Five summer sightseeing spots in the Yahiko and Tsubame-Sanjo area of Niigata recommended by Niigata Prefecture residents

  • Niigata
  • PR
Sado-Plus Niigata Enjoyment Campaign in commemoration of the first anniversary of the registration of the gold mine on Sado Island as a World Heritage site.
Niigata is attracting more and more attention as it marks the first anniversary of the registration of the gold mine on Sado Island as a World Heritage site. Why not take the Shinkansen to enjoy the charms of Niigata while experiencing the four seasons? The "Sado-Plus Niigata Enjoyment Campaign to Commemorate the First Anniversary of the World Heritage Registration of the "Gold Mine on Sado Island" is being offered until August 31, 2025 (Sunday).
Niigata is a gourmet treasure trove of rice, sake, seafood, and other delicacies, and in summer, visitors can enjoy Niigata's gastronomy, hot springs, ocean, and cultural experiences and sights that change with each season. Among them, we would like to introduce some of the best spots in the Yahiko and Tsubame-Sanjo area!

Power Spot in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture [Yahiko Shrine

Located about a 15-minute walk from JR Yahiko Station, Yahiko Shrine, known to many as "Oyahiko-sama," has long been worshipped as the first shrine of Echigo. Yahiko Shrine, located at the foot of Mt. Yahiko in the center of the spacious Echigo Plain, has long been widely respected by many as the home of the heart and the place where one's soul resides. Yahiko Shrine, which boasts a history of more than 2,400 years since its founding, was written about in Japan's oldest anthology of poetry, Manyoshu (The Anthology of Myriad Leaves), and the shrine's inner shrine, Yahiko Shrine Mikami-myo, is located at the top of Mt. （The shrine is also a popular power spot for romance, as it is dedicated to the deity Umashihoyahime no Mikoto (Princess Marihoya no Mikoto).
Yahiko Shrine
Yahiko Shrine is home to a spectacular forest, and the grounds are covered with trees, creating an atmosphere of sanctity. Yahiko Shrine is also a place where visitors can enjoy beautiful nature and forest bathing throughout the year. It is one of the most popular shrines in Niigata Prefecture, attracting many tourists, but you can also visit the shrine in the early morning when there are fewer people around, and enjoy the solemn atmosphere of the shrine.
Approach to Yahiko Shrine
Yahiko Shrine" official website is here

Famous Italian restaurant "Santopiat" in Kamo City, Niigata Prefecture

Santopiat, located in Kamo City, Niigata Prefecture, is a famous restaurant in Kamo City that was selected as a Bib Gourmand in the "Michelin Guide Niigata 2020 Special Edition" in 2020 and in the "Niigata Gastronomy Award" 100 in the restaurant category in 2023. We recommend this Italian restaurant for its craft ham, meat dishes, handmade pasta, and dolce made with local vegetables, all made under the motto of "conveying the quality of handmade products. The dolce is especially popular among a wide range of customers because it is handmade by the chef, who is also a pastry chef.
Exterior view of Suntopiat
At lunch time, you can choose between a pasta lunch (reservation recommended) and a lunch course (reservation required). The craft ham is of course delicious eaten as is, but we also recommend eating it with bread. In the lunch course, you can enjoy soup, salad, and main dish with pasta using Kamo's ingredients. You can choose from three dinner courses (reservation required): 6,600 yen, 7,700 yen, and 11,000 yen.
Chef Kuwabara, who trained in Italy and is well versed in the local ingredients, is committed to using as many local ingredients as possible, and continues to create new dishes through a fusion of Italian and Kamo cuisine. When you visit the Tsubame-Sanjo and Yahiko areas, be sure to visit Santopiat, where you can taste the cuisine that has been carefully selected.
Lunch Set
Meat Dishes
Santopiat's Instagram is here
[Niigata Gastronomy Award] official website

Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival 2025" to be held from October 2 (Thu.) to 5 (Sun.), 2025

Tsubame-Sanjo is also known as a manufacturing town. The Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival 2025, an industrial tourism event to experience manufacturing in Tsubame-Sanjo, is a large-scale open factory event usually held in early October, with more than 100 companies participating each year, mainly in the Tsubame-Sanjo area. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities including "observation," "hands-on experience," "shopping," and "dining" of manufacturing!
Tour of the factory
The 2025 event will be held for four days from Thursday, October 2 to Sunday, October 5. This year, more than 130 companies will participate, the largest number ever! Not only will visitors be able to take a close-up look at factories that are normally closed to the public, but there will also be a variety of workshops that parents, children, and friends can enjoy together, such as accessory and cutlery making. This is an open factory event where many factories that are not usually open to the public open their doors to the public at the same time, allowing visitors to observe and experience their work. The story of "manufacturing" can be found in as many factories as there are factories. Why not visit Tsubame-Sanjo, tour the factories, and enjoy manufacturing with all five senses?
Artisans
Crafts on Display
Image courtesy of the Festival of Factories Executive Committee Secretariat
"Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival 2025" details are here
"Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival 2025" official Instagram is here

Enjoy the local delicacy [back fat ramen] of Tsubame-Sanjo!

Tsubame Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, is famous for its Tsubame Back Fat Ramen! Tsubame back fat ramen is a local ramen dish characterized by a rich simmered dried soy sauce soup with plenty of back fat floating in it and sticky, extra-thick noodles. There are various theories as to why the extra-thick noodles are used, but it is said that craftsmen devised the noodles so that they would not stretch easily even when served to customers, and so that they would last for a long time. Although the ramen looks thick, the back fat is removed to bring out the sweetness, so it has a lighter flavor than expected and is popular among both men and women.
Tsubame back fat ramen
One of the key points of Tsubame's back fat ramen is the wide variety of toppings, such as iwanori (seaweed) and chopped onions. Each topping has a different flavor and texture, so you will never get tired of eating it again and again. Many restaurants allow you to customize your ramen by changing to thin noodles, adding more vegetables, and so on. We hope you will enjoy Tsubame back fat ramen when you visit the Yahiko and Tsubame-Sanjo area.
Tsubame back fat ramen

Snow Peak FIELD SUITE SPA HEADQUARTERS, a resort complex where you can become one with nature!

Snow Peak FIELD SUITE SPA HEADQUARTERS, located in Nagatsubame-Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, is a luxurious resort complex where you can become one with nature. The open-air villas and mobile homes designed by architect Kengo Kuma offer panoramic views from large windows that offer spectacular views that vary from season to season. Snow Peak FIELD SUITE SPA HEADQUARTERS offers three types of enjoyment: "day use," "overnight stay," and "campground use," of which we will introduce the campground use.
Snow Peak FIELD SUITE SPA HEADQUARTERS
Check in at "HEADQUARTERS Camp Field" around 1:00 p.m., find a camp site of your choice, and set up your tent. There is also an "empty-handed" camping plan available, so even beginners can enjoy the campsite. After setting up your campsite, why don't you relax at the hot spring facilities? We recommend soaking in the hot springs that spring up in the area and spending a relaxing time while enjoying the scenery of Shimoda reflected all around you. After a relaxing time, return to the field and enjoy dinner and a bonfire. On a fine day, you can see a beautiful sunset, and at night you can enjoy star gazing in the field with no street lights. A bonfire under a star-filled sky is also exceptional.
Hot Spring Facilities
HEADQUARTERS Camp Field at night
Resort complex "Snow Peak FIELD SUITE SPA HEADQUARTERS" official website is here
"HEADQUARTERS Camp Field" official website is here

Why don't you go on a trip to "Yahiko and Tsubame-Sanjo area" full of attractions?

Lots of delicious food! Niigata Prefecture is not only a treasure trove of gourmet food, but also a place where traditional culture is alive with a sense of history. The "Sado-Plus Niigata Enjoyment Campaign to Commemorate the First Anniversary of the World Heritage Registration of the Gold Mines of Sado Island" will run until August 31, 2025 (Sunday). Why not take this opportunity to fully enjoy your summer trip to Niigata?
The contents and services in this article are subject to change.
All images are for reference only.
A model course around Sado and Yahiko is also recommended!

Niigata Tourism Fan Club "Niicle

If you are planning to travel to Niigata, we recommend that you register with the "Niigata Tourism Fan Club Niicle"! You can receive special offers at approximately 600 cooperating stores mainly in Niigata Prefecture, as well as receive the latest sightseeing information and information on local specialties in Niigata in a timely manner!

Click here to register as a member.

Click here for information on other areas in Niigata Prefecture recommended by Niigata Prefecture residents.

Tags related to this article
Previous post Back to list Next
related articles