Nagaoka City: Features, Popular Tourist Attractions, Gourmet

Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, is a city with a population of approximately 280,000 located in the Chubu region of Japan. It is about an hour and a half by Shinkansen from Tokyo, and about two and a half hours by Shinkansen from Osaka.

Nagaoka City flourished as a castle town of the Echigo-Nagaoka domain during the Edo period. The city is home to historical buildings and facilities such as the Nagaoka Castle Ruins and the Nagaoka City Museum, where you can experience Nagaoka’s history.

A famous sightseeing spot is Shinanogawa River Park. This park is known as a cherry blossom viewing spot, and you can enjoy a beautiful cherry blossom tunnel in the spring. In addition, the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival is held in the summer, and a spectacular fireworks show is held over the Shinano River. Approximately 20,000 fireworks are launched, and it is known as one of Japan’s three major fireworks festivals.

Nagaoka City’s gourmet food is also attractive, and you can try the famous “Eguchi Dango” and “Tochio Fried Tofu.” Eguchi dango is a Japanese sweet with a chewy texture and sweetness, and Tochio fried tofu has a fluffy texture and deep flavor.

Furthermore, in the Settaya area of Nagaoka City, there is a townscape where sake brewing has continued since the Edo period. The area is lined with white-walled storehouses that give you a sense of history, and if you walk through the back alleys, you can enjoy the quaint streetscape filled with the scent of sake breweries. There are plenty of things to see, such as brewery tours, tastings, and local sake sweets.

Nagaoka City is also a town with a wealth of attractions, including nature, history, culture, and gourmet food, such as the market street in Teradomari, one of the best fishing ports in the Sea of Japan, and Yamakoshi, where the original scenery of a beautiful Japanese village remains.