Niigata

Niigata is a port capital on the Sea of Japan coast of Honshu, sitting where Japan's best rice country meets the sea. Rice means sake, and the prefecture counts more breweries than any other; the city drinks accordingly, and eats just as well from cold, rich northern waters.

At the station's Ponshukan tasting hall you can sample dozens of local sakes by coin-operated machine. Koshihikari rice and winter seafood set the table, and the old Furumachi geisha district adds evening atmosphere. The Bandai Bridge arcs over the Shinano, Japan's longest river.

Niigata is also the ferry port for Sado Island, which makes it a natural overnight on a Sea of Japan route. The Joetsu Shinkansen runs direct from Tokyo through snow country. Winter brings the best seafood and sake season; summer adds beaches and fireworks over the river.