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Kita-ku Fermented Food Culture and Fukushimagata Walking Tour
Joined 2018
This tour provides visitors with an unforgettable experience by tasting sake and miso fermented soy bean paste. They will be amazed by products made with pride and history of fermented food culture. You can enjoy Italian cuisine, sushi, ramen or more cooked with localy produced vegetables and seafood caught in the Sea of Japn, for lunch.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Niigata Station Bandai Exit / Hotel
Niigata Station
Meeting at the Bandai-guchi Entrance. Take a taxi or train and walk to Yamada Miso Soybean Paste Brewery.
Yamada Miso Brewery
Take a tour of the miso brewery and learn the history of miso (soybean paste). You can taste different kinds of miso and rice juice. You can enjoy shopping miso, soy sauce and rice juice. The factory tour and miso tasting experience need to be booked 1-2 weeks prior to the tour. JPY880 for each person for the factory tour and miso tasting.
DHC Sake Brewery
Take a tour of the sake brewery and learn the culture and history of rice based Niigata food and sake. You can taste different kinds of sake and enjoy shopping. The brewery tour and sake tasting need to be booked 1-2 weeks prior to the tour. The sake brewery tour and tasting for each person requires JPY500, and JPY1000 for adding craft beer tasting to it.
Lunch at a local restaurant
Enjoy lunch with localy produced vegetables and seafood. I will take you to a restaurant of your choice of your favorite kind. My recommendation is sushi at Sushiichi, Italian lunch combo at Nora Cuccina! Ramens shops are also recommended.
View Fukushimagata
Visit the museum to learn about the wetland Fukushimagata, home to over 440 kinds of plants and over 250 kinds of birds. Enjoy viewing beautiful sights of nature from the observation floor of View Fukushimagata. You can also enjoy walking around the wetland garden and learn about biodiversity of Kita-ku and Niigata.
Niigata Station
Get back to Niigata Station by taxi or train.
Ending Point
Niigata Station Bandai Exit/ Hotel
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
Guide fee.
*Hotel pickup: 1100 JPY
*Transportation fee (you and guide): 240 yen from Niigata Station to Toyosaka Station by train. Taxi fare: approx. JPY6500 for a car (for 3 persons plus guide) from Niigata Station to Toyosaka Station.
*Hiring a medium size taxi per hour is approx. JPY7500; a van for 9 people is approx. JPY9800.
*Miso brewery tour requires JPY880;sake brewery tour for JPY500-1000, and admission fee is JPY400 for a person at View Fukushimagata. Please pay them on site.
Tour Important Information
*Transportation fee, drinks, admission fees, meals and souvenirs are not included in the shown tour price.
* Visitors need to payJPY 880 each for miso brewery tour and JPY500-1000 for sake brewery tour (as of June 2024), and the admission fee at View Fukushimagata, JPY400 yen each, on site.
*Train ticket between Niigata and Toyosaka one way is JPY240.
Booking 1-2 weeks prior to the tour is needed for arranging the brewery tours. View Fukushimagata is closed on Mondays but wetland walking is available.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2018
About Tour Guide Mutsuko W.
Yokoso! Welcome!
Hi, I'm Mutsuko, a National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter. A true Niigatite, I was born and raised in Niigata City with roots dating back generations. I would be pleased to show you another side of Japan in my beautiful and unique prefecture.
The Warm Hospitality: Niigata Prefecture is located on the west coast of the Japanese Archipelago, facing the Sea of Japan and provides a true insider look into the Japanese spirit. Only two hours away from Tokyo by Shinkansen, it has been perfecting the art of casual hospitality through centuries as a culinary hotspot and nature getaway for the those escaping the rat-race.
History at your own Pace: Appreciate history and culture at your own pace in Niigata. Yahiko, National Shrine has been soothing souls, and inspiring locals, poets, and travellers for over 2500 years. Historically significant buildings greet seafarers at Niigata Port and the old town area, Furumachi. Cross the symbolic Bandai Bridge to the other side of the Shinano River where we can move from the ancient to the modern in the Bandai area to shop and gather with young and old for entertainment such as movies, music, manga, and anime.
Over the Sea, Over the Mountain, Over the Fields: Nature is good to Niigata Prefecture, giving us four clear-cut seasons. People from all over the country, and travellers wanting to experience Japan with the Japanese join us to soak in the sun on our beaches, relax at spa resorts, challenge themselves on world class ski hills, and dance together at festivals that draw world class performers.
Travel with Me: With direct trains to and from Tokyo and an international airport, Niigata is just a stone's throw away to have a unique taste of Japan. Whether you're planning a day trip or a longer stay, I invite you to visit Niigata City and other parts of the prefecture, and while here, it would be my pleasure to help you create unique memories during your stay.
Reviews
“Family Vacation to Niigata”
During our recent family vacation to Niigata, we had the pleasure of being guided by Mutsuko, and I can’t recommend her highly enough! Mutsuko put in a tremendous amount of effort researching our family history in advance of our arrival to make our experience truly special. Before our arrival, Mutsuko took the time to research our family history, uncovering connections and stories that enriched our trip in ways we hadn’t anticipated. Her knowledge about the culture and historical context made every site we visited come alive with meaning. Mutsuko’s warmth and enthusiasm were infectious; she engaged with each member of our family, tailoring her insights to our varied interests. She truly was interested in learning about our family history as much as we were. What truly stood out was her genuine passion for her hometown and its heritage. Mutsuko not only guided us through Niigata’s beautiful sights but also shared her personal stories and experiences, which was an added touch to our 2-day trip. Overall, Mutsuko made our family vacation unforgettable. If you're looking for a guide who goes above and beyond, deeply cares about her guests, and offers a unique, personalized experience, I would highly recommend.
Mutsuko W.
Tim-san, Wow, thank you very much for your words of pleasant praise! I donnot know what to say! Just please let me say I also enjoyed the tour with you and your family. I hope you will be able to encounter more findings about your family. It was heart-wariming to get to know your family history. Thank you for giving me this great opportunity to know how wonderful it is to be acquainted with our own family history! Please let me know and be of your help next time you visit Niigata! Mutsuko
“very nice tour”
We had a beautiful day out in Sado island. We enjoyed our guide and the driver did his job very well. We thank you for the tour!
Mutsuko W.
Melissa san, It is so good to hear from you. I have been worried about one of your daughters health condition. I hope she is all right now. I am glad to know you had a good time in Sado and I hope you also did in other parts of Japan.
“Interesting time and informative”
We focus on history and off the grid local spots. Mutsuko was very knowledgeable and well spoken. Trip timing and planning was exceptional. It was great!
Mutsuko W.
Steve san, Thank you for your great feedback. You two are energetic and curious about things in town. I enjoyed guiding you around the city on such a beautiful spring day! Please enjoy the rest of your trip. I am looking forward to guiding you again.
$214/ per group
More tours by Mutsuko W.
Central Niigata City 1-Day Tour
You are to visit highlights of Niigata City in 6 hours using public transportation and taxi. Choose 5 spots to visit. You will love to walk along the Shinano River and cross the symbolic Bandai Bridge if time allows. You will also have opportunity to learn the history and background of abundant Niigata food culture such as sake, miso, rice balls and other food materials. From the top of Bakauke Observation Deck, you will have the great and panoramic view of the city and the nature.
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Visitors can take the beautiful view of Shibata Castle, and feel the ambience of the castle town by walking along the streets. Please choose 6 spots to visit out of the highlights in central Shibata City.
Northern Culture Museum, Tsukioka and Fukushimagata Wetlands
Visitors can visit the large former Ito Family residence (Northern Culture Museum), and soak their feet in outdoor hot bath in Tsukioka. Please enjoy tasting various kinds of sake, local foods and lunch. Take a panoramic view of vast rice fields spreading in the Echigo Plain from the top floor of View Fukushimagata standing by the wetlands and learn how Niigata has centered rice in its culture.
Gondola Ride to Mt Yahiko Top and Yahiko Shrine Visit plus Teradomari
Visitors can enjoy the hike to the top of Mt Yahiko by gondola and a 15-minute walk to the very top of the mountain to visit the uppermost Yahiko Shrine. Please take a panoramic view of the Sea of Japan and the vast Echigo Plain. Cherry blossoms in spring and beautiful colored leaves in autumn are marvelous to see. Make a wish at main worship hall of Yahiko Shrine for a good memory. Also you will visit Teradomari Fish Market to nibble on some grilled seafood.
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Niigata City one day tour of your choices
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This compact, half-day tour introduces some of the city's cultural and historical highlights, concluding with a visit to a local specialties shop and sake-tasting museum. The client can expect to learn about Niigata City's history and culture, including unique culinary traditions. The guide will describe the city and it's culture against the larger backdrop of the prefecture and Japan as a whole.
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Niigata City is famous for its delicious rice, agricultural products, and fresh fish. This is thanks to the abundance of water that has made it a "city of water.” At the same time, however, people have suffered from floods since the beginning of history and have repeatedly overcome them. In addition, Niigata City today is home to some of the best people in the world of comics and modern dance. Come and taste the breeze of a town with such a unique history and character.
