The Ikinariya Restaurant

The Ikinariya, established some 300 years ago, is one of Niigata's oldest and most exclusive restaurants. In feudal times, only members of the city's social and business elite were permitted to dine at the Ikinariya. In these egalitarian days, however, anyone (with the requisite funds, of course) may patronize the establishment. While a full-course dinner runs from $175-$260, lunch is a relative bargain at a mere $60-$90. The restaurant has been designated a national cultural treasure.

The Kanai Photography Museum

The Kanai Photography Museum is closed to the public, though the structure itself has been designated an important cultural property by the local authorities. The house was built in 1887 on the site formerly occupied by the hospital established by an early medical missionary to the area, Dr. Palm. Mr. Kanai's Meiji era photos demonstrate his interest in civil engineering projects, particularly those involving the area's many waterways. Some of his photos may be viewed online at http://library.jsce.or.jp/Image_DB/human/furuichi/lib03.html.

Hiyoriyama

The View from the Street: Part II

The structures pictured comprise Minatopia, the museum complex devoted to Niigata City's history and culture. The topmost photo shows the main museum building, a replica of Niigata City's second generation City Hall, completed in 1922. Below that is the Sumiyoshi Branch of the Daishi (Big Four) Bank, built in 1927 and moved to its present location to make way for a road-widening project. The two structures at bottom are the Old Custom House and its adjacent storehouse. The Custom House is by far the oldest of the group, having been constructed in 1869 to accomodate foreign trade with then newly reopened Japan. Niigata was one of Japan's five treaty ports; each would have had its own custom house to facilitate trade. Niigata's is the only one remaining today, and was used without interruption until 1966.

The View from the Street: Part I

The Misono Catholic Church, the oldest sanctuary of Christian worship in the area, was dedicated in 1927. The stained glass windows were imported from France, while the pipe organ was made in Germany. Below the church is the former Prefectural Assembly Hall. Completed in 1883, it is one of the oldest administrative buildings in the city, second only to the Custom House. It is said that the British parliamentary buildings inspired its design. The bottommost photos show views of the sprawling Ozawa Wholesale Co., whose former premises now serve as the residential apartments of the descendants of the company founder.

Suibara and the Yamabiko Road: Part I

I explored the
Yamabiko Road alone on a recent day off, Don himself having completed the ride on a solo outing earlier this year. The Yamabiko Dori, as it is known, is approximately 5K long. Every 100 meters along its course is a cluster of stone slabs. The slabs are inscribed with poems , many in haiku form, by poets of local as well as international renown, including one by Matsuo Basho, the father of haiku. There are more than 250 inscribed monuments in all! The road climbs to a modest elevation and offers panoramic views of Niigata City, 40k distant. The photo at bottom shows the restaurant in Murasugi where I ate lunch. Opened in October, the establishment serves Japanese dishes made with ingredients produced nearby, including rice, vegetables, and the tofu for which Murasugi is known. Though not especially fond of the sweet bean paste known as anko, I was treated gratis to a delicious serving of the house speciality, anmitsu, a decoction made from anko dissolved in hot water.

Suibara and the Yamabiko Road: Part II

The town of Suibara is home to Hyoko Lake, designated in 1954 a protected habitat for migratory birds. Every winter, thousands of swans winter at Hyoko. Though fall migration was far from being in full flight, as it were, over 4,000 swans had already been counted at the lake. During the Meiji era (1867-1912), Suibara was an important outpost of the Emperial administration. The plan shows the administrative compound as it looked over 100 years ago, with a replica of the watchtower that stood beside the main entrance. The structure pictured below was the official residence of the administrator.