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/

Echigo Hillside Park

Echigo Hillside Park is one of my favorite parks to visit, especially on hot and humid days.  The park itself is massive and has lots to do, but what really makes it special for me is the water area.  One corner of the park is a large space with shallow (ankle-deep) water, fountains, bridges, and many other structures to play on.  It's the perfect place for kids (and adults) to cool off.

After having fun in the water, you can explore the rest of the park, which has many playgrounds with slides, zip-lines, trampolines, and climbing structures.  There is also a hill with sleds to slide down on, pedal-powered cars for rent, a large flower garden, and some hiking paths.  In the winter the park is beautifully decorated and illuminated for Christmas, and there are events all throughout the year, so it's always a good time to visit.

I was surprised when I found that you have to pay to enter the park (410 yen for adults, 80 yen for children, and you also pay to use the parking lot), but it's clear that the fee is used to keep the park spotless and perfectly maintained.

Echigo Hillside Park (English page): https://echigo-park.jp/en/

Yamanoshita Wave Pool

The Yamanoshita Wave Pool is a wonderful place to take younger children on a hot Niigata summer day.  The facility has three shallow pools that are kept cool and clean, and all are watched over by multiple lifeguards.  All younger children are provided with an orange swimming cap that they must wear so as to be easily visible to staff members.

One of the pools creates waves several times a day, which is a lot of fun for kids to ride on and splash in, so don't forget to bring a pool tube.  The price to enter the Yamanoshita Wave Pool is 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for children up to junior high school age.  The pool is open only in the summer time, from July 9 until September 4.

Website: https://niigata-kaikou.jp/facility/418/

Aquapark Niigata

Aquapark Niigata is a really nice swimming pool facility in the western ward of Niigata City.  There is a large pool in a ring shape with a current that's fun for just floating around in (Aquapark has flotation devices you can use, or you can bring your own), and a smaller area with a water slide for kids.

Also, there is an area with heated water (like an onsen or sento) for relaxing in.  In addition to the pools, there are sento-style bathing areas attached to the changing rooms, saunas, massage services, a restaurant, and lounges on both floors.  For 500 yen (250 yen for children over 3 years old), it's a great place to relax on a cold, wet Niigata day.

Aquapark Niigata website: http://www.aquapark-niigata.jp/

Toyano Traffic Park

Just a few minutes walk from the Niigata Science Museum is a great park that packs several fun things to do into a small space.

The main feature of the Toyano Traffic Park is the go-kart track, where you can drive a pretty speedy kart for 100 yen (150 yen if you are accompanying a child).  You can buy tickets for the karts from a machine on the bridge above the track, then just go down the stairs to where the karts are lined up.

After a trip around the course, there's a small park with swings and slides, as well as coin-operated cars for very young children.  If you follow the track under the overpass, you can see a few peacocks, and beyond that is an area where people practice horseback riding.

Finally, there is a decommissioned city bus and two fire engines where kids can sit and push all the buttons and switches.

Toyano Traffic Park website: http://kosya-niigatacity.jp/green/facility/49/

Kishimoto Clinic

Kids get sick.  A lot.  Going to the doctor's office can be a scary experience, especially if you're not fluent in Japanese.  As parents, we want to be able to talk to the doctor and understand exactly what's going on with our child.  Fortunately, Dr. Kishimoto at the Kishimoto Clinic speaks excellent English (and is very friendly too)!

Dr. Kishimoto is a family physician, so people of any age can see him.  In my own experience, I've found him to be very helpful, and, unlike many other Japanese doctors I have been to, he takes the time to listen to and answer all of my questions.

Tabletop games for kids

We play a lot of games at home, especially when the weather is not good or when he have friends visiting us. Although I didn't play many tabletop games growing up, there has been something of a Renaissance in game design over the last several years, especially with games designed in Europe (particularly Germany).

Among the incredibly popular titles such as Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne there are a number of excellent card and board games that have been made with children in mind. Some of our favorites are Dixit, Labyrinth, Aufbruch ins Abenteuer, and Hey That's My Fish! One of the best points of these games is that they don't require any reading, so you can play them with very young children while using any language.

The difficulty lies in finding these games, as large toy and department stores in Niigata don't stock them, and ordering online can be quite expensive with shipping (many are only available shipped from overseas). Fortunately, there are two excellent shops which carry a wide variety of games, and both have opened copies that you can try out in the store, as well as friendly staff who will explain each game and show you how to play.

1) Atelier Tonton is a small shop located in a residential area in the Higashi-Ku part of Niigata.  In fact, the "shop" is actually the first floor of the owners' home! While it is primarily a workshop for teaching how to make jewelry, there is a large cabinet full of European games. The couple who own the shop are very friendly and more than happy to sit down and play any of the games with you. There is no parking available at the shop, but there is a large parking area at the nearby convenience store and Aming.

Atelier Tonton website: http://ateliertonton.com/gift/board-game.html



2) Krtek is another shop where you can find a lot of great tabletop games.  It is located in the downtown area of Niigata city, very close by the city hall.  In addition to a large selection of tabletop games, they also specialize in beautiful wooden toys, puzzles, and decorations (when we went they had many handmade Christmas items imported from Germany).  The shop can be a little cramped if there are more than 2 or 3 families, but the staff are very helpful and take time to explain the games.

Krtek website: http://www.krtek.ne.jp/