Niigata Food Guide: Koshihikari Rice, Sake and Local Dishes (2026)
Niigata’s food culture is one of the most distinctive and rewarding in Japan, built on two pillars that the prefecture has perfected over centuries: Koshihikari rice and sake. Niigata grows the finest short-grain rice in the country, a variety called Koshihikari that is prized for its sticky texture, gentle sweetness, and clean finish. That same exceptional rice is the raw material for Niigata’s sake, which has earned a national and international reputation for its tanrei karakuchi style: light, dry, crisp, and deeply refreshing. But this Niigata food guide goes well beyond rice and sake. The prefecture’s long Sea of Japan […]