🌿 Part 17 — From Nagaoka to Joetsu: From River’s End to the Sea’s Beginning

🌿 Part 17 — From Nagaoka to Joetsu: From River’s End to the Sea’s Beginning

Leaving the gentle flow of the Shinano River in Nagaoka, the journey continues west toward the sea, bound for Joetsu, a city where mountains, rivers, and ocean meet in quiet harmony. This route traces the final stretch of Niigata’s heartland — from inland plains to the coast, from calm fields to open horizons.

The Joetsu Line and Hokuriku Shinkansen both connect the two cities in about an hour. As the train departs, the scenery opens wide: rice terraces, small shrines hidden among cedar trees, and distant views of the Echigo Mountains. Farmers tend to golden fields, and the rhythm of rural Japan unfolds outside the window like a living scroll.

As you approach Joetsu, the air grows cooler, carrying hints of salt and sea. The Kubiki Plain stretches ahead — a landscape shaped by both water and wind. In spring and summer, the horizon turns a deep, luminous green; in winter, snow paints everything in silence.

Joetsu itself is a city layered with history. Once home to Takada Castle, its park today is known for over 4,000 cherry trees that bloom spectacularly each April. The reflection of lanterns and petals on the moat creates one of the most romantic night views in Niigata. Nearby, the Rinsenji Temple, associated with the Zen master Uesugi Kenshin, adds a sense of calm and reverence to the journey’s end.

Down by the coast, the Naoetsu Port faces the Sea of Japan. From here, ferries once sailed to Sado Island, and fishing boats still bring in daily catches of crab and squid. Watching the sunset from the Joetsu Aquarium Umigatari, where the sea and sky melt into one color, feels like standing at the edge of a vast, gentle story.

Traveling from Nagaoka to Joetsu is a passage between elements — from the flowing river to the steady sea, from farmland to waves, from motion to stillness. Here, the spirit of Niigata softens into quiet reflection, as the journey prepares to meet the horizon once more.