From Nagano it was on to Niigata. The highway bus felt like the most effective method of transport to me … direct, 3.5 hours at 25 EUR (shinkansen would have been an hour less at three times the price and with a connection) – so I went by bus, a very comfortable and spacious ride.

I made it  to  Niigata on Thursday afternoon, used some to get organized (train tickets for the coming days, reservation for  the sake tour on Friday) and fed (ramen) – to then head out into town and towards the beach and coastal park.

I got myself on the Niigata tourist / loop bus on Friday and made my way out to the historic villa of the Saito family – a rich merchant family in Niigata. The villa today is a historic landmark and a museum. From here it was on to the former residence of the Ozawa Family – another family that had made good use of Niigata’s state as one of the five ports open to foreigners. After a short visit to the local history (short – as most signage was Japanese only) I made it back to the train station for lunch (hot soba) – before heading for the big sake brewery for a tour and (of course) a tasting … to get a feeling and compare the different quality grades and  variations. A trip to the fish market completed my day – plus sure-enough a visit to my hotel onsen.