Just off Bokushi Dori in Shiozawa, behind a park which is a big hit with the little ones, is the Suzuki Bokushi Memorial Museum. The museum is a beautiful, spacious building with high wooden beams (with amazing joints) that was built in 1989. It celebrates the life and times of the writer Suzuki Bokushi who was born in Shiozawa in January 1770. His writings such as Hokkuetsu Seppu and Akiyama Kiko did much to spread knowledge of this area to other parts of Japan. They are wel

Meguro-tei is an impressive residence dating back to 1797, that is located right beside the more modern Suhara Ski Area. It is believed that the Meguro family came from a long line of samurai but after being on the losing side of battle they retired to this area to farm, and by 1610 the head of the family was a village leader in the area. The members of the family maintained a similar role throughout the years and even ended up having members being elected to the House of Rep

What does a five thousand year old intricately decorated pot have to do with life today? Surprisingly, a great deal. This, and many other things, we learned this weekend on the Jomon Era & Snow Country Culture Tour. The tour started in Niigata City where Japan’s longest river, the Shinano, flows into the Sea of Japan. It then followed the course of this river all the way through the prefecture to the very border of Nagano where the Shinano become the Chikuma River. Along the

Najomon is a marvelous museum facility in Tsunan town just off Route 117. It has masses of information about the Naeba-sanroku Geopark area, agriculture, and Jomon history. It is all about learning, and also offers some different workshops that allow you to experience some local skills and traditions, such as making sweets, weaving, and being artistic making sculptures with nuts and twigs. The museum itself has displays of earthenware discovered in the region, as well as many

Kyororo is an amazing facility in Matsunoyama. The building itself is part of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field and is a huge iron structure that is changing color as it rusts. It is home to the Echigo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science that does a great job of explaining the local nature. The outside of the facility is impressive. The inside is a paradise for kids. There is so much to do and it is all very hands on. There are boxes you can put your hands into and try to figure