- Shibata,Murakami Area
- Niigata,Aga Area
- Nagaoka,Kashiwazaki Area
- Uonuma,Yuzawa Area
- Joetsu,Myoko Area
- Sado Area
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April 21, 2012 Cherry blossoms at night at Takada Park (Takada Castle) |
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| Last week a friend invited me out, and as luck would have it, I was able to go to Takada Castle. My friend wanted to go mid-day, but since Takada Castle is famous for cherry blossoms at night, I recommended that if we were going to go, we should go at night. We left from … |
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4.11.2012 Let's go to Yahiko to see the cherry blossoms! |
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| This year spring came late, like a child that overslept, but it’s finally here now. The cherry blossoms are still hard buds, but I look forward to the Japanese tradition of hanami, or “cherry blossom viewing.” I came to Niigata as a prefecture-sponsored internationa… |
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I'll never forget my experiences in Myoko, even after I go back to South Korea. |
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| I thought I couldn't speak Japanese very well, so I ended up coming to Niigata! Niigata is known as the «snow country,» but when I actually saw the snow piled up on the mountains, it was something totally new that I could never see in South Korea. My month long study program i… |
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Japanese...is difficult. |
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| Given the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, along with other things, at first I was a little worried about going to Niigata to study Japanese. However, I would have regretted it if I had not come to Japan. I've met many kind Japanese people, which make me reflect on t… |
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It really snowed a lot in Myoko! |
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| It really snowed a lot in Myoko. It was the first time I ever saw snow piled up taller than me. Skiing in natural snow, rather than man-made snow, was really fun. It was also the first time I went to a Japanese-style inn and got in an outdoor hot spring bath. The food was also re… |
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Returning to South Korea with Both Regrets and Fun Experiences |
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| On January 5, 2011, I came to Japan for the first time in my life. I was worried that it would be cold in Niigata, but it was warmer than South Korea. Many friendly Japanese people welcomed me as well, so I quickly adjusted to being in Japan. Our schedule included a trip to Myoko. It was … |
| February 12, 2012 Koide International Snowball Fight! | |
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| Today, a couple friends and I left the sunshine of Niigata City to brave the snow country of Uonuma. Three of my friends were competing on a team in the International Snowball Fight, so we went up to check it out. We knew we were getting close when the walls of snow on the side of the road… |
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November 18, 2011 Yahiko Shrine Chrysanthemum Festival |
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| As the scent of autumn grew thicker in the air, I went to Yahiko last Friday. Yahiko is a small town that is 1 hour away by car from Niigata City, but it has hot springs, Mt. Yahiko (famous as a “power spot”, or the place with spiritual, mystical energy) and Yahiko Shrine, whi… |
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November 18, 2011 Autumn Leaves in Yahiko |
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| It is said that Japan has four distinct seasons. Cherry trees in spring, greenery in summer, colorful leaves in autumn, and snow in winter beautifully cover the ground as if they are painted on a palette. Autumn is the season to enjoy colorful leaves, so I recommend visiting Yahiko P… |
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November 18, 2011 The Exquisite Metal Polishing Technique Handed Down through Generations at Migakiya-ichibankan |
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| On a sunny day I visited Migakiya-ichibankan in Tsubame, Niigata with my colleagues. Even though it was a cold winter day, I felt their determination to pass on their metal polishing techniques, and their passion for their life and future.Polishing is extremely important in the process of… |
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August 5-7, 2011 Niigata Festival |
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| Every year Niigata City has a 3-day festival in the beginning of August. It begins on Friday night with a folk dancing parade on the main street of the city, and the finale is a fireworks show over the Shinano River, which runs through the heart of the city. I wanted to see as many of the … |
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August 6, 2011 Sunset Concert |
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| During the afternoon of August 6, I had a barbeque on the beach with friends. Underneath the clear blue sky, next to the shimmering blue sea is the best place to have a barbeque. The sun overhead was hot, as was the fire in the grill next to me, so I was grateful for the enthusiasm of ever… |
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August 5, 2011 Minyo Nagashi: A Folk Dancing Parade |
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| The seasonal tradition of summer in Niigata, the Niigata Festival, is finally starting! The minyo nagashi folk dancing parade was held on the Bandai Bridge, just as anticipated. I hear it’s one of the top folk dancing parades in Japan. The Bandai Bridge was lit up, crowds of peo… |
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August 3, 2011 A Yukata and Tea Experience |
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| On August 3, I got to try Japanese tea ceremony and wearing a yukata. Perhaps it’s because the experience was in line with traditional Japanese formalities, but I felt like I was learning etiquette. It was a great experience for me. I’m thankful that I was able to do it.(J… |
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August 3, 2011 Yukata and Tea Ceremony |
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| I had the experience of wearing a yukata and doing tea ceremony, something you don’t get to try every day. Through the tea ceremony, I learned about the traditional Japanese culture surrounding tea, which was curiously wonderful, but I realized how different tea cultures are in different … |
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July 29, 2011 Touring Niigata |
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| I had wonderful time staying at NSG. I remember one day we went for a short trip in Niigata ken.Breathtaking landscapes, delicious sea food in one of the seaside restarant , tranquil shrine and sake making place, all this was really a perfect holiday and an intersting experience,.(Airline, Internati… |
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July 29, 2011 Touring Niigata |
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| I was really glad that I was able to see some other areas besides downtown Niigata City. It rained, so there wasn’t enough time to see everything closely, which was too bad, but I was able to eat some delicious food, and I was able to tour around various places and see much of Niigata.&nb… |
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July 29, 2011 Niigata Sightseeing |
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| Today’s the day we tour Niigata! The weather wasn’t very good, but I love rain, so it was a good atmosphere for me.The sea on a rainy day looked really cool. I wanted to watch it more, but unfortunately it let up quickly. The Ameyoko fish market itself was just as lively a… |
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July 28, 2011 Zen meditation |
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| I could really feel the differences between Korean Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism. At first it was tough, but I’m glad in the end it was a good experience. The sight of the temple near my house was mystifying. Although meditation is like Indian yoga, I think its charm lies elsew… |
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July 27, 2011 1,000 Lanterns Festival Lantern Making |
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| By pure luck, I was in Niigata during the time of the 1,000 Lanterns Festival, and I was able to make a paper lantern. In the process of making it, I drew various pictures, which was fun. I’m also really glad that I was able to interact with my Japanese friends who came with us as we… |
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July 27, 2011 Making Lanterns for the 1,000 Lanterns Festival |
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| I’m very glad that I had the opportunity to get to know my Japanese friends better through the process of making lanterns, which we made out of paper while we talked. Seeing the lantern that I made displayed at the festival that night is also a good memory.(Kim Eun-hye, Airline, Internati… |
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July 22, 2011 Calligraphy |
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| This calligraphy experience, which is similar to calligraphy in Korea, allowed me to have a new experience unlike anything I’ve had in Korea. We wrote characters on fans, but for me, my heart felt very calm while I wrote characters that were close to my heart. I also learned that the… |
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July 19, 2011 Trying Bowling |
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| When I was first told that we would go bowling, I wondered why we would do an event like that. But when we actually went, it was really fun. While we were bowling, I was able to get to know my Japanese friends better!! At the end, we had an awards ceremony, which was really funny!&nbs… |
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July 19, 2011 Bowling |
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| I usually only go bowling with a few people, which is a bit lonely, but this time a bunch of people went, so it was really fun! It really felt like summer vacation. The facilities and equipment were really nice, which made it even more fun. I hope I can do something like this again so… |
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July 16, 2011 Making Sasadango |
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| Recently my friends an Iｈａｄ ａ ｖｅｒｙ ｉｎｔｅｒｅｓｔｉｎｇ ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅ． Precisely, making Japanese sweets. This was so much fun and everybody was very excited about it. For me it was very interesting that cooking sweets was actually much easier that packing them. I could only do this after my 5th try. All an all… |
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July 16, 2011 Making Sasadango* |
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| Making sasadango was really interesting! The bamboo grass smelled really great, and while they were difficult to wrap, I was able to wrap them well, and they were really delicious. I ended up eating them all that day! I had a really fun time. They went well with tea and the finis… |
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The Enchanting Streets of Sanjo |
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| Vienne Wong from Canada My one year in Sanjo is soon coming to an end. Though I was only here for a short period of time, I had many wonderful experiences and was fortunate to be able to watch as Sanjo continues to grow as a city. The current Sanjo has various things to offer. One can attend the Sa… |
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June 27, 2011 I scream, you scream, we all scream for SOCCER! |
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| This past Saturday I went to the Albirex soccer game at Big Swan Stadium with a group of my friends. There are probably people who are wondering what an “albirex” is, so here’s a quick explanation. The Niigata Albirex is Niigata’s professional soccer team in the J … |
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June 24, 2011 Sunset |
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| Is there anyone who doesn’t like the setting sun? I certainly do. Niigata is located on the Sea of Japan, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset pretty much every day of the year, but the beginning of summer is the best time to take it in. Viewing platforms, roads that run along the c… |
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June 14, 2011 Anna |
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| Last weekend I went to Echigo Hillside Park in Nagaoka with a friend. In early June every year, the “Rose Festival” is held in the park. The rose garden has as many as 2,200 roses (539 types), so it makes a “rose paradise” when they are in full bloom. The flowers are so be… |
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June 14, 2011 Dinara |
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| Last weekend I visited a park in Nagaoka and enjoyed the roses. I was amazed to see so many kinds of them! Their sizes ranged from small flowers to ones that are as big as peonies. Also, there was a variety of colors, but I could rarely find dark colored roses that look blackish. Most of them we… |
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Barbecue Dinara |
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| For Russia Day, which is celebrated on June 12, Russian people living in Niigata got together and had a barbecue party. The party was held in a park in Nigorikawa, which is a bit east of Niigata Airport, on a sunny day. It is good to have this kind of outdoor party at this time of year in Niigata, s… |
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The Land of Tulips, Part 1 |
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| Hello, everyone. This is Anna from Russia. I've been living and working in Niigata for 5 years. I absolutely love May. In May it finally starts to get warm and the city is reborn as a sea of tulips. In the beauty of such surroundings, flowers begin to blossom in your heart as well. Tulips … |
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The Land of Tulips, Part 2 (continuation) |
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| Hello, everyone. This is Anna again. In the beginning of May I went to a tulip farm. There are numerous tulip farms in Niigata Prefecture, but the most famous places for visitors to go are in the cities of Tainai and Gosen. Tulip growers in Niigata don't just cultivate traditional species of tulip… |
| May 28th, 2011 Something to Celebrate | |
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| Hello, everyone. This is Katrina, a resident of Niigata City. Today I was in our final performance of the 2011 Niigata International Charity Organization English language musical. Every year, The Niigata International Charity Organization does various fund raising activities such as the annual music… |
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