Chubu · Day Tour
A shrine at the foot of a holy mountain, and the town that makes Japan's cutlery.
From
¥25,000 per person
approx. US$158
Free cancellation up to 3 days before
Instant confirmation
A private tour of the Niigata countryside with a local guide. Yahiko Shrine below Mount Yahiko, the metalworking town of Tsubame-Sanjo, the Teradomari seafood market and the coast are the usual candidates. Niigata is a rice and sake region and the food follows from that.
The shrine sits in cedar forest at the foot of Mount Yahiko and is the oldest and most important in the prefecture. The mountain itself is the object of worship, which is older than the buildings by a long way. A ropeway runs to the summit, and from the top you get the Echigo plain on one side and the Sea of Japan on the other.
Tsubame and Sanjo have been metalworking towns since the seventeenth century, when farmers made nails through the winter. They now produce the large majority of Japan's cutlery and a great deal of its kitchen equipment. Several workshops open to visitors, and buying a knife here means buying it where it was ground.
Teradomari has a run of seafood shops along the road by the harbour, selling whatever the boats brought in, grilled in front of you. The coast road along the Sea of Japan is a good drive, and there are onsen along it if you want to finish that way.
Niigata grows the rice everyone else measures theirs against, and where there is good rice and clean water there is sake. The prefecture has more breweries than any other in Japan. Your guide can build a tasting into the day if it interests you.
Meet your guide at the station.
The shrine, and the ropeway to the summit.
Metalworking towns and their workshops.
The seafood market on the coast.
An onsen, or a sake brewery.
Niigata Station, Chuo Ward, Niigata. Your guide will contact you on WhatsApp beforehand to discuss the plan.
The price covers your private English-speaking guide. Entry fees, transportation and meals are paid as you go, and by convention you also cover your guide's. Bring cash.
Around two hours from Tokyo by shinkansen, which makes it one of the easier parts of the Sea of Japan coast to reach.
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons guests come. Your guide can take you to the workshops and showrooms rather than the souvenir counters.
Yes. Niigata has more breweries than any other prefecture and several take visitors. Say so when you book.
The snow is heavy and the food is at its best. Some mountain roads close, so the route is adjusted.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
Chubu · Day Tour
5 hours · From ¥30,000
Chubu · Day Tour
6 hours · From ¥30,000
Chubu · Day Tour
6-8 hours · From ¥30,000
