*This article is a tie-up with Kamifurudan, which enjoys telling the story of Kamikomachi and its surroundings.

The Kamikomachi shopping street is located close to the Hakusan Shrine, Niigata's main shrine. It is a wonderful shopping street where historic shops that have been in business for a long time and new, fashionable shops coexist.

In this issue, we will look at the following topics: "It's my first time in Niigata and I don't know where to go...", "I want to explore the retro shopping streets and eat delicious food!" I want to stroll around the retro shopping streets and eat delicious food! I want to buy some cute souvenirs..." Here are some great city-walking plans for people like you!

What is the Kamifurumachi shopping street like?

Take a bus from Niigata Station for about 10 minutes. Get off at the Honmachi bus stop and walk for about 10 minutes. Of the long Furumachi Street that stretches with Hakusan Shrine in the background, the Kamikomachi shopping street, known as Kamifuru, is from Honmachi 1 to Honmachi 4.

Characteristic of the area is the coexistence of historical shops, such as long-established Japanese confectionary shops, and shops with a young sensibility, such as fashionable select shops, cafés and general shops.

In recent years, an increasing number of people have set up new shops in Kamikomachi, such as hickory03travellers, where you can get creative Niigata souvenirs, stylish accessories shops, herbal tea and aroma shops and shops offering malt drinks.

Let's take a walk along the Kamikomachi shopping street, where long-standing shops and new shops co-exist!

To fill up, try Niigata's light ramen at Menjidokoro Kurata.

Once you get off at the Honmachi bus stop, you can get hungry before heading out to the Kamikomachi shopping street. Go through Pl at Honmachi, which is located right next to the bus stop. Platt Honmachi is a "citizen's kitchen" where you can find fresh fish and other ingredients from Niigata. It is a popular shopping street for tourists, offering a wide range of specialities unique to Niigata.

Kurata Ramen Restaurant is a well-known ramen restaurant hidden away on a side street around the corner from Tanakaya Honten, which is famous for its sasadango (bamboo dumplings).

The owner, Mr Kurata.

Open from 7.20am, Menkodoro Kurata serves simple, heartwarming morning ramen, which the owner, a former noodle maker, arrived at after much trial and error.

The soy sauce ramen, which is ordered by 80% of customers, is also very appealing, but the hidden favourite is the salt ramen. It is said to have many fans among the young and the well-informed!

The clear soup based on bonito broth is soaking up your body and warming you up... A bowl of ramen with a gentle flavour is the start of a good journey!

KURATA MEN-DOKORO

Address: 1105 Higashiborimae-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8067 Niigata, Japan

TEL: 025-228-7747

Opening hours.

Morning: 7.20am -, Lunch: 10.30am -, Evening: 5.30pm -.

Closed: Sunday, 4th Thursday, other days closed.

Seating: 15 seats.

Parking: no parking.

Cute packaged Japanese sweets make you swoon. Take a break at the long-established Japanese confectionary shop 《Kinmakiya》.

Once you've filled your stomach and soul with warm ramen, head to Kamikomachi shopping street, a 10-minute walk away. Yes, after eating something salty, you may want to refresh your palate with something sweet. We recommend the long-established Japanese sweets shop Mizuki An Kanemakiya, which was founded in 1871.

Despite being a long-established Japanese confectionery, the shop has a wide range of cute Japanese sweets with lovely designs, perfect for souvenirs. Particularly recommended are the "Kamifuru Poppo".

There are two flavours: sweet potato cream and soybean flour cream. The sweet potato cream is made from the famous "Imojenne" (sweet potato) from Niigata City's Nishi Ward.

The shelf life is only 3 days, but please enjoy a dusty time as a break snack on your way to the town.

MIZUKIAN KANEMAKIYA

Address: 3-650 Furumachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8063

Tel: 025-222-0202

Opening hours: 9:00-18:00

Closed: No holidays

Parking: No parking space

To find cute Niigata souvenirs, visit hickory03travellers (hickory03travellers).

Walking out of Kanamakiya in the direction of Hakusan Shrine, you will see a stylish glass-walled shop. This is hickory03travellers (hereafter katakana), a group that creates a variety of goods and things under the theme 'Let's enjoy everyday life'.

The shop contains souvenirs and clothing designed by Hickory Three Travellers, as well as other products from Niigata Prefecture.

Here is a selection of recommendations from the many products available.

First, there are the 'floating stars', which have a cute, colourful appearance. It looks like kompeito, but it is actually a traditional Niigata confectionary made by pouring sugar syrup over a hail.

Originally sold under the name Yukari, the product was familiar to Niigata citizens, but in 2015 Hickory Three Travellers relaunched the product with a new packaging design, size and naming. Then, the popularity of the product skyrocketed and it is now sold not only in Niigata Prefecture but also throughout the country.

For a small souvenir, how about a three-piece set (1,010 yen + tax) of 'floating stars', 'Sado-bancha' and 'honey-dipped azuki'?

Sado Bancha is a tea that has been produced on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture since the Edo period (1603-1868). It is characterised by a clean, sweet taste with little bitterness. Honey-soaked azuki beans are a small packet of azuki beans produced by An Foods, a bean-jam factory in Niigata City, Niigata. These azuki beans have a moderate sweetness that can be used as a topping for ice cream and anmitsu.

Other diverse products include tenugui hand towels made in collaboration with the Fujioka Dyeing Factory, handkerchiefs made from Kameda stripes and canned figs harvested in the Joetsu region.

They are all so cute and eye-catching. Take your time to browse around the shop and find your own favourite products!

《hickory03travelers》.

Address: 556, Furumachi-dori 3-bancho, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata

Tel: 025-228-5739

Opening hours: 11:00 - 18:00 (11:00 - 17:00 on Sundays)

Closed: Monday *If Monday is a public holiday, the shop is open on Monday and closed on the following Tuesday. Other temporary closures may occur.

Experience Niigata's rice and malt culture with delicious amazake 《Furumachi Koji Seizosho (Furumachi Main Store)》.

Walking from Hickory Tree Travellers towards Hakusan Shrine, you will see people holding some kind of stylish white cup. This is Furumachi Koji Seizosho, which has been operating in the Kamikomachi shopping street since 2009 . When you come to Kamifuru, we would like you to try their amazake drink..!

Koji and amazake are of course good for beauty and health, but we particularly value the fact that they are 'processed rice products' from Niigata." says the shop manager, Mr Obata, whose family is a rice farmer.

In today's society, where more and more people don't eat rice every day, we are communicating Niigata's rice culture in the form of amazake.

Recently, more and more customers from outside the prefecture and abroad have come to enjoy the taste of delicious amazake and rice, and the shop front is always crowded with customers.

The variety of amazake flavours is also very varied - "Which flavour shall I try today?" and feel excited. There are also seasonal drinks, so it's also fun to see which flavours you can encounter!

The shop also sells highly moisturising cosmetics made from malt "white malt rice extract ". These cosmetics, which have a reputation for making your skin moist and glutinous, are perfect as a rewarding souvenir for yourself.

《Furumachi Koji Seizosho (Furumachi main shop)》

Address: 533 Furumachi-dori 2-bancho, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8063

TEL: 025-228-6570

Opening hours: 10:00-17:00

Closed: Tuesdays

Original herbal teas and healing aroma goods 《Hanakiku aroma and herb shop》.

After you feel your body warmed up by the power of amazake, take a rest at the Aroma and Herb Shop Hanakiku next to the Furumachi Kouji Seizosho. The owner, Ms Kikuchi, who originally ran an aromatherapy class, opened this shop in 2009 in the hope of making aromatic living more familiar to people.

The shop has a wide range of aromatic oils and original blends of herbal teas.

Herbal teas can be purchased for as little as ¥500 and are easily enjoyed in tea packets, making them ideal as souvenirs. Which one should I choose...?" If you're not sure which one to choose, we recommend the Niigata-style packaged Kamifuru Monzen or the No. 1 popular standard blend, Preli.

Take your time to find the fragrance of your choice using the testers in the shop. We hope you will find something to help you relax and care for your "mind and body", which are working so hard every day.

Aroma and herb shop Hanakiku

Address: 2-532 Furumachidori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8063

Tel: 025-223-7777

Opening hours: 11:00-19:00

Closed: Tuesdays

You can only find the very best vessels here 《Hime MIZUKI》.

Walk straight on again from Hanakiku in the direction of Hakusan Shrine, and you will see Himemizuki, a shop of plates and dishes that has visited and collected artists from all over the country.

The distinctive feature of the restaurant is its simple and sophisticated selection of Japanese and Western food.

The vessels have a different look to each other, in terms of design, weight and so on. Many of our customers have told us that there aren't many vessels in Niigata, so they are happy to have a shop where they can actually hold the vessels in their hands and take their time to choose." says Ms Ozasa.

Because they are handmade, you are sure to enjoy the unique tableware available here and the encounters with the artists you are drawn to!

Hime Mizuki.

Address: 528, Furumachidori 2-bancho, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8063

Tel: 025-201-9252

Opening hours: 11:00-18:00

Closed: Tuesdays

Visit the Hakusan Shrine, famous for its match-making and pleasant strolling time.

Now, a visit to Hakusan Shrine, located at the entrance to the Kamikomachi shopping street, is a must.

Hakusan Shrine is nationally renowned for its good fortune in bringing people together and is loved by local people in Niigata. The shrine enshrines a female deity called Kukurihime, who is said to bring men and women together as if she were tying threads together.

After visiting the shrine, it is a good idea to take a walk around the pond and feel the changing seasons and nature. Together with the neighbouring Hakusan Park, the vast grounds cover an area of 10,000 tsubos (9,000 m2), where you can enjoy the plants of the four seasons.

Walking around the Hakusan Shrine and Hakusan Park, you will feel good and full of energy. Let's take a deep breath and let's receive lots of power for better days ahead.

focaccia e vino TETTO - Italian cuisine using Niigata ingredients.

You've walked a lot and are very happy. How about finishing off the evening with dinner at focaccia e vino TETTO ('Tetto')?

Tetto, with its stylish glass-walled exterior, is located not far from Kimakiya and was created with the aim of becoming an Italian diner like a bar. Inside, the natural wood counter allows you to relax and forget about the time.

A recommended lunchtime dish is the focaccia sandwich, made with homemade focaccia baked every morning. The speciality dishes are made with vegetables from Niigata, using plenty of the best vegetables available at the time.

This is goulash, a Northern Italian stew of Hungarian origin. Beef is stewed with bell peppers and other ingredients, together with savoury vegetables. Try it for the first time!

The restaurant also offers a wide variety of other Italian dishes, from salads made with vegetables from Niigata to pasta made with fresh fish such as local sea bream, and red wine braised beef cheeks and other meats.

At the end of a town tour, it is a good idea to rest your mind and take a break with a delicious meal.

focaccia e vino TETTO

Address: Fuji Building 1F, 4-647 Furumachidori, Chuo-ku, Niigata City

Tel: 025-378-1320

Opening hours: 11am - 9pm *Lunch closes at 3pm (open only from 11am to 3pm on Sundays).

Closed: Thursday, 3rd Friday of the month

Seats: 12

How was it?

Kamikomachi shopping street, a gateway street starting at Hakusan Shrine.

This shopping street is a great place to walk around town, as it is home to delicious food shops and shops where the individuality of the shopkeepers shines through.

Here, in the Kamikomachi shopping arcade, you can encounter unique and tasteful souvenirs and things that can only be found in Niigata. When you come to Niigata, please visit the Kamikomachi shopping street.