Northern Culture Museum

#japantrip A lovely piece of Niigata culture just north of Niigata city. The entire location pays homage to a previous age, from the rice storage and traditional kitchens, to the expansive tatami rooms rich with history, to the well-tended wisteria gardens that flourish in late spring, this Northern Culture Museum is an education in traditional Japanese cultural practice. Even in winter, the main garden was spectacular, but if you want to see incomparable beauty, I would recommend mid-autumn or during the spring when there are cherry blossoms, but just exploring the grounds and many rooms in the museum was an edifying and satisfying experience.