nowhere but niigata

Nowhere but Niigata:A Taste-provoking Journey of Discovery

Steve Gillicksteve@talkingtravel.ca

Lunch at the Nagashima Restaurant right across from the Shibata train station. Sake served the traditional way.

Shibata's sake brewery was found by the Ichishima Family in 1790

History of the Ichishima Brewery is kept alive in the museum

Sake tasting is an important part of the educational program in any sake brewery tour

Shibata Castle was completed in 1654

Sampling Sake throughout the town of Tsukioka Onsen

You can wander to as many of the 30 sampling venues as you wish, with your sake cup and coupons in hand. Each venue offers 3-4 sakes from Niigata Prefecture.

The Saturday morning Central Market in Niigata

Breakfast at the Chuo Shokudo restaurant

in the Central Market. Unbelievably fresh and tasty.

Walking through the woods in Murasugi on the way to the onsens

A Japanese Maple with brilliant red leaves

The outdoor onsen in Murasugi, just before the beginning of a torrential hail storm!

Lake Hyoko, also known as Swan Lake

.

An Inari shrine on the way to the sake brewery in the town of Agano

A tour of the brewing process in the Echigozakura Shuzo

After the tour, it was time for sake sampling and conversation.

Goro is one of the best seafood restaurants in

Niigata City

Sushi chefs preparing dishes, that travel on the conveyor belt: (kaiten sushi at Benkei in Niigata's Bandaijima Pia)

Culinary Art: Ikura no gunkan maki (salmon roe on rice, wrapped in Nori (seaweed)). One of my favourites.

Adding up the different coloured dishes after immersing yourself in kaiten sushi. As you can see,

we had to try everything!

Nowhere but NiigataThe magic formula of travel is that when your personality and

your needs mesh with the personality and features of a ‘place’, it’s inevitably the beginning of a beautiful relationship of

memories, photographs and daydreams.

For me, Niigata prefecture is one such place.

For Steve's article "Nowhere but Niigata"

visit www.broowaha.com

Steve GillickTravel Writer, Speaker,

Photographer

Steve@talkingtravel.cawww.talkingtravel.ca