Niigata Transportation

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One of the most commonly used methods for getting around in Niigata City is by bus. Some of the bus lines are easy to read because they come with a number (such as Bus #11, #12, or 12 A). However, many of the buses have no numbers at all and only use signs in Kanji (very foreign unfriendly if you ask me). Thus, we foreigners (using the Japanese way of talking about the problem) are forced to use and memorize the Kanji for what it means and symbolizes. This isn't really a bad thing for those who'll be here a long time. But, it's absolutely impractical for foreigners who are tourists. The buses come a little too fast to have time to discipher. So, when in doubt use the following Japanese with the driver, right away before he takes you too far:

Sumimasen, kono busu wa ____________ e ikimasuka. (put the name of the Japanese place you want to go to on the blank.

If he says, "Hai, ikimasu." then no problem.

Whoever if he says, "Ie. Chigaimasu." then you best get off of the bus real soon.

The next thing about riding buses in Niigata (and other places in Japan) is that when you first get on you are supposed to take a ticket. When you depart you pay for the price of your ride as indicated by your ticket number and whatever the screen at the front of the bus says for that ticket number. The average cost for a 10 to 15 minute ride in Niigata is 180 yen (as of now).

When you are reaching a location you'd like to get off at, push one of the red buttons on the side between one of the windows.

Good luck!

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One of the best ways to get to Sado is by ferry. In Niigata city, you can go from the port of Niigata by either ferry or hydrofoil.

By ferry is cheaper, but if you wish to have better accomodations on board you can pay a higher ticket price (for a private room or for a little cheaper a bunkbed with a curtain). The ferry will take about 2 hours to get to Sado Island from Niigata City. Going by ferry can be fun as you can stand on the deck and enjoy the weather if it's nice enough. The cool thing is seagulls will fly along side of the ferry hoping to get something for their troubles.

By hydrofoil, the ride costs about double what it would cost you to go by ferry, but the ride is absolutely smooth... something like flying over the water. I've only done this once, however it will save you time and will only take an hour to get there.

Niigata has a good bus service around the city. Outside the JR Station there is a tourist information office and also a bus center where maps and information can be obtained. I walked around most of the central city quite easily and found most things to be about 30 mins max. distance.

Niigata has an airport with flights connecting it with Sapporo, Hakodate, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Okinawa, Osaka and Sado Island domestically.

Aeroflot runs a service to Vladivostok, Irkutsk and Khabarovsk in Russia

Korean Air has flights to Seoul

China Northwest Airlines has flights to Shanghai and Xi'an.

There is a Shinkansen line that runs directly from Tokyo to Niigata city

The Shinkansen is by far the most convenient way to travel around Japan. Unfortunately it isn't very cheap! Luckily there is a Japan JR Rail Pass available to foreign travellers. See the JR East website for details:

It must be bought abroad and stamped in Japan before you can use it. There are several options including one week (unlimited JR travel except for the super fast Nozomi service), two week, JR East and JR West passes. Check with your local travel agent for the best option or click on the link to see for yourself!

Here is a link to a very cool page that lets you see the routing between cities/stations/ports within Japan. It will tell you the route and includes the cost and time. http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/.

Niigata has a good network of bus routes, easy to negotiate even for a non Japanese speaker too! Take a ticket as you get on the bus at the back and put it in the machine at the front when you get off to pay......no problem!

Niigata is around 3 hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo, an interesting ride right across the country, on the worlds most expensive to build line apparently - looking at the scenery on the way it's easy to see why. Anyway the JR station is pretty close to the city centre and bus station too

This is a good way to get around Niigata city center for a few hours. It only costs a few hundred yen. The bicycle rental area is located on the Bandai exit side of Niigata Station near the bus terminals.

Warning: Make sure to always lock your bicycle. Bicycle theft is common.