Niigata (city)

The entire prefecture is a heavy snowfall area with a Japan Sea side climate. Taking advantage of this characteristic, there are many ski resorts in the mountains of the Chuetsu and Joetsu regions. There are seven national and quasi-national parks in the prefecture, making it a great place for mountain climbing and hiking. Among the best known are Hiuchiyama (Mt. Hana no Yama), Myoko (Mt. Myoko), where you can enjoy hot springs and skiing, and Echigo-Komagatake (Mt. Echigo-Komagatake), where snow-capped mountains remain even in mid-summer.

Sado Island, located off the western coast of the prefecture, is well known as a geopark, with sites with geographical features such as rugged cliffs and brackish lakes, and Sado's famous tarai boats.