Most people outside of Niigata prefecture identify the region as YukiGuni, meaning snow country, as if it snows all year long and dismiss all the other elements of Niigata’s wild frontiers, shrines, temples, samurai castles, Zen gardens, and, in the summer, nightly festivals - in Japanese ‘omatsuri’.  Niigata is truly the authentic Japan experience and is home to some of the most out of the way settlements in Japan, dating back thousands of years, and home to locations where arrowheads are still found.  Niigata’s rich history and location make it a fantastic destination to experience authentic Japan and is perfect for off the beaten path photography tours.  Approximately 240 kilometers of Niigata prefecture faces the Sea of Japan, and with that much coastline, there are countless locations for breathtaking coastline photography and sunsets.

And in the category of regions to explore and power spots, I would rate Niigata a close 2nd to my Hokkaido Photography Tours rather than the baby city Tokyo as it was born in 1603, and was mainly swampland before that, so come on, how many power spots can a swamp have?   First Nations People and others would not build in the region as it is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis.  In high-risk areas throughout Japan, where people have already experienced the effects of the natural disasters, tsunami warning stone tablets were placed from 600 or more years ago, warning people not to build beyond the marker because the marker represented the furthest the tsunami had reached.  The stones are between 10 - 15 feet tall and can weigh up to a couple of tons, and they reach as far as 5 - 10 kilometers inland in the lowlands.  They’re impossible to miss, but in spite of all this meteorological and geological insight supplied by wise people for a previous era, contemporary builders in some of the dangerous areas have removed the stones thinking they are building modern-day natural disaster-proof buildings.

In seismological terms, along the Sea of Japan, except for the offshore earthquakes that occur every few generations near Akita prefecture, the mainland of Niigata has never experienced devastation on the scale that would require stone tablet markers placed along the coastline, and this is one of the key reasons I feel safe living 10 minutes from the beach.  For me, the Sea of Japan is a source of splendid photography, not destruction.   Sado Island is a sparkling jewel of Niigata’s coastline, visible from my hamlet's beach, a 10 minute walk from home. Well before the golden hour or blue hour, I often go to meditate, swim, and relax at the beach and capture a few photos before returning home, but a few nights of the year, my team or my wife and I fall asleep on the sand at the beach and are woken at daybreak.

Niigata Prefecture is one of those hidden gems in Japan, especially if you enjoy healthy and hearty Japanese Cuisine!  Niigata is well-known amongst the Japanese as one of the country’s best culinary hotspots, given its fresh and bountiful seafood, vegetables, and rice.  I consider the quality and taste of the widely available obento's, or lunch boxes, in Niigata to be much more palate-pleasing than a reasonably priced dining experience in the Kanto region and for a fraction of the price!  Whenever I return to the Kanto, I always bring lunch boxes, freshly picked vegetables, and fish from our local supermarket as presents for my family and friends, as they are overjoyed at Niigata’s agricultural and aquacultural treasures.  Also, when I return to my home in the Kanto, my wife and I make a point to buy everything we need in Niigata for our stay, and we do next to no shopping in the Kanto region unless absolutely necessary.  Before moving to Niigata, I thought that Hokkaido was the best culinary experience in all of Japan, but after moving into my 100-year-old traditional home in Niigata, I now understand that the quality and bounty of the foods in both locations are equal.

Due to Niigata's climate conditions and excellent location, the Niigata Prefecture is perfectly nestled between the sea and the mountains and is commonly referred to as the land of rice and sake; there are about as many producers of sake in Niigata as there are stars in the sky.  Not only does it provide amazing shutter chances, but it also promotes fishing and delicious varieties of all types of seafood.  Two communities, in particular, come to mind, and they are both places I have visited and sampled the local cuisine.  South of Niigata city, there is a community almost entirely devoted to supplying as many locals and visitors with fresh and reasonably priced fish and seafood from local ports.  There are more fish than you can imagine, squid, scallops, and anything else in season.  The piscine dreams, however, don’t end there.  A different city north of Niigata’s capital city is famous for salmon, and thousands of visitors inside the prefecture and from all over the country flock to the city every year so they can take home and prepare the salmon to their personal tastes.  I have had the pleasure of using my irori in my kominka, and I feel that the smokey flavors and richness of the salmon is something that is particular to Niigata, and I would love to share it with you once social distancing has eased.  My team and I have done our share of research, finding the best of the best salmon, seafood, and vegetables in both locations, and I would be happy to make recommendations for you.  If you don’t think that seafood is some of the finest you’ve ever tasted, I will happily take your portion, but I’m sure you’ll be pleased and may even want to enjoy a second helping!