NIIGATA GASTRONOMY

Niigata Prefecture is located only 70 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen bullet train. Until the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912), Niigata boasted the largest population in Japan, and as a port of call for the Kitamae Ship, it enjoyed a great economic and cultural prosperity. The economic center of the prefecture later shifted to the Pacific Ocean side and became “Ura-nihon,” but miraculously, the diverse food culture based on history, culture, and climate survived and is now flourishing as “NIIGATA GASTRONOMY. In Furumachi, Niigata, kappo restaurants and ryotei (traditional Japanese-style restaurants) that have been around since the days of Kitamae-ship (a type of boat used on the Kitamae Line) line the streets, and the prosperity of the flower district has been handed down to the present day. The food culture of the snow country, centering on preserved foods, was fostered by the wisdom born from a life covered with snow for half a year in winter. Chefs who become hunters themselves and cook gibier. The tastiest rice in Japan, fish that has been nerve-tightened by fishermen, and superb sushi created by a chef who knows all about the characteristics of these ingredients. The marriage of food and sake. And the salmon culture of Murakami, where 100 different salmon dishes are still alive today… Please enjoy Niigata’s climate, ingredients, traditions, and history, and enjoy a trip to Niigata to experience its food culture.