I took a little trip to a familiar place for the first time in a while, making the most of my summer break.
I suddenly remembered this time when the person sitting in front of me on the Shinkansen happened to be a comedian.
For some reason, it’s one of those random little memories that has stuck with me.
I must have dozed off because before I knew it, we’d already arrived.
It had been a while since my last visit to Echigo-Yuzawa.
Niigata is well known for its rice, soba, and sake, but the seafood is definitely not to be overlooked either.
Craving some fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan, I took a short walk from the station toward Onsen-dori, a street lined with hot spring inns and restaurants.
Getting in a day early and enjoying a little solo lunch.
Kappo Hifumi @ Echigo-Yuzawa, Niigata
The old-school storefront caught my eye, so I decided to pop in.
I later found out that the restaurant has its roots in a fish shop with an impressive 91-year history, and has since evolved into a casual kappo-style restaurant.
Inside, the owner and his wife were busily running the place, which was already about 90% full, with a mix of foreign visitors and what looked like tourists.
Luckily, a counter seat had just opened up, so I grabbed it.
The seafood menu was seriously impressive, with plenty of à la carte dishes as well as a great selection of set meals.
Sashimi set meal.
Tempura set meal.
Grilled fish set meal.
Fried shrimp set meal.
Negitoro bowl set meal.
Ikura bowl set meal.
Simmered squid set meal.
Pretty much nothing but seafood, and every set meal looked tempting. I could probably eat my way through the whole lineup if I came here every day.
And somehow, before I even realized it, the beer had already arrived.
Snacking on the homemade appetizer while waiting…
And then, the sashimi set meal arrived.
Sashimi Set Meal
I didn’t hesitate for a second and went straight for the sashimi set meal.
This is exactly what I was looking for.
Perfectly cooked rice with that beautiful glossy finish, a selection of carefully prepared homemade side dishes, and a bowl of miso soup that already looked comforting before the first sip.
And then, of course, the star of the show — a generous plate of fresh sashimi.
Absolutely irresistible.
The edges of the sashimi were so clean and sharp, almost as if the fish had barely been touched by hand.
It took a little while for the set meal to arrive, but watching everything being prepared so carefully, I could see why.
The sashimi lineup was scallop, octopus, sea bream, horse mackerel, and sweet shrimp.
I noticed these little emerald-green beads tucked underneath the leaves and wondered what they were. When I asked the owner, I found out they were sweet shrimp roe.
I think it was my first time seeing it.
Despite its slightly unexpected appearance, it was sweet, with a delicate pop as the little eggs burst in your mouth. Naturally, my hand reached for the beer.
The sashimi was incredibly fresh, so translucent and firm that each slice almost seemed to stand on its own. The flavor was rich and full of umami.
Take a piece, pop it in your mouth, then chase it with a mouthful of rice.
The combination of this sashimi and Niigata rice was just too damn good.
Getting in a day early and scoring this sashimi set meal for lunch was definitely the right call.
Looks like you can even order the set meals for dinner, too.
A perfect start to the trip.
Thanks for the meal!
Hifumi
https://tabelog.com/en/niigata/A1504/A150404/15000131
After lunch, I met up with a friend who lives in Niigata.
And when you think of Echigo-Yuzawa…
There’s a little hidden gem inside the station building that’s known among those in the know — a vending-machine-style kaku-uchi spot.
Naturally, we had to check it out.
Ponshukan @ Echigo-Yuzawa Station, Niigata
A life-size, slightly tipsy figure greets you at the entrance.
It was noticeably busier than the last time I visited, with a crowd gathered around the vending machines.
¥1,000 gets you five tokens, and depending on the sake, each pour costs between one and five tokens — enough for roughly two to five small cups per ¥1,000.
A pretty fun way to sample a bunch of Niigata sake without committing to a whole bottle.
With a small sake cup in hand, I slowly made my way through the crowd, stopping to read about where each sake was made, the characteristics of each brewery, and what to expect from the flavor.
It felt almost like wandering through a museum, taking your time to appreciate each exhibit.
Salt from all across Japan.
Miso
There’s also complimentary salt and miso available to try, so you can sample a little as you make your way through the sake lineup.
We still had somewhere to be, so the two of us shared the tokens. But if you were to have four or five cups on your own, you’d probably be feeling pretty tipsy by the end of it.
Ponshu Kan Echigo yuzawa
https://tabelog.com/en/niigata/A1504/A150404/15020633
After getting our sake fix at Ponshukan, we headed over to our hotel to check in and drop off our luggage.
The Thursday night before the festival is relatively easy for finding a hotel, but places near the festival site and around Echigo-Yuzawa Station tend to fill up quickly.
For this trip, we stayed about a 15-minute shuttle bus ride from Echigo-Yuzawa at Angel Grandia Echigo-Nakazato, a resort hotel located about two train stops from the station.
The room was surprisingly affordable on Thursday night, almost like the price of a business hotel. But from the following night, the rates jumped to around ten times more, so we only stayed for one night.
Yuzawa Nakazato Ski Resort is right next door, and Yuzawa Fishing Park is also nearby.
The whole place has that unmistakable feel of a resort hotel built during Japan’s bubble era.
It’s really convenient that there’s a shuttle to Echigo-Yuzawa Station about once an hour.
After dropping off our luggage and taking a little break over some tea, we headed back to Echigo-Yuzawa Station to catch the shuttle bus to the festival site.
As expected, the station was packed with festival-goers waiting for the shuttle bus.
I think we waited around 40 minutes before finally getting on, then spent another 30 minutes or so riding to the festival site. Maybe a little longer.
By the time we arrived, the sun was just starting to set.
The “Oh my God!” reaction from the guy in front of us got me hyped up too.
It instantly brought back that rush of emotion from the first time I stood there and saw that view for myself.
Although, to be fair, we hadn’t even made it to the entrance yet lol.
The crunch of gravel beneath our feet gradually gave way to the lighter sound of footsteps on the pavement.
We were getting closer.
Guided by the lasers stretching from the Palace Area into the night sky, we kept making our way deeper into the festival grounds.
More Disney than Disney itself.
We finally made it!
Back at Fuji Rock for the first time in a while.
Time to enjoy every minute of it!
The pre-party is officially underway!
There were so many more people than the last time I came for the pre-party. I had no idea it got this crowded now.
Oasis was packed to the point where it could barely hold everyone.
Honestly, it felt about as crowded as the Sumida River Fireworks Festival.
Every food stall area was absolutely packed, with the crowd moving at little more than a slow crawl.
I’d imagined hopping from one stall to another, trying this and that along the way…
Yeah, there was absolutely no room for that.
To make things even tighter, the last shuttle from Echigo-Yuzawa Station back to our hotel was at 9:30 PM.
Once we factored in the travel time and the time it would take to get back to the station, there really wasn’t much time to hang around. It was basically a quick in-and-out.
The waiting time for the shuttle and the journey to the festival site had eaten up much more time than I’d expected.
Which meant that, once you factored in the queues, we realistically had time for just one food stall lol.
I’d been hoping to try the famous Mochi Pork, but the stall was all the way at the far end of the food area.
You could see the stream of people heading that way from a distance. Just getting there looked like a mission, and then there was the massive queue waiting for us.
So we decided to go with the first stall that caught our eye.
Beef Tendon Biryani.
This is the one!
Beef Tendon Biryani
Not quite what I had pictured in my head lol.
Cheers with a ginger highball in hand.
There’s definitely no room left to dance to the Naeba Ondo lol.
Catching glimpses of the fireworks through the gaps in the crowd.
Galaxy Area
Red Marquee
People were pouring in all at once, like an avalanche.
The sheer depth of the sound from the very first note almost pulled me in.
I wanted to get closer, but I had a feeling that if I pushed any further forward, I’d get swallowed up by the crowd and never make it back out, so I held my ground.
Red Marquee: 3 minutes lol.
The VJ’s flashing red light slowly started looking like Ultraman’s color timer to me.
(Okay, okay, I know 😂)
It was hard to leave, but eventually we made our way out of the festival grounds, feeling like we were being pulled back by the lingering atmosphere.
Somehow, we just barely made it onto the last hotel shuttle and made it safely back to the hotel.
After washing off the sweat in the hotel’s large public bath, we kicked back with a final beer and took it easy.
Alright, tomorrow is the main event.
Good night.
Festival day is finally here.
We checked out of the hotel and hopped on the shuttle bus to Echigo-Yuzawa Station.
As we started lining up, I met up with a friend who had just arrived by Shinkansen.
The bus terminal was even more crowded than it had been for the pre-party.
They had added extra buses to the festival site, though, so the line moved surprisingly quickly. We ended up getting on much more smoothly than expected — definitely easier than the night before.
———- TRAFFIC JAM ———-
About an hour and a half later…
“Let’s gooooo to the countreeeeey~”
That theme song playing endlessly on the monitor inside the bus had already been looping in my head. I’m pretty sure it was still playing in my dreams.
By the time we were getting close to the festival site, we heard a woman from the back of the bus — probably European, maybe from a Spanish-speaking country — singing along in surprisingly perfect Japanese:
“Let’s gooooo to the countreeeeey~”
She must have learned it during the ride lol.
A Little Detour Before Entering
This time, we had a little side trip to make before heading into the festival grounds.
As soon as we arrived, we headed straight for a place where a friend of ours was apparently doing a pop-up.
They were running a temporary shop at SAKE BASE NAEBA, a former liquor store near Yuki Sasa no Yu, which had been renovated into a cozy little space.
They open as early as 7 AM, selling not only sake but also handmade rice balls, bread, craft beer, and more.
There’s also an indoor seating area with air conditioning, making it a great place to take a break and cool down.
With camping chairs and sofas scattered around, plus live streams from the festival playing inside, you can just sit back, cool off, and take your time before heading into the madness.
I heard later that even with 100 curry bread prepared, they were sold out before noon.
They also prepared a generous amount of bento boxes with two kinds of onigiri and fried chicken, but those were gone in less than an hour.
Apparently, since hardly anywhere else around there is open that early, people in the know come by first thing in the morning.
Bear Meat Sausage
I later found out that the bear used for these sausages was locally hunted by a hunter they’ve known and worked with for some time.
Apparently, bear meat isn’t exactly easy to work with. There’s relatively little meat that can actually be used, and the preparation is quite labor-intensive. It also has a distinctive gamey smell, so I can imagine the initial processing takes quite a bit of work.
The idea behind making these sausages was to help reduce damage caused by wildlife while also making use of local resources and giving something back to the community. I thought that was a pretty great initiative.
There are only a limited number of hunters and processors who can handle this kind of meat, and because it’s such a particular ingredient, it’s clearly not something that can simply be turned into a sausage without a lot of expertise.
From the hunt itself, to carefully removing the fur and minimizing the gamey smell, then butchering and processing the meat — everything has to be done properly. And because maintaining freshness is so important, I imagine speed is another major factor.
Thinking about all the work that goes into getting it to this point really makes you appreciate it.
Anyway, enough of that — how did it actually taste?
The texture was incredibly meaty and dense, with none of the gamey funk I was expecting. The more I chewed, the more that distinctive wild-game umami came bursting through.
Despite how fatty it looked, the fat was surprisingly light and clean, with none of that heavy, greasy aftertaste. If anything, the finish was rather delicate.
And that snap when you bite into it?
Easily five times more explosive than Kaorun.
Homemade Curry Bread
Crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, with a nice spicy kick.
The kind of curry bread that goes ridiculously well with a cold beer.
They also have homemade gelato.
And just between us, I heard that a lot of people stop by here before entering the festival, fill up their bottles with something cold, and then make their way to the venue.
It’s only about a 10-minute walk from the festival bus drop-off point, so it’s definitely a place worth knowing about.
Thanks for the treat!
SAKE BASE NAEBA
https://tabelog.com/en/niigata/A1504/A150404/15019229
The weather looked like we might just manage to dodge the rain… or maybe not.
After missing out the day before, we headed straight back to that spot in Oasis for a little revenge.
It had been a while since I last had Mochi Pork.
I was torn between getting it as a rice bowl or on a skewer, but in the end, I went with the bowl.
The two friends I was with went for the grilled skewers, but after sharing a bite of my rice bowl with them, they were practically writhing in agony over how good it was.
They both came to the same conclusion:
“Should’ve gone with the bowl instead of the skewer.”
As always, we started with a beer.
The reason we decided to come to Fuji Rock this time was the Friday lineup.
It was almost ridiculously perfect — one favorite artist after another, like the lineup had been made specifically for us.
The first artist we wanted to see was scheduled for the Green Stage at 3 PM.
A perfect start time, and the timetable was pretty much ideal.
Loyle Carner
Settling in with Loyle Carner while the sun is still up.
What a luxury.
Live from the festival.
Can’t believe we got to hear this song toward the end of the set.
As expected from the main Green Stage, the sound carries beautifully.
Stretching out in a chair, taking a deep breath, and just soaking it all in.
Loyle Carner at this time of day is just about perfect.
No time to rest — off to the White Stage.
Toro y Moi
This world tour was timed to coincide with Fuji Rock, and Japan was the only stop in Asia.
With Hawaii being the next stop after Japan, I imagine this was a pretty rare chance for fans from across Asia to catch them live.
A bass-heavy, low-end-driven live set while it was still bright out.
Absolutely irresistible…
They also played plenty of older tracks, and I really liked that the setlist wasn’t just packed with the obvious, catchy choices.
Toro y Moi Ordinary Pleasure
Girl Like You
That de-re-re-re-re…
The deep, gut-punching bass beat rippled through the entire stage.
As the set reached its final stretch, the White Stage’s thick, powerful sound seemed to reverberate through the whole place, sending a deep vibration through my body.
Those goosebump-inducing beats at sunset were something else.
This year’s timetable was basically one of those “yeah, of course” situations.
Turnstile on the Green Stage and Hi-STANDARD were seriously tempting, and I went back and forth on it more times than I’d like to admit.
But in the end, we decided to stay right where we were at the White Stage.
Time to refuel.
I honestly wanted to spend more time wandering around the festival grounds this year, but that timetable…
If you really want to explore the whole festival, maybe going to Fuji Rock with no must-see artists at all might actually be the way to do it.
Arlo Parks
Her set started right around magic hour, just as the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon.
Her crystal-clear vocals floated over a thick, warm bassline, creating this quiet sense of euphoria, as if the whole atmosphere around us was slowly beginning to unwind.
One of those highlights that makes you wish you could go back to this exact moment.
Loyle Carner → Toro y Moi → Arlo Parks.
Couldn’t have asked for a better flow.
From here on, though, time started flying by at an absolutely ridiculous speed.
The xx — Green Stage Headliner
We found a nice spot and settled in, kicking back and watching the set in full-on cinema mode.
It felt like watching the end credits all the way to the very last frame.
With the moon appearing and disappearing as part of the visuals, the whole thing somehow felt bigger than IMAX.
If we had a place to stay nearby, this would’ve been the perfect moment to head back, take a shower, grab some food, and reset.
But for reasons I’ll get into later, we were on a strict stay-out-until-morning plan this time.
I downed a Monster-and-tequila mix and headed straight for the next act.
Maya Ongaku
I hadn’t seen them since their show at Shibuya WWW X.
But honestly, I think they work even better outdoors than in a live house.
The Western group standing in front of us kept waving their friends over with a “Come on!” — they definitely looked like they were here specifically for Maya Ongaku.
From their KEXP session to a growing number of international tours, their name seems to be steadily spreading overseas.
The VJ visuals and lasers were perfectly synced with the music, all working together to create one cohesive world.
They really don’t miss a detail.
A laid-back, oriental-tinged rhythm layered with bass-heavy kicks slowly pulled the entire floor in, almost like being dragged into a swamp.
It was absolutely perfect for the Red Marquee in the middle of the night.
Also appearing as a DJ, with a completely different side from the daytime set.
Straight-up party tunes all night long.
Isobe Mochi
Almost got stuck in my throat.
Definitely picked the wrong one.
AM 4:00
My body…
I was starting to hit the wall.
The visuals were moving almost like a metronome.
5:00 AM
Made it to the finish line.
What an insanely rich, unforgettable day.
As expected, there’s just something special about seeing your favorite artists play live on the Green or White Stage.
This time, I only did Fuji Rock on Friday.
From the following day onward, the plan was to slow things down and enjoy some of the local side of Niigata.
The festival may be over, but the Niigata chapter continues…
Around 7 AM, After the Festival
After the festival wrapped up, we were trying to figure out where to stay on Saturday.
Luckily, a friend in Niigata very kindly arranged a place for us to crash, so we ended up taking them up on their hospitality.
Absolutely saved us.
The Resort Condo
It was the guest room of one of those resort condominiums you can see from the bus on the way from Echigo-Yuzawa Station to the festival site.
“There’s no bedding, but if you don’t mind sleeping on the floor, you’re more than welcome to stay.”
We happily took them up on the offer.
Apparently, some of the resort condos that were built in large numbers during Japan’s bubble era can now be bought for just a few hundred thousand yen.
The purchase price may be surprisingly low, but the maintenance fees are another story — apparently they can run about as much as rent.
I asked if a lot of people buy them and turn them into vacation rentals, but apparently that’s not allowed in this particular building. The residents actually live there as their homes.
And here’s the best part:
The building has a large communal bath supplied with natural hot spring water, and residents can use it 24 hours a day.
After taking a bath, I stretched out for a bit…
And before I knew it, it was already evening.
Apparently, I had completely passed out.
Later that day, I went to visit the friend who had kindly put us up for the night. They had opened a restaurant around June this year.
Victoria @ Yuzawa, Minamiuonuma, Niigata
The restaurant is located on the second floor of Victoria Tower, about a ¥2,000 taxi ride from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.
Apparently, the name Victoria comes from the famous Japanese sporting goods retailer of the same name.
The space had previously been occupied by another restaurant, but after they pulled out, it sat vacant for a while.
Then, through a bit of a chance connection, my friend was approached about taking over the space and decided to open a restaurant there.
You can also order the bear meat sausage I mentioned earlier at NAEBA SAKE BASE here as well.
The previous restaurant had apparently been a Japanese-style spot, so they completely replaced the furniture and started from scratch with the interior.
Pretty much everything was redone from the ground up.
After another round in the bath, I cooled down my overheated body.
Iburi-gakko Potato Salad
Grilled Three Kinds of Game Sausage
The restaurant’s signature dish — a trio of game sausages.
Bear, deer, and boar, I think.
The casings had an incredible snap, followed by a burst of juicy meat as soon as you bit into them.
And despite being so juicy, the fat was surprisingly clean and light, with none of that greasy heaviness. The whole thing had a really nice, delicate mouthfeel.
The black sausage in the middle was coated in squid ink.
The deep umami of the game meat combined with the rich, briny depth of the squid ink — and somehow, the two worked incredibly well together.
Sansho Fried Chicken
The fragrant sansho pepper and its subtle spicy kick worked incredibly well with the juicy fried chicken.
Another sour, please!
Anchovy French Fries
These were about three times crispier and fluffier than I expected.
They had that perfect combination of a crunchy exterior and a fluffy, potato-y center.
They also have a great selection of local Niigata sake. I’m pretty sure I went with something from the Hakkaisan lineup.
The menu also includes ramen and curry, among other things.
And with Iwappara Ski Resort nearby, it looks like it could be a pretty solid spot for some après-ski food in winter, too.
In fact, you can actually get the curry from here near Gakugei-Daigaku Station in Tokyo too.
The owner also runs VOVO, a curry shop near the station, so their signature game curry is definitely worth trying as well.
The restaurant is open to non-residents as well.
There’s no sign or real indication that there’s a restaurant inside, so it can be a little tricky to find if you’re visiting for the first time. Apparently, though, you can park your car on the property.
There aren’t many places to eat around here, so I imagine it’ll be a pretty handy spot not only for the residents of the building, but also for people who live nearby or happen to be visiting the area.
Definitely a hidden gem worth knowing about.
Thanks for the meal!
After taking a little break, we headed out for dinner.
The restaurant owner — who also happens to be our friend — recommended this place.
I told my friend I was craving sashimi and kamameshi, and they pointed us to a spot that sounded absolutely perfect.
So we headed over to Onsen-dori, just a short walk from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.
Shokuyā Asakusa @ Echigo-Yuzawa, Niigata
t had the charm of an old-fashioned Japanese inn, with the soft glow spilling out from inside making the whole place stand out against the evening.
“Is that the one?”
The place was lively with guests dressed casually in sandals and geta, looking like they had simply walked over straight from their accommodations.
Appetizer
A little bai-gai whelk to start.
Slurping it straight out of the shell, that smooth, slippery texture going down was ridiculously satisfying.
Fresh-Squeezed Grapefruit Sour
Fresh from the bath, that icy-cold, fizzy, pulpy goodness…
Hits the spot.
Homemade Squid Shiokara
The squid had a wonderfully firm, crunchy texture, with a rich, intense flavor.
I think this might have been my first time seeing shiokara served over slices of daikon.
The crisp, refreshing daikon lightened up the richness of the shiokara, and surprisingly, the two worked really well together.
Sashimi Platter — For Two
Octopus, red sea bream, tuna (lean and fatty), straw-smoked Spanish mackerel, and flounder.
This is it. This is exactly what I was looking for.
The moment it hit the table, you could tell how fresh it was. Every piece was practically sparkling.
Tuna / Maguro
These two cuts came as part of the sashimi platter.
The Sado-grown tuna was seriously impressive.
The freshness was so good that the edges were still beautifully sharp.
The lean cut had an incredibly clean bite, almost seeming to slice apart the moment you bit into it. A deep, concentrated umami spread across the palate, letting you really taste the tuna itself.
Then there was the fatty cut, which melted across the tongue almost like butter.
For a tuna lover, this was pure bliss…
Man, what a happy moment.
Niigata Specialty — Tochio-age
Crispy and fragrant on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside.
The more you chew, the more that gentle aroma of soybeans comes through.
And of course, to finish things off…
Unagi Kamameshi
They have a great selection of kamameshi, including Niigata specialties like tare-katsu kamameshi, as well as salmon roe and salmon, crab, maitake mushrooms, and more.
I went back and forth trying to decide, but in the end, I went with the classic: unagi.
The fluffy eel was complemented by the gentle sweetness of the kinshi tamago, wrapping everything together perfectly.
Can’t go wrong with that.
Pretty much every dish was right up my alley, and even though I was completely stuffed, I just couldn’t stop reaching for another bite.
Everything showed the care and precision of the chef, while still giving us a proper taste of Niigata’s local cuisine.
A great place to enjoy both beautifully prepared dishes and the flavors that make Niigata what it is.
Thanks for the meal!
Asakusa Shokuya
https://tabelog.com/en/niigata/A1504/A150404/15000404
We headed straight back to the room, and for our last night, we had drinks in the room with our friend from Niigata and stayed up talking until late.
We’d originally planned to head back to the festival and spend the night at Palace, but the rain started coming down, and the first buses out of the festival in the morning were likely to be packed, so we changed plans and just stayed in for the night.
Apparently, in recent years, more and more accommodations and resort condos in the area have been acquired by Chinese investors, with new lodging facilities and services aimed at travelers from China.
I’m sure there are various reasons on the local side too — an aging population, a lack of successors to take over businesses, financial difficulties, and so on.
And with the number of festival-goers coming from other parts of Asia increasing every year, perhaps there’s also a certain sense of reassurance for visitors when the facilities are run by companies that cater specifically to Chinese travelers, especially when it comes to language.
We got to hear a lot of stories from a local perspective, and in the end, it was actually nice to slow down and take it easy.
Sometimes, nights like this aren’t so bad either.
The following afternoon, we packed up our things and headed to Echigo-Yuzawa Station.
Final Day in Niigata
Final Stop in Niigata
Naturally, we had to finish our time in Niigata with soba.
We headed to a local soba shop just a short walk from the station.
After waiting in line for about 30 minutes, we finally made it inside.(Fujirock season only)
A bottled beer and a tonkatsu on the side.
The specialty here is hegi soba, but even the regular mori soba is made with funori seaweed, so technically… it’s basically hegi soba, right?
(Except that’s not actually how it works lol.)
By the way, “hegi” doesn’t refer to soba made with funori — it’s actually the name of the wooden serving tray the soba is arranged on.
We also ordered a side of grated yam and a tempura soba set.
Tororo Soba
The soba had a lovely aroma, and the crisp, ice-cold texture going down was absolutely perfect.
Tempura
Freshly fried and perfectly crisp.
The place had that unmistakable feel of a local eatery loved by the people who live around there — casual, unpretentious, and incredibly comfortable.
A perfect final meal in Niigata.
Thanks for the meal!
Kikushin
https://tabelog.com/en/niigata/A1504/A150404/15000153
And with that, our Fuji Rock and Niigata trip comes to an end.
It was absolutely incredible. One hell of a trip.
Fin