One early summer day, I visited Niigata for the first time. Boarding the Joetsu Shinkansen, known for its many tunnels, I zipped through the mountains, and was transported to a tranquil landscape of crisp, refreshing breezes and dazzling greenery. Scenes that were once commonplace felt fresh, and Niigata embodied this quintessential Japanese landscape.

With the Sea of Japan at its mercy and distinct seasonal changes, Niigata is blessed with delicious food. Most famously, the Shinano River, Japan's longest, and the rolling countryside of the Echigo Plain downstream. Niigata's delicious waters offer excellent rice and sake, as well as abundant seafood from the Sea of Japan and a town irresistible for sake lovers. These are the best parts of Niigata that everyone knows.

But that's not all. Through this trip, I met designers, creators, and artisans with roots in Niigata, and discovered a previously unknown charm: Niigata's thriving manufacturing industry. Tsubame City, located almost in the center of Niigata, is known as a town of cutlery. It boasts world-class metalworking techniques developed from blacksmithing, including the 200-year-old intangible cultural property, "Gyokusendo," which produces hammered copperware. Western Niigata, also designated an Important Intangible Cultural Property by the country and passed down since the early Edo period, is home to Ojiya City's hemp textile, Ojiya Chijimi, and Kamo City and Gosen City, two of Japan's leading knitwear production areas, nurturing a culture of artisans. There are also coffee shops where craftspeople naturally gather, and communities that cherish the history and nature rooted in the land. This article begins a series of articles about Niigata travel, documenting the great things I discovered while traveling around Niigata.

Feature 1: Niigata and Manufacturing

【Niigata and Manufacturing: Table of Contents】
1. The roots of Niigata-born Petit Robe Noir designer Abe Yoshiyo
2. Made in Kamo City, a completely custom-made striped cut-and-sew from G.F.G.S.
3. Haiki copperware craftsman Watanabe Kazuya, who connects with Tsubame City through metalworking, and Tsubame City through metalworking

Feature 2: The great things I found in Niigata

【Great things found in Niigata: Table of contents】
1. Snow Peak HEADQUARTERS Campfield, a vast campsite of approximately 165,000 square meters located at Snow Peak's headquarters
2. Tsubame Coffee, a cafe run in Yoshida, Tsubame City (coming soon)
3. Machitoki Cafe, renovated from the former Nanatani Post Office, a tangible cultural property designated by Kamo City (coming soon)
4. Satoyama Jujo, a hot spring inn surrounded by nature in Minamiuonuma City, where you can experience 10 charms that can only be found in satoyama (coming soon)
4. FACTORY FRONT, an open factory that promotes Tsubame City's manufacturing and connects it to the future (coming soon)