Tokamachi City Museum

Loads of cultural properties and natural treasures in a cool building

The Tokamachi City Museum is a great place for history buffs living in or visiting Niigata, but it's also super cool if you have an interest in architecture -- the building it's housed in is beautifully designed. The Sasayama Site Collection is one of the most interesting areas, in my opinion, as it has a bunch of archeological findings from Tokamachi dating back to the Jomon era. There's also an area dedicated to all things snow country (this part of Japan gets a ton of snow each winter), including examples of clothing and tools that have historically been used to battle the elements here. Adult admission is 500 yen but it's free for anyone under 15. 10 minutes on foot from Tokamachi Station, but parking is available if you opt to drive.