Nature Spots in Niigata Area
Area
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Niigata
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Niigata
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- Lavender Beach
- Travel / Tourism
- Nigata Pref. Itoigawashi Teraji
- Lavender Beach is part of Omi Coast Geosite, about a 14-minute walk from Itoigawa Station in the city of Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture. The beach gets its name from the lavender-colored jade that can be found there. The open area near the beach contains the statue of Nunakawa-Hime, a ruler in Jomon Period, and the relief that portray the processing steps of jade. Beachcombers can find all kinds of stones other than jade, and it is a great place to find a unique stone for one's self.
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- Hayade River Valley
- Travel / Tourism
- Nigata Pref. Gosenshi Kotsuradani
- This gorge is located in the upper reaches of the Hayadegawa River in Gosen City. Drivers can enjoy great views of its natural splendor as they head towards the Hayadegawa Dam. The dam itself offers sweeping views of the mountains carpeted in fresh greenery or fall foliage depending on the season. Visitors can also enjoy viewing the beautiful scenic sights of the gorge including Koromo Rock, Meoto Falls, Fudo Falls, and more.
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- Mt. Makihata
- Travel / Tourism
- Nigata Pref. Minamiuonumashi Shimizu
- This 1967-meter mountain sits between Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture and Minakami Town, Tone County, Gunma Prefecture. There is an intermediate-level mountain climbing route with an elevation difference of approximately 1,500 meters, and in addition to the view from the summit of the mountain, visitors can also enjoy wonderful natural sights such as the alpine plants, ponds (marshlands), and the waterfalls and strange rocks of Waribikisawa. It has been selected as one of 100 Famous Japanese Mountains.
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- Arakawa Gorge
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Iwafune-gun Sekikawamura Yusawa
- This gorge lies along the Arakawa River in Bandai-Asahi National Park. It is the best spot in the prefecture for seeing autumn leaves, and it features other attractions, such as popular driving routes and Echigo-Sekikawa Hot Spring Village. It is considered one of the 100 Scenic Spots in Niigata Prefecture, and Takanosu Suspension Bridge, considered one of the 50 selected bridges of Niigata Prefecture, is considered the foremost viewing spot on the river. The autumn leaf season, from late October to early November, is a great favorite of visitors, giving them a view of brocade-like beauty. On National Route 113, the so-called Arakawa Narrows Autumn Leaf Line, drivers can see the natural “art” of the trees, as befits the name of the road.
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- Cape Sekizaki
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Sado-shi Seki
- Also known as Kamuro-no-Taka, this is a rocky cliff over 100 meters tall where the massif of the Osado Mountains drops off into the sea. Looking out over the panorama of the Sea of Japan, one can also see Mt. Onokame in the distance. Walking trails centered on Sado Vacation Village Auto Camp have been laid out, and during the day, visitors can enjoy the Sea of Japan glittering in the sunlight, and at night they can enjoy the sunset and the sight of illuminated fishing boats. Since there is a lighthouse at the end of the walking trail, many people go there to marvel at the scenery.
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- Sabutozaki Point
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Sado-shi Seki
- This is a scenic area north of Zendana Rock, associated with the ninth-century monk Kobo Daishi. Legend has it that in the medieval period, a rockslide from Mt. Chigyo, which looms over the area, buried the beach. Japan has many legends about badgers, and the three most famous ones are Danzaburo-Danuki of Sado, Shibaemon-Danuki of Awaji Island, and Hage-Tanuki of Yashima in Kagawa Prefecture. Over 90 shrines are dedicated to them. Traveling along Prefectural Route 45, one finds a small torii gate, and through that gate is Sabuto Jinja Shrine, which figures in a legend about the badger. On Sado, badgers are depicted and honored as kindly and helpful parent-like figures.
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- Sai no Kawara Grotto
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Sado-shi Negai
- A walking path connects Sado’s wondrous Onokame and Futatsukame rocks. This sea cave, situated along the path, was formed via erosion caused by the waves of the Sea of Japan and is filled with countless stone Jizo statues. Visitors to this sacred area can only hear the sound of wind and waves, and some call the seaside path the boundary with the underworld. The cave has been seen as a sacred place since ancient times and is believed to be a gathering place for the spirits of children who passed away at a young age. During the Sai no Kawara Festival, held once a year, Buddhist mantras are intoned and offerings of food are made with the hungry ghosts and spirits of newborns suffering hunger and thirst, with more than 200 faithful and supporters attending.
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- Nagate Cape
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Sado-shi Tachibana
- This point, located in the central part of the Nanaura Coast, is known as an excellent place to view sunsets or illuminated nighttime fishing. The entirety of this flat rocky area that looks like a raised beach has been designated as Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama Quasi-National Park. The scattered rock formations and the beautiful and variable seascape are the products of ancient volcanic activity. If one walks along the coast, these eye-catching rocks tell of the history of the area. A lighthouse is located at the tip of the point, and visitors can walk quite close to it. This point is also known for its impressive views of the sun setting into the Sea of Japan.
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- Hiranezaki Marine Potholes
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Sado-shi Tochu
- These rocks are found along the Hiranezaki Coast. Around 80 large and small turtle-shaped pot holes can be seen along a slope of about 500 meters, all of them created and polished by waves. These kinds of pot holes are a common sight along Sado’s coast, but the ones at Hiranezaki are the largest. Fourteen of them are two meters or more in diameter, and some are three meters deep. These pot holes, which are valuable examples of the force of the waves in the Sea of Japan, have been designated a National Monument.
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- Sado Ogi Coast
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Sado-shi
- A coastal road runs from Shiroyama in the Ogi District, along the southern end of Sado for approximately 16 kilometers to Kamikoiwa in Sawazaki. The scenery, created by numerous outcroppings and depressions, has been designated a National Monument and Scenic Spot. The coast is dotted with dozens of large and small caves eroded by the sea, the waves, or the wind, so this area is also valuable from an academic, geological point of view. In addition, the pillow lava in the Sawazakihana area is remarkable for its extent and high quality, and it has been noted as a piece of world Geological Heritage. The reef area is also famous for Isonegi Fishing Area, with its “taraibune” (“barrel boats”) available for short excursions.
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- Mt. Donden
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Sado-shi Nyugawa
- Although its formal name is Tadara Peak, people call the round mountain at the highest point of the highland that consists of the three mountains of the Osado Range “Mt. Donden” (“Blunt Ridge”). As its name suggests, it is the only mountainous area with a gentle, rounded shape in the otherwise steep Osado Mountain Range. The highland, where free-range cattle sometimes can be seen on the parking lot, is abundant high-altitude plants and grasses. It is numbered among the New 100 Most Famous Mountains in Japan and the 100 Best Flower Mountains in Japan. The most popular season for visitors is spring to early summer, when trekkers flock here to see unusual varieties of rhododendron brachycarpum, Japanese azaleas, and Menziesia multiflora.
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- Seven Waterfall Pools of Tashiro
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Tokamachi-shi Tashiro Hei
- The waterfall is the general name for the seven pools scattered throughout the gorge of the Kamagawa River. Flowing out of the Mt. Naeba system, the river has a steep, vertical left bank and a right bank where the stratigraphic layers can be seen, an extremely unusual landscape in academic geological terms. A legend about the pools has been handed down in which a man breaks his promise to the goddess Benten and casts a net into the water. This act angers the large snake who is the master of the pools and who kills the man. In order to view the pools, visitors must walk down into the gorge along a steep path, so they should exercise caution. Every year in mid-July, the city of Tokamachi observes a seasonal tradition, the “Seven Pools Festival,” with performances of a traditional local stage art, Tashiro Kagura.
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- Nakatsugawa Gorge
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Nakauonuma-gun Tsunanmachi Oakasawa Tei
- This gorge extends from Kiriake, Sakae Village, Nagano Prefecture to Tsunan Town, Niigata Prefecture through an area famous for its autumn leaves. The motive Mikurabashi suspension bridge over the jade green water of the river and the red arch of the Maekurabashi are among the sights that are found here and there along the river. Twelve little settlements are scattered along a 20-kilometer stretch in an area called Akiyama-go. Hemmed in by the steep Nakatsugawa Gorge, they were not developed as much as other settlements, so this is a region that preserves the flavor of rural life in the past. The gorge is beautiful in all four seasons and is full of hot springs. The autumn leaves, especially the yellow leaves of the beech trees and the simple atmosphere create an astonishing beauty.
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- Kotakigawa Jade Gorge
- Travel / Tourism
- Nigata Pref. Itoigawashi Kotaki
- Jade is sourced in this ravine where a large rock face from Mt. Myojo fell. It has been designated a natural monument of Japan as the Kotakigawa Jadeite Deposit. The first jade ever found in Japan was discovered here in 1938 and now the place is a well known tourist spot in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture. Many people are attracted to this beautiful gorge created through years of flowing water with walls of rock and greenery. The towering rock wall is a well known spot for avid rock climbers and the gorge is also famous for producing the Itoigawa Juniper. Collecting rocks is prohibited. Note: Closed in winter and stormy weather
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- Nanaura Beach
- Travel / Tourism
- Nigata Pref. Sadoshi
- Nanaura Beach is a rugged rocky coastline stretching for about 10 kilometers from Futami to Kabuse in Sado City, Niigata Prefecture. The contrast between the sunset-lit ocean and the black shadows of the rocks is beautiful and it is no surprise that it has been chosen for the 100 Best Sunsets in Japan. Among these, the scenery of the setting sun at Cape Nagate in Tachibana and that at Kasugazaki are simply sublime. The two large rocks called meoto-iwa (husband-and-wife rocks), which according to the Kojiki (the oldest extant chronicle in Japan) is where the nation came into being, is also a must-see.
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- Iwaya Cave
- Travel / Tourism
- Nigata Pref. Sadoshi Shukunegi
- "A stone cave located at the top of a mountain (commonly called ""Iwaya-san"") in the back of Shukunegi, Sado City. Geomorphologically, it is a sea-eroded cave, but it is sometimes called ""Iwaya Cave"" because oyster shells used to adhere to it. It is also known as a sacred site where Buddhist monks built Magaibutsu (Buddha statues in cliffs and rocks), 88 Buddhist statues, and a Kannon-do hall in the cave."
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- Shimizugaike Pond
- Travel / Tourism
- Sasagaken Peak Plateau in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture
- The pond Shimizugaike is located next to Sasagamine Farm in Suginosawa, Myoko City. Standing by the Pond, there are beautiful views of Sasagamine Farm and of the nearby landscape. The Pond is situated around 15-minute walk from Sasagamine Greenhouse; there are two footpaths giving access to the Pond, one that goes through the Norway spruce forest and another that runs along the edge of Sasagamine Farm. Visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of the Sasagamine highlands.
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- Cape Koibito
- Travel / Tourism
- Nigata Pref. Kashiwazakishi Oumigawa 133-1 Yoneyama Fukuura Hakkei prefectural natural park
- Cape Koibito is the fisher’s cape of the Sea of Japan, and it features tremendous views of the entire Fuku-ura Coast, even some of the best in Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama Quasi National Park. You can see all the way to Sado on a clear day, and the evening sun is beautiful. It is also famous as a spot for fulfilling love, so many couples come here to wish for continued happiness. a minute by car via Yoneyama Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway.
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- Ryugakubo (Top 100 Waters)
- Travel / Tourism
- Nigata Pref. Nakauonumaguntsunanmachi Yachi 6217
- Formed by a large amount of groundwater, Ryugakubo is a swamp approximately 1.2 hectares in size, but one that maintains clean water and never gets turbid. It was designated as a nature conservation area for Niigata in 1974 due to its superb natural environment. It currently provides domestic water for residents in the region.
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- Yuzawa Kogen Ski Resort/Panorama Park
- Travel / Tourism
- Niigata Minamiuonuma-gun Yuzawamachi Yuzawa 490
- This alpine plant botanical garden within walking distance of Echigo-Yuzawa onsen town is about eight minute walk from Echigo-Yuzawa Station on the JR Joetsu Shinkansen Line. It is a seven minute ride on the ropeway to the peak, with a gorgeous view over the town the whole way. Open from late April to November, they offer walking and hiking tours through a garden of about 200 kinds of alpine plant, including the rare Himalayan blue poppy. Their activities like the Zipline Adventure, offering a thrilling ride through the trees, are also quite popular.
Niigata Areas
Found along the northwestern coast of Japan, Niigata prefecture is celebrated for its high-quality rice and breathtaking nature, most notably its spectacular mountains, whose white peaks draw in snow sports lovers from far and wide over the winter months. Hit the slopes at Yuzawa, pick out your favourite modern artist at Echigo Tsumari, or take a ferry over to Sado Island for an extra adventure.
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