D2 - Niigata City

June 20, 2026 11 minute read

Overview

Time	Activity / Destination	Notes
08:30	⏰ Wake Up
09:25	🏨 9h Hamamatsucho - Checkout
09:40	🗼 Tokyo Station	To buy Shinkansen Ticket
10:15	🚄 Shinkansen Depart
12:17	🌾 Niigata Arrival
12:30	🛄 Place Baggage at Hotel
13:30	🏘️ Nuttari Terrace Shopping Street	ひとつぼし雑貨店, VOST COFFEE
14:50	🏨 Niigata Comfort Hotel	Check in and nap, left at 16:30
16:45	7️⃣ 7-Eleven	Short stop for Niigata Onigiri
17:00	⛲️ Saito Villa	Museum of a wealthy merchant estate back in the days
18:20	🚶 Furumachidori	Walk on the shopping street, Ate ramen on a food festival
19:40	🍣 Benkei Pier Bandai	Standing Sushi and Nodoguro
20:30	🛍️ Niigata Station	Walk around and hunt for supper snacks
21:00	💤 Niigata Comfort Hotel	Chill at the library café, and rest

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Wake Up & Checkout

I purposely woke up at 8:30 AM and departed around 9:25 AM to avoid the dreaded morning rush hour crowd. By now, I’ve got much better at navigating the shared capsule hotel bathroom facilities and getting dressed efficiently.

As it turns out, Hamamatsucho Station is incredibly convenient for getting to Tokyo Station, only a short, 11-minute ride spanning three stops.

Tokyo Station

I opted to buy the Shinkansen ticket over the counter, as I’m not sure when I will actually reach Tokyo Station. When I’m on my way, I noticed that there is a 10:15 AM train and opted for that. The cost is ¥10,450 (~RM260, ooof)

Shinkansen Departure

The Shinkansen arrived at 10:07 AM, and the cleaning staff immediately began a quick sweep of the train cars. At 10:12 they opened for boarding, and once I boarded, I was fumbling to put the food back into my seat and my large luggage into the dedicated compartment. Sure enough, the train departed at 10:15 sharp before I had even finished tidying up.

Note to self: Try not to buy hot coffee when hands are occupied.

As per title, it’s a real challenge to balance all the stuffs (Hot coffee, bento box, hand carry and pull luggage) while boarding Shinkansen, alone! I think I even spilled a few drops on the platform… sorry ><

I didn’t really take my camera out during the Shinkansen ride since I wasn’t in a window seat, and someone was already sitting there. Eating also felt a bit cramped, but that’s just how it goes in shared spaces. Perhaps a Green Car (first-class) experience would be different next time!

As for the Tonkatsu Bento, the meat and sauce tasted quite typical—just your standard sweet sauce and mustard. However, I was highly impressed by the side dishes: a very refreshing pickled yuzu and a flavourful, umami-rich kombu seaweed.

What kind of traveller am I, really?

Although I like to claim that I’m a “drop a pin and figure it out later” kind of traveller, I have actually never travelled quite like this before, at least not alone. So even with that mindset, I was still anxious and unsure about the itinerary the day before, and even on the Shinkansen I kept finding myself replanning the route.

But as I arrived, I just told myself: it’s OK to not have a perfect itinerary, or even a 70% good one. The chance to be here is already a blessing. And slowly, I grew more at peace with it.

Reaching Niigata

Reach Niigata, but I’m not detecting any rice or sake scent XD

Enjoy walking in the cool weather, and a less busy street compared to Tokyo. However, Niigata station is also quite big with various department stalls stationed in there. There is a Ponshukan sake tasting shop, which is in my to go list.

Once I reached, I placed my luggage at the hotel first, then start to depart to Nuttari Terrace which I pinned before that it is a shopping street

Nuttari Terrace

Finally reached after some walk! But… the shopping street kind of gives of a no mans land vibes… Where are the peoples? I mean I did want to try some less busy spots, but uh…

ひとつぼし雑貨店

Walk a bit and notice that this shop is opened with lots of cute kitchenware, and cat related postcards, chopsticks rests and so on. In the end I bought myself some drop coffee with cute cats art (prolly will keep the packaging xD)

VOST Coffee

Next I planned to go to 編むと紡ぐ Café, unfortunately it is closed. Then from the conversation I only get to know that the street typical closing day is on Tuesday and Wednesday, I guess this is the risk of “Pin and Go” travel strategy. Oh well, time to improvise.

As I walked, a sign for filter coffee caught my eye outside a place called VOST coffee. I thought, why not? I hadn’t researched it at all, but it looked like a great alternative for my coffee fix, so in I went.

Had a broken Japanese exchange with the barista on which beans to choose and taking a moment to sample the dry aromas. Shortly after I placed my order, a local Japanese customer walked in, and I found myself listening to the barista offer a full recommendation in Japanese out of the corner of my ear.

I ultimately chose a single-origin Chinese bean: China Yuan Yi Yuan Dehong, which the description noted had a tea-like flavour profile. As I taste it, sure enough, there is really combination of tea notes flavour woven with an earthy, coffee bitterness. I think it would be a favourite to anyone who loves Chinese teas.

I also took the courage to start a small talk with barista, by asking on the brewing method (apparently he is using this brewing method with great emphasis on the chilling rock).

A bit later, I noticed the barista preparing another cup. He brought it over to us and explained it was O-saabisu (a complimentary sample on the house!), with the Rose infused Indonesian beans.

Quite delighted by it, and even delighted by the taste profile of the coffee, which even though it is rose infused, it has none of the punchy extract-ish rose taste that you typically get on rose latte for example. It is very subtle, sweet rose taste that is further enhanced with the iced temperature. Very impressed with it.

All in all, enjoying my short getaway in this little coffee shop.

Interlude

After the coffee, I long walked back to the hotel wanting to get some nap, while still enjoying the breezy weather. Also rested at the library café with the welcome drinks and some books before check in time of 3:00 PM

After that, I departed again to my second destination of the day, Saito Villa. I saw some suggestion on the web that if you like architecture aesthetics with garden backdrop, this museum estate of wealthy merchant leftover will be fitting. Figured it could be a good place to practice my camera and also to relax on the view. Went back to Niigata Station and took a bus to cross the river.

But before reaching there, Hara ga heta…. (haven’t eaten since the Shinkansen Bento and its 4:30pm already). While looking around for quick bite as the museum closes at 6:00 PM, figured out, hey perhaps Conbini will sell Niigata rice Onigiri right? Aaaand here I went.

The rice have a firm bite, yet still have the moisture and the stickiness is still holding the onigiri without falling apart. I especially like ume (sour plum) onigiri as it gives the sourness punch, and balanced by the saltiness of the bonito.

Saito Villa

I reached the museum at 5:00 PM, one hour to closing time. Seems a bit of rush, but I told myself is fine, at least got to visit it with a relatively chill evening. The museum comprises the interior estate which is used for welcoming guest and signature vantage spot of the garden at the 2nd floor, and also the outdoor garden.

For the one hour, it is mostly me alone, and along with one or two other visitors who joined halfway. Spent a great deal of time exploring and just taking pictures. The 2nd floor view is really breathtaking. If I had more spare time, will just spend extra time to zone out here.

/// CLICK HERE FOR SOME PHOTOGRAPHY POST ///

Furumachidori

After the museum visit, I walked to the Furumachidori to see if I can buy any Niigata souvenirs and also to find something to eat. As you can see, the streets at 6:20 PM seem a bit… quiet. Seems more like a restaurant and bar street, and some shops are too intimate for my liking.

As I walk further, there seems to be this food fair, where there are many western foods like German sausage, Indonesian food Satay, etc. In the end I still settled for the ramen.

I ordered Ginger Shoyu ramen, said to be one of Niigata top 5 ramen. Quite a light-tasting ramen, subtle spiciness from the ginger and savouriness from the shoyu. The ramen has a nice chewy texture to bite, however the noodle itself doesn’t have a profound taste on its own.

A fun transition
As I’m eating my ramen, one person suddenly came to the stall and called out the staff in Japanese, saying she wants to take photos with the stall staff. The staff hmmm for a while, then talked to the supervisor/owner. Then the supervisor agreed to it and they peace pose for the photo. After the photo, the person said thank you and just left. I saw the staff exchange confused looks, quite funny xD

Benkei Pier Bandai

Actually this is the main thing that I want to try for the dinner, Standing Sushi, but just now I was too hungry, so I got myself a ramen first before walking to there.

Some night view when walking to the destination

When I walk into the restaurant, there are only a few patrons. I went to the corner and grabbed a cup for the tea, and walk to my table counter and stand there to order.

Honestly, at that moment I felt quite nervous as I didn’t really stand and eat like this before, somehow I felt the attention of the staff was immensely focused on me, but whether that is really the case I do not know. I even got an English menu to make sure I didn’t get things wrong ><

I wanted to find some sushi platter, but saw it is only for lunch at first, then I went for à la carte order (then only found out there are two prices for lunch and dinner, but it’s too late). Initially I ordered some sushi that I wanted to try + nodoguro, the star of the seafood I suppose. But the staff advised me that he will take three orders first, and anything else can be added on later. I felt like that is the right call as I’m taking some time to finish the sushi, and to keep the freshness of the sushi I guess.

I ordered an Inari, Sea Bream, Squid. I gotta say, seeing the sushi at the glossy counter-top and eating from it is quite a different vibe. The sushis are tasty, Inari is sweet as usual, fresh Sea Bream and stickiness of the Squid is what I like. But honestly I’m still getting used to chewing while standing as I adjusted my legs a bit xD.

After that, I ordered a Nodoguro, which I’m very excited about. However, after tasting it, I felt like the taste is very, very subtle, like almost tuna-salmon like. Although the torched finish is fragrant, I felt like the actual fish taste is quite umm, fleeting. I start to wonder, is it worth the ¥847 price tag? (But I’m still willing to give it another chance, there’s a Nodoguro Don up in my list.)

EOD

After the sushi, I’m kinda lazy and took a bus back to Niigata Station to find some suppers. I’m not usually a supper guy, but I find myself wanting to take it on my trip hmm, guess I have to do that more when I’m back to my country :3

Thoughts

Hotel Checking In
I noticed that Japanese cemetry can be scattered around in towns, often with shrines that will be right next to residential area or commercial area.

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