Hello from Toki 338 — leaving Niigata for Tokyo with 300km+ to go.
I came to Niigata dreaming of seeing the Hoshitoge Rice Terraces, taking the ferry to Sado Island, discovering the Northern Culture Museum, tasting sake in sake breweries, and possibly enjoying some Kiwami Sushi in Sakana no Ameyoko.
Instead, it was not the local experience I dreamt of, but I learned a valuable lesson that day: not always to be ignorant when travelling. Winging it while travelling only works sometimes, but never for day trips, especially not in small towns in Japan. I struggled to navigate small towns in Japan with limited GPS and English directions when I was constrained by time, local rules, and weather.
Niigata without Itinerary
Only when I reached Niigata did I learn about the local bus schedule and how infrequent it was. The places we aimed to go once we were in Niigata were not as easily reachable as I thought they’d be. Sado Island was two hours away from the train station, and the market was even at the farthest distance.
I almost gave up and wanted to suggest to Amma that we should take the next train back to Tokyo, but then we stumbled upon the Niigata Hakusan Shrine and the park beside it, which was much better than I expected. Also, I ate the best onigiri of my life. Unfortunately, it was followed by my least favourite thing: spending an afternoon with screaming kids in a pretty basic Niigata City Aquarium Marinepia Nihonkai. Soon after, we left as it was just a day trip.
Echigo Yuzawa
The Shinkansen just passed through this cute little town in Niigata prefecture called Echigo Yuzawa, and it’s got this adorable strip of tiny shops. My heart melts for Japan—especially when I spot those neat rows of homes. It’s like my happy place. It makes me think about my dream of living in Japan while immersing myself in Japanese culture. Man, do I wish it’ll happen and for it to happen soon.
My face feels like sandpaper. Can you believe it’s salt? Yeah, from all the sweat today. It took me back to when a Japanese friend warned me to care for myself and Amma—Japanese summer can get pretty brutal. Her advice echoed my gripes about Japan’s scorching weather. It has been pretty unbearable today.
Alas, I am going to count my wins: I have taken Amma to ride the Shinkansen, we visited Niigata—a new place together, and I ate the best onigiri of my life. Those are good enough for a short itinerary-less Niigata. The next time I visit Niigata, I will give myself more days accompanied with plenty of research and local-specific information.
I am going to shut my eyes for a second. That’s how tired out I am right now.
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