Niigata Things to Do

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This place is cool! In fact, I think it's even better and more extensive than the Palace of Fine Arts EXPLORATORIUM in San Francisco, California (which I've been to 10 times or so (I used to work for the YMCA which takes children to places like this for summer camp)). Niigata Science Museum spans several floors and is made up of numerous rooms broken down into various scientific fields: Astronomy, Paleontology, Archeology, Geology, Oceonography, Biology, Micro-biology, Chemistry, Physics, Electrical science, Computer science, Robotics, etc. There is so much to do there. It is one of the best places to take kids and its equally fun for adults, too.

The museum also has a supurb Planetarium (of course: nararation is in Japanese) but, even if you won't be able to understand, the visual imagery is astounding. The Planetarium costs extra.

Entrance fees are as follows:

the Science Musuem
Adults: 500 yen, children: 300 yen

the Planetarium
Adults: 200 yen, children: 100 yen

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Hakusan Shrine is Niigata city's most prominent Shinto shrine (it is apparently dedicated to the
white snake god... or so I've heard). People flock to here during New Years, during the Sakura festival, and during the Niigata festival times.

Hakusan Shrine is worth seeing all season round. Niigata experiences 4 seasons and as so, Hakusan's beauty is transformed likewise in all of these different seasons being frozen over in Winter to blooming with cherry blossoms and peach tree blossoms in spring to a enjoying a nice walk there in the summer to seeing the leaves fall in Autumn. It's a nice place to go any time of the year.

Hakusan also has a small children's play ground and a cages containg some indigenous monkeys.

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No swimming. Don't feed the sharks.

Niigata boasts the biggest Aquarium along the Sea of Japan. There are a large variety of aquatic animals to see, including penguins, dolphins, sea otters, sharks, and more.
There's also an underwater tunnel for your viewing pleasure.

Many of the fish are inedible.

It's open from 9 AM - 5 PM (6 PM in Summer).
It's open year round.
(It's closed on New Years Day and the 1st Thursday of March and the following day).

It's located near the beach. Also, nearby are Niigata's unique Popolo Ice Cream Shop and Gokoku Shrine.

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Go to Niigata City Performing Arts Center, where you can enjoy an afternoon or an evening at the Symphony. The Concert Hall seats up to 1,890 people. Sometimes they have free concerts.

Unlike back home (in San Francisco) I noticed that people here don't always dress up. Surprisingly many people come in whatever suits them (jeans, shorts, tank tops, etc.). I don't recommend this as I haven't had a chance to go to enough of the symponies to validate that this always happen. I've only been to them in the afternoons when I didn't have to worry about my work schedule. I recommend that you dress up regardless because it fits the air of the symphony much better.

Beverages and light snacks are available at concession stands during breaks.

Local produce is well and truly on display here, and there are plenty of food stalls here.

Great place to try some local sake, and all kinds of foods, and it's set in very nice settings, with the river, and also some nice flower gardens.

Well worth a visit.

The Shinano River is Japan's longest, and in Niigata, there are regular passenger services down the river to Furusato Mura.

It's a very pleasant 40-50 minute trip, and well recommended.

1500 yen for a day pass.

Bandai Bridge is the most beautiful bridge in Niigata City. It's not that large but this is one
of my most favorite areas to see in the city.

In 2004, Bandai Bridge (Bandai Bashi) was recognized as an important cultural asset. The lights and signs were replaced to reflect how it originally looked in 1929 at the time that it was reconstructed using granite.

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The Shinano River is the longest in Japan and it runs through Niigata City. You can take a leisurly stroll or a jog or ride your bike down the river and just enjoy the sites through the city. And it is beautiful both day and night and safe at night too. You will see couples strolling down the street at night totally involved in themselves. In the spring time the cherry blossoms come out along the river on both sides and make for some great strolling and picture taking and just chillin out!