Ponshukan Nagaoka

Sake tasting within the train station!

One thing Niigata does very well is their sake, and they take the opportunity to show this off to visitors and locals alike at the Ponshukan. There are three locations in Niigata - one is in Echigo Yuzawa Station, one is at Niigata Station, and then there is this one just outside the ticket gates of Nagaoka Station. It's a fun premise - you pay 500 yen, and you're given 5 coins and a sake cup. You're able to choose different brews and have your moment of being a sake connoisseur if you will! A few of the varieties will cost you more than one of your tokens, so just bear that in mind - the vast majority though are just one coin. Outside the tasting area there are plenty of local items for sale, including all those sake types you've tried and other eats and drinks prepared in the Niigata region.