Kanga's Blueberry Farm

When summer starts heating up in Niigata, we know that it's time to go blueberry picking!  Kanga's Blueberry Farm is located in Tainai City, right along the coastline.

For 500 yen per adult (elementary school students are free!) you get a bucket and 40 minutes to wander among hundreds of blueberry bushes.

You can pick and eat as many as you like, and if you fill up the bucket you can pay 200 yen per 100 grams to take the blueberries home.

The staff are always very friendly, and there's a covered seating area with free barley tea where you can take a rest.  Parking is free, and when you see the giant Buddhist monk statue, you'll know you're in the right place.

Kanga's Blueberry Farm website (no English): http://www.niigata-blueberry.com/

Waku Waku Hills

Waku Waku Hills is an amazing indoor play-space for kids up to 13 years of age.  Located in Agano City, it's part of a new collection of buildings that includes a kindergarten and an elder care facility.

Waku Waku Hills opens for 90 minutes at a time, during which kids can play in the giant ball pit, run and jump on a massive inflatable trampoline, climb on the climbing wall, and enjoy a number of other areas.  After the 90 minutes, the building is closed while they set up for the next group of kids.  On weekdays there are 3 sessions a day, 10:00 to 11:30, 1:00 to 2:30, and 3:00 to 4:30, and on weekends there are 4 sessions, 9:00 to 10:30, 11:00 to 12:30, 1:00 to 2:30, and 3:00 to 4:30.

The first time you visit, it costs 200 yen per child for the membership fee, and 300 yen to play for 90 minutes.  After that it is always 300 yen, and adults are free.  There is a small area for babies to play in, and adults are welcome to join their children in the ball pit and on the climbing wall and trampoline.

When we visited, my son loved using the foam blocks to build his own "Super Mario" level on the trampoline, and my wife and I had a great time jumping in the ball pit.  This is one playground where I can say that adults will have as much fun as their kids!

Waku Waku Hills website (no English): http://www.fukushi-kagayaki.jp/hills#a1

Cafe Paradiso

Summer has definitely begun here in Niigata, so it's time to go to the beach and cool down!  Many of the beach areas in Niigata have restaurants, but most of them seem kind of dirty and don't offer much in the way of food selection and family atmosphere.  However, Cafe Paradiso is well maintained, kid-friendly, has great food, and is just steps away from the water.

Cafe Paradiso is located on Fujitsukahama beach, in Shibata City.  There's a lot of space for parking, and it's easy to find the restaurant with its colorful sign.  Inside there are tables and couches, as well as a cute kid-sized table with smaller chairs.  Outside there are long tables where you can eat in the shade of the raised deck areas.  These all have a view of the sea, and kids can run down to the water to play while you're waiting for your meal.

The menu is simple but the food is delicious.  All the pizzas are hand-made, and you can get a set with salad and a drink for a little extra.  There are also a number of pastas, curry-rice, and desserts that look pretty good.

Cafe Paradiso is a nice place to have a meal while visiting the beach.  The layout, atmosphere, and friendly staff all made me feel like I was back in Southern California, which is a big plus in my book!  They also offer rentals for paddleboards, banana boats, water hoverboards, and surfing lessons.

Cafe Paradiso map:

Camp4

I wrote in a recent post about Hut Wall, a bouldering gym that I and my son have been going to.  It's a great facility, but it's also a little far if you are coming from Niigata City.  Yesterday we checked out another climbing gym that might be more convenient for those of you who live south of Shibata and Murakami.

Camp4 is a really large and impressive gym located in Higashi-ku, close to Toki Messe and the Sado Ferry Terminal.  This gym features both bouldering (climbing without ropes) and top rope climbing (climbing with ropes).  There are many bouldering walls with a lot of interesting rock shapes and paths, and though Camp4 seems to get pretty busy at times, it's a large enough space that it doesn't feel crowded.

For first-time climbers the price is 1900 yen for adults and 1100 yen for young children, along with shoe rental for 200 yen, and you will have a lesson about how to climb and stay safe.  After the initial time, it's 1400 yen per day for adults and 600 yen for children.  Shoe rental is a flat fee of 200 yen.  Camp4's operating hours are 2pm to 11pm on weekdays and 11am to 8pm on weekends.

Camp4's website (no English): http://www.camp4-climbing.jp/index.html

Hut Wall

I was recently introduced to bouldering by a colleague of mine, and found it to be a really fun, non-competitive way to get some exercise, especially for someone like me who isn't super into sports.  Two weeks ago I took my five year old son, and he loved it!

Bouldering is a type of rock-climbing that uses walls that are only a couple of meters high, covered with colorful "rocks" that you use for hand and foot-holds.  There are no ropes involved, but the floor is covered by a soft mattress so you can't get hurt by falling.  All of the man-made rocks are labeled with colored tape, which indicate the level of difficulty for the climb to the top.

The place we go to is a new facility called Hut Wall, located in Tainai City.  It costs 1000 yen for the member's card and first time, which also includes rental of climbing shoes.  Subsequent visits are 1200 yen per day for adults, and 600 yen for children of elementary school age and younger.  Shoe rental is 300 yen.

The owner of Hut Wall is very nice and helpful, and will give a short lesson and explanation of the rules.  It's a great activity for kids, especially those who love to climb all over the furniture at home, and can be enjoyed in any weather!

Hut Wall website (no English): http://hutwall.com/

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 2:00pm to 10:00pm
Wednesday - 6:00pm to 12:00am
Saturday - 10:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday - 10:00am to 8:00pm

(on the map Hut Wall is listed as 坂上こんにゃく店)

Niigata Furusato Village

I've often thought that Niigata is a great place to live, with so many interesting places to see and things to do, but sometimes it's not easy to find out about these places and events.  Niigata Furusato Village brings all the information about the prefecture's history and culture to one place!

There are two buildings to explore, the first being the Bazaar Hall, where you can try all sorts of local Niigata delicacies (I recommend the sauce katsudon) and do some shopping for souvenirs like rice crackers, sake, or cutlery from Tsubame-Sanjo.

The second building is the Appeal Hall, which is a combination tourism center and history museum.  You can find posters and flyers here from all points of interest throughout Niigata prefecture.  If you take an elevator up to the top floor, there is a theater and a path that winds back down to the ground floor, taking you on historical tour of Niigata with photographs and hands-on exhibits.  There is one area where you can experience falling snow, which is a nice way to cool off in the summer.  Also, it's all free!

Attached to the Appeal Hall is a large playground, and right outside of that is a beautiful pond full of carp, which you can feed with a bag of pellets for 100 yen.  When the weather is nice, it's a perfect place to enjoy some Yasuda Dairy Farm ice cream.

If you want to make a day of it, I recommend the Shinanogawa Water Shuttle, which travels back and forth between Furusato Village and the Toki Messe building, with a few stops along the way.  The ride is scenic and very smooth, and the entire journey takes about 1 hour and costs 1000 yen each way (half price for small children).

Niigata Furusato Village (English website): http://furusatomura.pref.niigata.jp/eng/

Shinanogawa Water Shuttle website: http://www.watershuttle.co.jp/

Shirone Grape Garden

Japan has a lot of delicious fruit that can be eaten during its four seasons, and Shirone Grape Garden is a great place to find some of them.  There are separate areas for strawberries, kiwis, mikans, blueberries, grapes, cherries, peaches, and pears, and a few options for buying by weight or all-you-can-eat ("tabehodai" in Japanese).

In addition to the fruits, there is a large area for barbecuing plates of meat that can be purchased at the garden, and a gelato stand.  Finally, there are goats and rabbits in several areas for kids to pet and feed (lettuce and carrots are available for a small price).

The website does not have any English information, but there is useful chart that shows the annual timetable for each kind of fruit.

Shirone Grape Garden: http://www.kudamonogari.com/