Kids Dome Sorai

Though it's not located in Niigata, Kids Dome Sorai is definitely worth a day trip into Yamagata.  Located in Tsuruoka city, Sorai is a beautiful space for kids to explore, play, and create in.

The building itself is split into two areas, with the upper half being a playground with nets, ropes, climbing holds, and slopes for sliding.  Built into it is a small library corner with hammocks and books, as well as another space for babies and toddlers to play in.  When we went there, the entire place was perfectly clean, and Sorai staff were always on hand to watch out for the kids' safety.

The second area is a workshop for arts and crafts.  It is stocked amazingly well, with any and every kind of material and medium available.  We made some Christmas cards and pin badges, but there were also kids building with wood and using a 3D printer (the 3D printer requires a separate reservation).  Like the play area, there are plenty of staff to assist with any questions or help the kids might need.

If you have visited the Children's Creative Center in Ikutopia, Sorai is like that but on a grander scale.  It's perfect for a short road trip, and both kids and adults can have a lot of fun there.

Children from 0-12 are welcome at Sorai, and prices can be found on their homepage below.  If you're visiting on a weekend, reservations are required, and can be made online here.

Kids Dome Sorai homepage (No English)

Joetsu Aquarium Umigatari

Joetsu Aquarium Umigatari is a spacious and interestingly designed place to visit with your family and make some penguin friends.

Built in 2018, the building is quite modern and clean, and has a unique layout starting you up on the top floor with a view of the Joetsu coastline, and then working its way back down to the 1st floor.

Along the way, you'll see not only fish, dolphins, beluga whales, and jellyfish, but also a projection mapping of the four seasons, and the biggest population of Magellanic penguins in Japan.

Like most aquariums, there is a dolphin show, but I found it to be cramped in comparison to Marinepia's stadium area.  Instead, I'd recommend trying to catch the feeding time for the beluga whales, when you can see the staff doing some up close training with them.

The penguin enclosure is impressive, as you'll be walking among the birds (just be careful not to get too close), and there are several areas below their enclosure where you can watch them swim.  The penguin area, as well as the carp pond and the touch pool, are all outside, so your experience may depend on the weather.

Joetsu Aquarium Umigatari (limited English-language page)

Shirone Kite Museum

Shirone, in the southern ward of Niigata City, is well-known for its giant kite festival, held annually in June.  If you can't make it to the festival itself, the Shirone Kite Museum is a fun place to spend an afternoon and learn about the history of the festival and the amazing kites that fly there.

The museum is filled with beautiful kites, big and small, with designs ranging from the traditional samurai and dragons to modern cartoon characters and realistic birds and insects.

On the second floor there is a workshop where you can build and color your own kite (for 300 yen) and then fly it in a wind tunnel!

In addition to the kites, there are also many displays about traditional crafts and life in Shirone over the past century.

The Shirone Kite Museum is open on most days from 9am to 5pm.  Entry is 400 yen for adults and 200 yen for children (elementary up to high school), but on weekends children are free.

Shirone Kite Museum homepage (No English): http://www.shiteikanrisha.jp/ootako/index.html