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NIIGATA |
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Most visitors to NIIGATA , the largest port-city on the Japan Sea
coast, are either on their way to Sado-ga-shima or making use of the
ferry and air connections to Korea, China and Russia. It's a likeable
but unexciting city, sitting on the banks of Shinano-gawa, with few
specific sights beyond a well-presented local history museum. In 1964 a
tidal wave devastated much of east Niigata, while the area on the west
side of the river retains some attractive streets of older houses.
If you're travelling by Shinkansen from Tokyo, make sure you appreciate
the journey. Completed in only 1982, this line took eleven years to
build at a cost of ¥1.7 trillion - a staggering ¥6 billion per kilometre
- making it the most expensive line in the world and throwing the whole
of Japan's national railways into debt. More than one third of the
journey is through tunnels and the train takes a most bizarre route,
stopping in one-horse villages where the station is the biggest thing
around. All this was thanks to Tanaka Kakuei, the MP for Niigata who
served briefly as prime minister (1972-74) and who almost single-handedly
transformed Niigata from a backwater into a major industrial city -
while also garnering a few votes and a substantial personal fortune
along the way. For more about the notorious Tanaka and his role in
Japanese politics, read Shadow Shoguns .
The City
With its old Assembly Hall, lively market and classy shopping malls,
Niigata's western district is an interesting area to explore if you've
got a couple of hours to spare. Given more time, however, it's worth
trekking out to Yokogoshi village, on the banks of the easterly
Agano-gawa, to see the beautifully preserved mansion of a wealthy
landowner which is now part of a cultural museum.
For the central sights, take a bus bound for Irefune-cho from in front
of Niigata Station, to the Hakusan-koen-mae stop (15min; ¥170), just
across the Shinano-gawa. The gingerbread building beside the park, the
Former Prefectural Assembly Hall (daily 9am-4.30pm closed every 2nd &
3rd Mon; free), was built in 1883. Local representatives continued to
meet here until 1932 in an impressive hall which is the building's main
attraction - sepia photos show Japan's new democracy in action. Walking
back to the bus stop, stroll through Hakusan-koen , which contains a
shrine to the God of Marriage and various stone monuments, including one
to the happiness of pine trees.
From here, either get back on a passing Irefune-cho bus or walk
northwest along Nishibori-dori for 1km, heading for the landmark Next 21
building - and up to the nineteenth-floor observation lounge for a free
view of the city. Though Bandai City is putting up some competition,
this area, known as Furumachi , is Niigata's foremost shopping district,
though you'll still find some older buildings hidden away in the
backstreets. Another relic of the past is the bustling Hon-cho Market (daily
10am-5pm; closed three days a month, usually on Sun), which spreads over
a few streets to the south of Masayo-koji. This fresh-produce market,
where you can still bargain, is a prime place to look for cheap places
to eat .
The fertile plains around Niigata supported a number of wealthy
landowners who lived in considerable luxury until the Land Reform Act of
1946 forced them to sell all rice land above 7.5 acres per household.
One such was the Ito family, whose superb mansion, now the centrepiece
of the Northern Cultural Museum (daily 9am-4.30/5pm; ¥700), is the
largest and most accessible of several such houses around Niigata. It's
located in Yokogoshi village, 12km southeast of today's city centre, and
can be reached by special express bus from Bandai City or the Eki-mae
terminal (4 daily; ¥500 one way, or ¥1570 return including entry
ticket); the last bus back leaves at 3.40pm. The huge house was erected
in 1887 and comprises sixty rooms containing family heirlooms, but the
classic garden steals the show - viewed from inside it forms a
magnificent frieze along one side of the principal guest room.
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