 Cultural Facilities |
Niigata City offers a variety of cultural opportunities to its residents,
from concert halls and theaters to museums and aquariums.
Map of Cultural Facilities in Niigata City
View larger map.
| Niigata City Performing Arts Center "Ryutopia" |
Niigata's great hall of music and theatrical arts is located in the greenbelt
of Hakusan Park.
The Concert Hall (seating capacity of 2,000) has a Spanish pipe organ and
the Theater (seating capacity of 903) is perfect for opera or Japanese
traditional performances of Kabuki. There is also the Noh Theater (seating
capacity of 387) with its stage made ofcypress, befitting Noh, the classic
drama unique to Japan. In addition to these facilities, there are 8 practicing
rooms and 2 studios available as well. (Fee applicable). Within the Arts
Center there are also restaurants and cafes for your enjoyment. Ryutopia
is home to the city's dance company in residencen, Noism.
| Location: |
3-2 Ichibanboridori-cho, Chuo Ward
A 7-minute walk from the "Shiyakusho Mae" bus stop.
Contact:
| (Information / Ticket Agency) |
025-224-5622 |
| (Reservations for Tickets Only) |
025-.224-5521 |
| (Inquiries for Rental of Halls) |
025-224-5621 |
|
| Hours: |
9:00 - 22:00. Closed 2nd and 4th Monday (Tuesday when Monday is a holiday),
Dec. 29 - Jan. 3 |
| Niigata City Aquarium "Marinepia Nihonkai" |
The aquarium features 20,000 animals from approximately 450 different species.
The migratory fish found in the Sea of Japan such as red sea bream and
jack mackerel are kept in a giant fish tank, which can hold 800 tons of
water. There is an undersea tunnel that goes through this tank, providing
you with a panoramic underwater view. There is also another fish tank which
simulates the environment of the Shinanogawa River, the longest river in
Japan, where you can see some local fish such as Chinese gudgeon and Japanese
minnow. You can also see Amur sturgeons and tarpon. A popular dolphin show
takes place 4 to 5 times a day, and there are also sea lions, sea otters,
and other aquatic mammals.
The aquarium dedicates itself to the preservation of
species, and it has one of the largest groups of Humboldt penguins in Japan, an
endangered species.
| Location: |
5932-445 Nishi Funami-cho, Chuo Ward
Take a bus bound for "Niigatashi Suizokukan."
Phone 025-222-7500 |
| Hours: |
9:00 - 17:00
Hours are extended during the summer.
Jan. 2 and 3: open from 10:00 a.m.
Closed: Dec. 29 - Jan. 1, the first Thursday of March and the following
day. |
| Entry fee: |
Adults: 1,500 yen
Elementary and junior high school students: 600 yen
Infants age 4 and over: 200 yen |
In the permanent collection room, both
Japanese and foreign works of art such as paintings, prints, and sculptures are
on display. Special exhibitions, as well as museum concerts, are held several
times a year. In addition, courses in art history and studio art are also
offered. The library is open to all visitors.
| Location: |
5191-9 Nishi Ohata-cho, Chuo Ward
Get off at "Shi Bijutsukan Mae" bus stop or walk 10 minutes from
Furumachi.
Phone: 025-223-1622 |
| Hours: |
9:30 - 18:00
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a holiday), the day after a holiday
(when Sunday is a holiday, the museum is closed Tuesday), and during the
New Year's holidays (Dec. 28 - Jan. 3). |
| Entry Fee: |
Adults: 200 yen
College and high school students: 150 yen
Elementary and junior high school students: 100 yen
Extra fees are charged for special exhibitions. |
| Niigata City History Museum "Minatopia" |
This museum showcases the history of Niigata as a port town, tracing its
development from prehistoric times to the present. In addition to the permanent
collection room, there is an activity space where you can learn about the
ideas and techniques of the past. There is also an information library
where you can read books and watch films about local history. Admission
is free for the former Niigata Customs House, a National Important Cultural
Property, as well as for the former Daishi Bank Sumiyoshi-ch? Branch, a
Registered Cultural Property, both of which are located on the museum's
premises.
| Location: |
2-10 Yanagishima-cho, Chuo Ward.
Get off at "Rekishi Hakubutsukan Mae" bus stop
Phone: 025-.225-6111 |
| Hours: |
April. - Sept.: 9:30 - 18:00
Oct. -March: 9:30 - 17:00
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday), the day after
a national holiday (Tuesday when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday), New
Year's holidays (Dec. 28-Jan. 3) |
| Entry Fee: |
(Permanent Collection)
Adults: 300 yen
College and high school students: 200 yen
Junior high and elementary school students: 100 yen
(Extra fees are
charged for special exhibitions. 20% discount for a group of more than 20
people.) |
Special exhibitions on various themes, not limited to themes of traditional
art, are held 6 to 7 times a year in the exhibition room on the second
floor, which has a 10 meter high ceiling. On the first floor there are
galleries for works from local residents and a lecture room. Outside, there
is an open-air theater that can accommodate 300 people. There is also an
atrium, with marble-stone stairs connecting the first and the second floor,
which is also used as a stage for concerts and performing arts.
| Location: |
109-1 Gawakesawa, Akiha Ward
A 15 minute drive from Niitsu I.C. (Ban-etsu Expressway), or a 20-minute
walk from the JR Furutsu Station.
Phone: 0250-25-1300 |
| Hours: |
10:00 - 17:00
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday), New Year's
holidays (Dec. 28-Jan. 4), Closed occasionally for the replacement of exhibitions.
(Contact us.) |
| Entry Fee: |
Varies according to exhibition. |
| Shirone Giant Kite & History Museum |
Features rare kites from around the world, including the enormous kites
used in the Giant Kite Battle of Shirone, which are about 7 m x 5 m big.
The kite studio, where you can actually make your own kite, and the wind
tunnel where you can fly a kite are also popular.
| Location: |
1770-1 Jogesuwanoki, Minami Ward
A 10-minute walk from the "Shirone Kensei Byoin Mae" bus stop
Phone: 025-372-0314 |
| Hours: |
9:00 - 16:30.
Closed: Wednesdays (Thursday when Wednesday is a national holiday), the
day after a national holiday (Tuesday when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday),
New Year's holidays (Dec. 28-Jan. 3) |
| Entry Fee: |
Adults: 400 yen
High school, junior high, and elementary school students: 200 yen
(25% discount for groups of more than 20 people.) |
A designated site of National Cultural Importance, this mansion is the former residence of the great area chief who governed 8 villages from the early Edo period until the Meiji Restoration. The house looks very majestic with its traditional thatched roof.
| Location: |
216 Ajikata, Minami Ward
"Sasagawa-tei Iriguchi" bus stop, a 20-minute drive from Maki/Katahigashi I. C. (Hokuriku Expressway)
Phone: 025-372-3006 |
| Hours: |
9:00 - 16:30
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday), the day after
a holiday (Tuesday when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday), New Year's holidays
(Dec. 28-Jan. 3) |
| Entry Fee: |
Adults and high school students: 500 yen
Junior high and elementary school students: 300 yen
(There is a 100 yen discount for groups of more than 20 people.) |
| Fukushimagata Wetlands Museum "View Fukushimagata" |
This building has walls entirely made of glass, through which you can enjoy
a 360-degree panoramic view. There are exhibitions showcasing the onibasu (Gorgon plant or giant water liliy), the ohishikui (Middenorff's bean goose), and the history of the Fukushimagata wetlands.
Displays also feature other plants and animals around the wetlands. You
can also watch a live camera feed of what's going on in the wetlands.
| Location: |
493 Maeshinden-otsu, Kita Ward
A 30-minute walk from the JR Toyosaka Station, a 10 minute drive from Toyosaka I. C. (#7 National Highway)
Phone: 025-387-1491 |
| Hours: |
9:00 - 17:00
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday) |
| Entry Fee: |
Adults: 400 yen
Children: 200 yen
(20% discount for groups of more than 20 people. Yearly pass available.) |
The Sawa family was
originally one of the feudatories of General Shingen Takeda, but later the
family assumed control of the village. This building is a restoration of the
Sawa family's former residence. You can imagine how the house was originally by
visualizing the house without nails, the garden, or the pine trees alongside.
| Location: |
434 Uchikochi-ko, Nishikan Ward
A 5-minute drive from Maki/Katahigashi I. C. (Hokuriku Expressway)
Phone: 025-375-1300 |
| Hours: |
9:00- 16:30.
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday), the day after
a national holiday (Tuesday when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday), New
Year's holidays (Dec. 28-Jan. 3) |
| Entry Fee: |
Adults: 300 yen
High school students: 150 yen
Junior high and elementary
school students: Free
(For a group of more than 20 people: Adults: 200 yen, High school students:
100 yen.) |
Sakyukan
(Former residence of the chief of the Bank of Japan's Niigata branch) |
This is a modern Japanese-style residence built in 1933 for the branch
chiefs of the Bank of Japan. It was used as their residence, office, as
well as the reception room for their honored guests. Art exhibitions and
concerts are often held here, and the rooms can be rented out to local
residents for their cultural activities.
| Location: |
5218-1 Nishi Ohata-cho, Chuo Ward
A 1-minute walk from the "Nishi Ohata Sakaue" bus stop.
Phone: 025-222-2676 |
| Hours: |
9:00 - 21:00
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a national holiday), the day after
a national holiday, New Year's holidays |
| Entry Fee: |
Tour: Free. Room rental: Fees applicable |
| Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum |
Aizu Yaichi was born in 1881 in Niigata's Furumachi area. He was a famous
poet, calligrapher, and historian. His hanging scrolls, shikishi (kanji and hiragana on square pieces of fancy paper), byobu (folding screens), diaries, letters, scripts, mementos, etc., are on display at the museum.
| Location: |
5932-561 Nishi Funami-cho, Chuo Ward
Get off at the "Nishi Ohata Sakaue" bus stop.
Phone: 025-222-7612 |
| Hours: |
9:00 - 17:00
Closed: Mondays (Tuesday when Monday is a holiday); the day following a
holidayAGNew Year's holiday (Dec. 28 - Jan. 4) |
| Entry Fee: |
Adults: 500 yen
College students: 300 yen
High school students: 200 yen
Elementary and junior high school students: 100 yen |
|
Local Products Center "Niigata Furusatomura"
|
This is a facility to introduce the sights and products of Niigata. You
can experience Niigata's winters at a corner with falling snow and see
how life in Niigata has changed over the years. In addition to a large
collection of local delicacies such as sake and seafood, there is also
a tasting and drinking room where you can sample the goods.
| Location: |
2307 Yamada, Nishi Ward
Get off at "Niigata Furusato Mura" bus stop.
Phone: 025-230-3030 |
| Hours: |
Appeal Hall: 9:00- 17:00 (summer: extended hours)
Bazaar Hall: 9:30 - 17:30 .(summer: extended hours)
Open year round |
| Entry Fee: |
Free |
|
Niigata City Music & Culture Hall
|
This public hall has thirteen large,
medium, and small sized practice rooms and a concert hall (seating capacity of
525 people). It is possible to rent pianos, percussion instruments,
koto, and shamisen for practice. This hall is used by fans of
music and the performing arts, and various meetings and lectures are also held
here. Reservations in advance are needed if you wish to use this space.
| Location: |
3-2 Ichibanboridori-cho, Chuo Ward
A 2-minute walk from the"Hakusan Koen Mae" bus stop.
Phone: 025-.224-5811 |
| Hours: |
9:00 - 22:00
Closed: 1st and 3rd Monday (Tuesday when Monday is a holday) and during
the New Year's holiday (Dec. 29 - Jan. 3) |
| Entry Fee: |
Fees vary depending on the size of the room, day, and time. |
|
Citizens' Plaza (Shimin Plaza)
|
This public hall is located on the 6th Floor of the NEXT 21 building. A
variety of events such as plays, recitals, lectures, and exhibitions are
held here.
| Location: |
6-866 Nishibori-dori, Chuo Ward
A 1-minute walk from the "Furumachi" bus stop.
Phone: 025-226-5500 |
| Hours: |
9:00 - 22:00
The mini-gallery and information gallery are open
until 7:00 p.m.
Closed: 2nd and 3rd Tuesday (Wednesday when Tuesday is a holiday) |
| Entry Fee: |
The mini-gallery and information gallery can be used free of charge. For information about using the hall or mini-gallery, contact the Citizen's Plaza Administrative Office. |
This is a rotating observatory (one complete rotation is made every 25
minutes) which stands on the water supply facilities of the City. You can
enjoy the view through a 20× strength telescope (100 yen for 3 minutes).
| Location: |
2-5229-8 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo Ward
Get off at the "Nihonkai Tower Mae"bus stop.
Phone: 025-229-0020 |
| Hours: |
March - Nov.: 9:00 - 17:00. (Summer: extended hours)
Dec. - Feb.: 10:00 - 16:00
Closed: During the New Year's holiday (Dec. 29 - Jan. 3) |
| Entry Fee: |
Adults: 300 yen
Elementary school children: 100 yen |
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