you’re landing at Narita or Haneda airports in Tokyo, the Joetsu Shinkansen (bullet train) will get you to Niigata in an hour and 40 minutes. The Niigata port has regular passenger services from Busan, Dalien and Shanghai.

Accommodation: From luxury to budget, you’ll have plenty of hotels to choose from in Niigata. The hot-spring resorts have ryokans, Japanese inns, which can range from exorbitant to inexpensive depending on the services and amenities offered.

For detailed country & visitor information, see Japan.