Niigata
Tour de Nippon
Itoigawa, Niigata
Situated on the western tip of Niigata Prefecture, the city of Itoigawa is something of a jewelry box. Scrawling down the topographical traits and famous places on a map, you realize that it is crammed full of world-beating spots. As you pick up the round pebbles on the seashore, a glance over the city reveals the dramatic backdrop of the Northern Alps, including several of Japan’s most celebrated peaks. Time to take a trip into this bucolic yet unforgiving land, where locals agilely coexist with nature.