Echigo-Yuzawa, Tsunan, and Tokamachi are home to tourist attractions such as Togakushi Shrine, Komagatake Temple, and Enpukuji Temple; tourist events such as the Minami Uonuma Gourmet Marathon, Tsunan Himawari Plaza, and Echigo-Yuzawa Akizakura Half Marathon; and local gourmet specialties such as rice balls, Italian food, and oyaki.
Echigo-Yuzawa, Tokamachi, and Tsunan are nationally famous for their rice production and Koshihikari rice, but they are also widely known as a treasure trove of food, not only rice, but also Japanese sake and wild vegetables.
The area around Echigo-Yuzawa, famous as the setting of Kawabata Yasunari's novel "Yukiguni" (Snow Country), is also home to facilities related to Kawabata Yasunari, as well as many hot springs and ski resorts.
Located only two hours from central Tokyo by car, many tourists visit the area as a summer resort in summer and a ski resort in winter, but it is also popular as a tourist destination that can be enjoyed in all four seasons, as there are facilities where trekking and camping can be enjoyed.
Many people think of rice-producing regions as being full of nature. Certainly, Echigo-Yuzawa, Tokamachi, and Tsunan are also areas blessed with nature, but there are also modern lodging facilities lined up around Echigo-Tsumari Station. Of course, there are also many long-established ryokan inns, as the area is famous for its hot springs.
The area is famous for its excellent sake, and the Echigo Yukikurakan is the only place in the country where visitors can observe sake brewing. At Echigo Yukikurakan, visitors can tour the Meguro Residence, now Tamagawa Sake Brewery, which is said to have been in existence for about 3,000 years.
Visitors can see the Yukikura (snow cellar), steaming area, earthen storehouse, and spring water, as well as enjoy free sake tasting and sampling. Sake tastings vary depending on the season, but visitors can enjoy 8 to 10 different types of sake throughout the year. You can drink two cups of sake by pouring all of them into the prepared sake cups.
The home-made "Yukikurazuke" (pickles with sake lees) served as a tasting is made with locally grown vegetables and is additive-free and color-free. In addition, sake cakes and sake buns are also available for tasting. Tours are available for one person, so feel free to stop by even if you are alone.
There are also various sightseeing spots such as "Alps no Sato," one of the largest rock gardens in Japan, the House of Light, Naoe Kanetsugu's Museum, Echigo-Tsumari Echigo-Tsumari Art Field, and Bijinrinrin, and there are also many hot springs, so why not find your own way to enjoy the area?
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