In Niigata, Life is a Garden
Authentic culture and ancient traditions abound along Niigata's Garden Road.
The impressive gardens of Choraku-ji Temple
The Japanese garden is in many ways a perfect encapsulation of a particular cultural ethos that has for so long been a source of endless fascination for those who exist outside of it - steadfast patience, keen attention to detail, a reverence for nature and the perfection found in its imperfections, and the undefinable yet unshakeable sense that there exists a “right” way to do all things.
Gardens of every size can be found throughout Japan, from vast oases of green among Tokyo’s looming skyscrapers, to serene, miniaturized landscapes hidden away behind the unassuming doorways of private residences. And while some well-known names such as Kanazawa’s Kenroku-en or Yoshiki-en in Nara will always enjoy their place in the tourist spotlight, some of Japan’s most remarkable gardens remain hidden in plain sight.
Shimizu-en Garden is one of the highlights along the Niigata Garden Road.
The Garden Road
Along Japan’s northwestern coastline, Niigata Prefecture is home to the “Niigata Tei-en Kaido” or Niigata Garden Road, a 150-kilometer stretch of country road meandering through charming rural scenery, and dotted not only with dozens of tranquil gardens but also innumerable historical and cultural treasures. In an era when vacations are often paradoxically causes for stress and anxiety as travelers race from one overcrowded “guidebook highlight” to the next, the Niigata Garden Road offers a truly unique and welcome travel experience - an invitation to separate from the crowd, to slow down, and to become immersed in the hidden refinements of the Japanese countryside.
Digging Deep into the Local Culture
As the name suggests, the Niigata Garden Road is lined with some of the country’s finest Japanese landscape gardens, many of which remain blissfully off of the tourist radar. Unknown to all but the locals, these hidden gardens can still be enjoyed the way they were originally intended - as places for peaceful contemplation and quiet solitude. Now open to the public and many with their own onsite, specialist guides, these gardens hearken back to a bygone era when fabulously wealthy agriculture magnates, generational landowners, and even influential Buddhist temples built these gardens as a means of showing off their refined aesthetic sensibilities as well as their considerable riches. Visitors to the area can move languidly from one serene garden to the next, relishing in the small, thoughtful details that create a whole that is so much greater than the sum of the parts. For those wishing for even deeper insight into Japanese gardens, a behind-the scenes visit to the workshop of a master local gardener provides unparalleled access into this enigmatic world.
Inside the private workshop of one of Japan’s few remaining master gardeners.
Culture in the Countryside
Though the gardens may be the stars of the show, this oft-overlooked region of Japan is host to a number of other charms waiting to be discovered. Niigata is dense with ‘onsen’, underground volcanic hot springs whose steaming waters occasionally bubble to the surface where they can be collected into luxurious public bathing pools. For centuries, a lengthy soak in the hot, nutrient-rich waters of an onsen has been the epitome of wellness and relaxation in Japan, and Niigata’s many beautiful bathhouses provide ample opportunity for a relaxing dip.
Despite the undeniable draw of these historic gardens and restorative hot spring baths, Niigata’s greatest treasure is perhaps its people and the traditional culture that they have cultivated and maintained for generations. Travelers along the Garden Road can actively engage with authentic cultural practices with roots dating back hundreds of years. The tiny seaside town of Murakami is home to one such practice, as fascinating as it is rare.
Practiced for hundreds of years, this ritualistic cutting of a dried salmon is unique to the town of Murakami.
From Past to Present
Located at the mouth of the Miomote River, the history of Murakami is inexorably tied to the yearly salmon spawning season, as thousands of salmon make their way inland from the sea. Over the span of many generations, the area’s local culture developed in direct relation to this yearly bounty, with salmon featuring prominently in the town’s cuisine, folk art, and even religious practices. Lucky visitors to the historic Kikkawa Salmon Shop can witness a salmon cutting ritual, performed only for special occasions as a means of expressing gratitude for the salmon that have sustained the local community for hundreds of years. Paired with a classic Japanese tea ceremony with its own local twist, the experience is so much more than the simple preparation of sustenance. Each tool has its own place, each deliberate movement of the master’s skilled hand the result of years of careful practice and repetition. Though perhaps impenetrable and unknowable to outsiders, these seemingly enigmatic practices are underpinned by a common ethos found throughout the vast intangible garden that is traditional Japanese culture - steadfast patience, keen attention to detail, a reverence for nature and the perfection found in its imperfections, and the undefinable yet unshakeable sense that there exists a “right” way to do all things. And while time marches on and the unstoppable engines of change continues to drive progress at the expense of tradition, this remarkable and uniquely Japanese perspective continues to permeate all aspects of life along the Niigata Garden Road, truly one of Japan’s hidden gems.
A traditional tea ceremony with a unique, local twist.
Garden Tour (1 Night)
Day 1
13:00 - Arrive in Niigata
14:00 - Visit the Saito Historic Villa & Garden
15:30 - Transfer to Tsukioka Onsen area (1 hour)
16:30 - Check in at Kahou: Koshinosato Annex Ryokan in Tsukioka Onsen
18:00 - Enjoy a dinner of ‘kaiseki’ at the ryokan
Day 2
08:00 - Enjoy breakfast at the ryokan
09:30 - Explore the famous Shimizu-en Garden
10:30 - Transfer to Ikarashitei Garden (30 minutes)
11:00 - Explore Ikarashitei Garden
12:00 - Enjoy lunch at Ikarashitei’s Garden Restaurant
13:30 - Transfer to the Northern Culture Museum (30 minutes)
14:00 - Explore the Northern Culture Museum and visit the private workshop of a local master gardener
16:00 - Transfer to Niigata Train Station (30 minutes)
17:00 - Board a train to the next destination
The area of Tsukioka Onsen is famed of its many luxurious ‘ryokan’ inns.
Garden and Local Customs Tour (2 Nights)
Day 1
13:00 - Arrive in Niigata
14:00 - Visit the Saito Historic Villa & Garden
15:30 - Transfer to Tsukioka Onsen area (1 hour)
16:30 - Check in at Kahou: Koshinosato Annex Ryokan in Tsukioka Onsen
18:00 - Enjoy a dinner of ‘kaiseki’ at the ryokan
Day 2
08:00 - Enjoy breakfast at the ryokan
09:00 - Transfer to Murakami area (1 hour)
10:00 - Witness a private tea ceremony and salmon cutting ritual at the Kikkawa Salmon Shop
12:00 - Enjoy a traditional salmon lunch at Izutsuya Restaurant
13:30 - Explore the Murakami townscape
14:30 - Visit Choraku-ji Temple and Garden
15:30 - Return to accommodation in Tsukioka Onsen area (1 hour)
18:00 - Enjoy dinner at the ryokan
Day 3
08:00 - Enjoy breakfast at the ryokan
09:30 - Explore the famous Shimizu-en Garden
10:30 - Transfer to Ikarashitei Garden (30 minutes)
11:00 - Explore Ikarashitei Garden
12:00 - Enjoy lunch at Ikarashitei’s Garden Restaurant
13:30 - Transfer to the Northern Culture Museum (30 minutes)
14:00 - Explore the Northern Culture Museum and visit the private workshop of a local master gardener
16:00 - Transfer to Niigata Train Station (30 minutes)
Ready to start planning your visit to Niigata?