Name: Finding Rural Japan in Niigata Prefecture | 3-Day Trip from Tokyo | japan-guide.com
Uploaded: 2021-10-21T17:41:23.000Z
Duration: 16 min 6 s
Description: VoiceTubeの動画で発音を聞きながら英語表現を覚えよう！学べる英語：

When planning a visit to Japan, most travellers stick to large cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, and

法助動詞 B1

Osaka - but while this may be the easiest option, it also means missing out on the rural

and natural landscapes that make up much of the rest of the country.

Getting off of that beaten track can reveal an altogether different side to the country

- from forested mountains, picturesque villages and fascinating glimpses of rural life - but

knowing where to start and how to fit it all into a travel itinerary can be a challenge,

In this video, we'll show you how you can experience all of this and more in a visit

to Niigata - a rural prefecture within easy reach of Tokyo known for its delicious rice

and sake, and as one of Japan's premier spots for snow and winter sports.

On this three-day trip, we'll make our way around the Echigo-Tsumari region before crossing

I'm Matt Evans reporting for japan-guide.com - join me as we find the spirit of rural Japan

on a three-day trip to Niigata Prefecture.

We start our journey heading north from Tokyo on the Joetsu shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa

where we transfer to a local train to Tokamachi.

Here, we'll change to a rental car to explore the rural countryside and some contemporary

art installations that are scattered around the area.

At the end of the day, we'll make our way to Matsunoyama Onsen where we'll spend the

We are in Echigo Tsumari, a really beautiful rural corner of Niigata Prefecture.

Now like a lot of rural Japan,  a huge issue here has been depopulation

with many people especially among the younger generation gradually moving away into

Now what really sets this area aside though is the creative solution they've come up

with to generate interest and bring visitors back into the area.

And that is, to turn the whole region, an area the size of Central Tokyo, into one giant

And so on this trip we're going to find out what that looks like.

When this elementary school in the remote village of Hachi closed down, picture book

artist Tashima Seizo decided to turn the now vacant building into something extraordinary

- a three dimensional storybook about the adventures of its final three students, complete

with a colorful cast of imaginary characters.

Our next stop is the Matsudai Noh Butai - one of the region's information centers that

also serves as a space for exhibitions and cultural events, set in a unique, modern building.

So I'm here in the museum's gorgeous Wes Anderson style cafe, and everything here is based on

the folk concept of Satoyama, meaning "living in harmony with nature".

And what we have here is a beautiful light lunch made of locally grown ingredients and

Despite the challenges of living here, Niigata's climate of hot summers and cold winters make

it ideal for growing delicious, high quality rice, of which the prefecture is Japan's

Behind me is the Hoshitoge Rice Terrace - a series of about 200 small rice fields cut

Right now it's early fall but it's especially spectacular sight in summer when the grass is lush

and green and in winter when every outline is coated in thick fluffy snow.

As the area continues to suffer from depopulation, many houses like this 200-year-old farmhouse

in Toge village have been left abandoned.

In 2006, the artist Kurakake Junichi took on the task of restoring the house as an art

Inside, every surface of the house had been stained black by soot from the traditional

Together with a team of students from a university in Tokyo, the artist carved notches into every

inch of exposed wood, giving it a whole new look.

With our first day in Niigata drawing to a close, we make our way to nearby Matsunoyama

Onsen - a tiny hot spring town whose waters are ranked in the nation's top 3, alongside

Arima and Kusatsu, for its high quality and medicinal effects.

It's been a fun and busy day sightseeing here in Niigata Prefecture.

So we have checked into a ryokan here  in Matsuyama Onsen and

we're going to enjoy a gorgeous local meal before hitting the onsen and heading to bed!

After spending the night at Matsunoyama Onsen, we'll round off our time in Echigo-Tsumari

with two last contemporary art installations.

Continuing on to Niigata City, we'll cross over to Sado Island by Jettfoil, where we'll

make a stop at an atmospheric temple before spending the night at a ryokan in the pretty

Our final stop in Echigo-Tsumari is an art installation with an unusual setting - a 750m

tunnel running alongside the scenic Kiyotsu Gorge.

Once a popular beauty spot, the gorge was declared off-limits back in 1988, due to the

twin dangers posed by falling rocks and heavy snowfall.

Almost a decade later, the government opened a pedestrian tunnel, allowing visitors a safe

glimpse of the valley's dramatic rock face.

It starts with long stretches of tunnel, with this atmospheric scenic lighting...

...leads through viewing platforms like this with an interesting contemporary design…

...and ends with this last view of the valley reflected in an infinity pool.

With that, it's time to leave Echigo-Tsumari behind, and we're back in the car for a

From here, we'll make the crossing to Sado Island by Jetfoil.

Arriving into the harbor town of Ryotsu, we make our way inland to the secluded temple

Originally built in the year 808, the temple's main building is partly based on the more

While the temple has since fallen somewhat into a state of disrepair, there remains a

powerful sense of serene beauty to the site, and the surrounding cedar forest.

From Seisuiji Temple, we make our way to our accommodation for the night at Shukunegi - a

pretty coastal town that we'll be seeing more of tomorrow morning.

So, after another busy day of sightseeing we are finishing for the day here on Sado Island.

We've checked into a quaint little ryokan and I'll be getting an early night ready for

our last big day of sightseeing tomorrow.

On our final day, we'll begin by taking a look around the historic Shukunegi village,

then experiencing a short ride in a taraibune or traditional wash tub boat.

From here, we'll make our way along Sado's west coast to the town of Aikawa, where we'll

visit Sado Kinzan - a preserved gold mine - and some related sites, before heading back

Extremely remote today, Shukunegi used to be a stop along Japan's most important shipping

route which connected Hokkaido to Osaka via the Sea of Japan and the Seto Inland Sea.

As a result, Shukunegi grew into a prosperous port town.