Top 20 Experiences in Niigata Prefecture
Niigata Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
This value-packed trip with a government-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Niigata! 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. Let us know what you would like to experience and we will customize a six-hour tour that's best for you! Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary. Note*2: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Private Historical Walking Tour of Niigata Port Town
In the 1800s, Niigata thrived as a port city. Ships from Russia, China, England, and all over the world came here to trade. Niigata citizens led lucrative lives making their living by shipping cargo and selling local products (mainly agricultural). The city was flooded with sailors from all over the world, allowing Niigata to blend and change with their influence. Join us on a historical walking tour through the old port town Niigata, where we will explore the unique harmony of Western and Japanese cultures that developed in Niigata in the 1800s.
Full Day Ski Lesson (6 hours) in Yuzawa, Japan
Experienced, international instructors who have spent many years perfecting their teaching and who love to share their passion for snow sports. Amazing mountain views. Fun in the snow of the Japanese mountains - fresh air and great views.
Niigata Custom Half Day Tour
This private and customizable tour for Niigata is perfect for guests who would like to have their own itinerary planned based on their interests and preferences, allowing guests to experience the city at their own pace.
Niigata Custom Full Day Tour
This private and customizable tour for Niigata is perfect for guests who would like to have their own itinerary planned based on their interests and preferences, allowing guests to experience the city at their own pace.
Full Day Snowboard Lesson (6 hours)
Experienced, international instructors who have spent many years perfecting their teaching and who love to share their passion for snow sports. Amazing mountain views. Fun in the snow of the Japanese mountains - fresh air and great views.
Private Sushi Master Class in Niigata
Make sushi with fresh seasonal fish Every morning the chef visits the market and carefully selects the best local fish for the day. In this course, you can taste Nigita's local fish (for example “Noppe”) that had been caught that very morning. Become an expert of sushi making and eating Did you know that sushi gripping method differs depending on the ingredients? You must subtly change the force of your grip and the manner of your grasp. A professional sushi chef will give an easy to understand lecture on all the secrets! You can become a sushi-grip expert!
Private Sacred Sake Tasting inside a Shrine
Sake has a long history in Japan. Since 700 A.D. it was used in religious ceremonies. For almost 1000 years, sake was mainly produced in Shrines and temples. Even now, Sake is one of the main offerings left for Shinto Gods. Learn all about the history of this ancient relationship, while tasting the delicious Niigata Sake in the heart of a Shinto Shrine.
Private Japanese Sake Tasting Lecture in Niigata
Freshly prepared Japanese food is waiting for you. Enjoy the rich flavors of Japanese sake while tasting the harmony of Japanese cuisine and rice wine. Learn about the process of making sake and the connection between sake and Japanese people. The fragrance of sake is classified into four categories, each of which will be carefully explained. Learn about which dishes pair well with which kinds of sake. We will also teach you how to order (in Japanese) at a Japanese style pub. Make no mistake. You too will surely be called a connoisseur.
Sado Island Tour with Licensed Guide and Vehicle (Niigata Dep.)
This value-packed trip with a government-licensed guide and private vehicle is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Sado Island from Niigata City! Sado Island is well known as the “island of exile” or the “island of gold” for being deeply connected with historical figures, tradition, and ancient culture. It’s one of the largest Japanese islands, located 32km off the coast of the Niigata Prefecture. Even with so much to offer its visitors, it remains one of Japan’s best off-the-beaten-path destinations. Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary. Note*2: National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
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[All tour course] Aoyagi Kimono Factory workshop tour-Until one kimono is made-
In this workshop tour, you can see the techniques of dyeing kimono up close. Aoyagi was founded in 1938 in Tokamachi, a kimono-producing area. At Aoyagi's workshop, which has been making use of the traditional techniques of kimono creation, you can observe the process of creating a single kimono. We carry out all processes from weaving, dyeing, squeezing, yuzen, embroidery and foil in our own studio. Recommended for those who are interested in traditional kimono techniques and those who are interested in kimonos from the Tokamachi production area.
Have your own time in the space of important cultural properties and natural hot springs.
The lounge offers coffee, soft drinks and sweets. From an open Japanese-style room to a sofa with a sense of privacy You can bring a book to your favorite space and enjoy reading, It can also be used for remote work while traveling. While watching the rich nature at the foot of Mt. Please have a good time. In the large public bath, it is a large public bath with a tasteful wooden storehouse. The building that was used as a rice brewery was relocated. The spring quality is sodium chloride hot spring (hypotonic weak alkaline high hot spring) which is said to be effective for fatigue recovery. Muikamachi was designated as a national hot spring resort in 1964, The odorless and colorless hot spring is also characterized by being gentle on the skin and hard to hit with hot water. You can soak in hot water slowly and heal your daily fatigue.
Experience the lifestyle connected with the Lagoon in Niigata
Niigata Prefecture is famous for producing delicious rice and sake. Vast rice fields spread out in Niigata City, the prefectural capital, and are a symbol of the Niigata plains. Another iconic sight is the lagoon. The area around Fukushima Lagoon in the city once had a life culture that could not be described as a lagoon. This is a tour full of charm from nature to food, where you can learn about the lifestyle and food culture unique to this region, as well as enjoy a tour of a local sake brewery and pairing with delicious sake. At an over-100-year-long sake brewery you will take a guided tour of the sake brewery where you can see the entire manufacturing process, and experience a unique pairing of sake. What's more is you will meet one of the few local fishermen of the Lagoon to listen to his story. He is a living dictionary of the the lifestyle culture of the surrounding area. In addition, A local restaurant owner will cook light meal with rare ingredients from the lagoon.
Toori Cooking Class
Limited to 10 people per day every Saturday and Sunday, Experience cooking with a grandmother who lives in the area and is a master of local cuisine in the snowy country. You can feel the warmth and countryside of the snowy country while teaching you the techniques for deliciously cooking seasonal ingredients and exquisite local dishes using salted wild vegetables. If you are interested in local food and culture, please come! *This tour is available for 2 or more people. Please note that we cannot run this tour for just one person.
Private Afternoon Tour in Niigata City (History, Gourmet, Sake)
Take the afternoon to explore Niigata Island. Start by learning the history of the Port Town, as you stroll through time along what used to be old canals! Then taste the delicious local fish as you learn to make your very own sushi! Lastly, be washed away by the harmony of delicious Niigata Sake and delicate appetizers made from local ingredients.
3 Hours of Private Taxi Tour in Sado Island
The gold mines that have supported Japan's economy since the 1600s and the crested ibis, an internationally protected bird. Shukunegi, a historic building preservation district. Sado Island is full of sights to see, but if you don't have your car, it can be a bit of a challenge to get around by yourself. Your driver is your guide to Sado Island - leave your destination up to us, and we'll whisk you off to all the places we recommend! Or, discuss the destination with our driver and we can help you get where you're most excited to go. Discover all the charms of the island with this guided 3-hour taxi plan tour set.
DIY Japanese Wind-Chime Workshop
Step into a traditional Japanese shrine, a rare experience even for locals. Immerse yourself in crafting a beautiful windchime, a tangible reminder of your journey. This glass bell captures Japanese craftsmanship and resonates with memories of your adventure. Take it home, let its melodious chime echo your unforgettable Japanese escapade.
3 Days Tour of the Origin of Japanese Food in Niigata
This is a program which introduces a deep understanding of "Japan" through "rice" in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture. Participants will stay in an old minka (traditional Japanese house) with a kayabuki roof (shingled roof), watch cooking rice in a kamado (a traditional Japanese cooking pot), with a master of rice, and experience seasonal agricultural activities. Visitors can also enjoy some "experiences related with rice" such as Futomaki Sushi making experience with a local chef, and a visit to an award-winning sake brewery. This tour also includes visit in a beautiful historical residence of major landowner of this area, where the emperor Showa stayed during his visit to Niigata prefecture. On the second day, you will enjoy a full-course rice dinner that is specially created for this tour. The program offers real country life and warm interaction with locals that will make an unforgettable experience.
Oiran Private Experience and Photoshoot in Niigata
Everyone has heard of Geisha, popular female entertainers in the 19th century Japan. However, before Geisha’s popularity grew, Oiran were considered the trend-setters of the Japanese fashion world. These highly educated women had the precarious nickname Keisei (or Castle-toppler), for their reputation of stealing the hearts of upper-classmen. In Niigata, Oiran were always very popular in the Furumachi area. Today, in the near-by Honcho area there are many places that allow visitors to experience all the splendor of Oiran fashion. Allow yourself to explore your sensuality and project to the world your inner beauty, through the transforming experience of expertly selected dress and make-up. No one has ever walked away unchanged.
A Luxury Tour of One of Niigata’s Historic Treasured Residences
If you’re eager for a journey that allows you to immerse yourself in cultural and historical wonders in a way the mainstream destinations might not, visiting the Northern Culture Museum in Niigata may be exactly what you’re looking for. It is the first private museum established after World War II in Japan and was originally the household (and actually still is) of the Ito family, whose history dates back to 1756. The land that the museum sits on is 29,200 ㎡ and there are a total of 65 rooms with over 6,000 antiques throughout. This tour will be guided by the person best suited to guide you. He worked at the museum for over 50 years and was very close to the 8th and final head of the house. And you will be experiencing some special programs prepared for only this tour. You will go into "off-limit" one-of-the-kind building and garden where only the Ito family and VIP guests and enjoy local lunch served with exquisite lacquerware used for the special occasions for the Ito family.