Niigata Trip #1 Soaring Above the Panoramic Skies
Hello everyone! In this series, I’m excited to introduce Niigata, my top pick for the city in Japan where you can witness the most beautiful sunsets. Today’s episode covers Part 1. The Yahiko Mountain Ropeway, the rare climbing car, and the Panorama Tower in the Yahiko area of Nishikan Ward, Niigata City. Imagine watching the sun sink behind Sado Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the way it dips behind an island beyond the sea, is truly a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Since 1958, the Yahiko Mountain Ropeway has ferried visitors up the slopes, blending sweeping city views with retro charm. At the base station, you’ll even spot friendly koi swimming in a small pond. Perched like a mini Machu Picchu, a sky city sits mid-mountain. Here you’ll find intriguing rides, the cliffside climbing car, and the 360 degrees rotating panorama tower. From these vantage points, the Sea of Japan and Sado’s silhouette will take your breath away. In part two, we’ll summit to 634 meters, equal in height to Tokyo Skytree, pass a mysterious radio tower, a rustic toilet, and reach the Shinto Shrine that watches over this land while you soak in a truly spiritual mountaintop experience. From Yahiko Station to the Ropeway Our journey begins at Yahiko Station, just over two hours from Tokyo on the Shinkansen and local line. The station’s architecture is modeled on the nearby Yahiko Shrine with a pitched tile roof and approach road designed like a shrine’s sacred pathway. A 10-minute walk brings you to the shrine entrance, passing charming inns and souvenir shops. From the shrine grounds, it’s just a 15-minute stroll or a free shuttle bus ride to the ropeway station. I highly recommend walking. Fresh mountain air, whispering trees, it feels like a Kyoto temple walk. Aerial Ride on the Yahiko Mountain Ropeway. Opened in 1958 and celebrating nearly 70 years, the ropeway’s retro-modern steel arches, round windows, and vintage gondolas give it a timeless air. At the boarding area, a koi pond awaits. These koi are so tame they flock to your feet if you approach. So interesting sound, isn’t it?After purchasing ticket, let’s ride. Five minutes later, you’ll reach the Midway Station at 634 meters, the same elevation as Tokyo Skytree. While Tokyo’s skyline views are incredible, what awaits atop Mount Yahiko is an even grander panorama. You can enjoy the majestic panorama of the Echigo Plain. Section three, Koshihikari Rice Ice Cream and the Climbing Car. Before riding the climbing car, treat yourself to Koshihikari Rice Ice Cream. Koshihikari Rice, bred in 1956, is Japan’s premier brand of table rice, famed for its glossy grains and sweet aroma. Here, the ice cream swirls in polished rice grains, giving a delightful pop against creamy vanilla. Over there, you can see the Panorama Tower we’ll be riding later. Now let’s ride the climbing car, a rare, 50-degree incline, sloped elevator, originally inspired by 1960s mining technology. Board the steel and glass marvel, and you’ll feel as if you’re descending a vertical cliff. Though it seats 30, today I’m enjoying it solo, what a thrill. Section 4, Panorama Tower, 360 degrees views. A minute’s walk from the climbing car drop-off brings you to the Panorama Tower, in operation since 1970. This rotating cabin climbs 85 meters in about eight minutes, turning once in that span. Inside, circular benches face the panoramic windows. North, the Shinano River mouth, fed by spring snowmelt. East, the vast Echigo Plain, sculpted by the Shinano River Delta. South, majestic 2,000-meter class peaks standing between Tokyo and Niigata. Niigata’s famed snowfall comes from moisture-laden northwest winds hitting the 2,000-meter Echigo and Mikuni Ranges. The winter snowmelt then flows as Japan’s longest river, the 367 kilometers Shinano River, irrigating the plains and creating this rice-rich land. West, the Sea of Japan with Sado Island floating on the horizon. Wrap up and what’s next?Niigata isn’t just rice country, it’s Japan’s leading sake region. Pristine snowmelt and world-class rice combine to produce sake beloved around the globe. That’s a wrap on part one. In part two, we’ll hike 15 minutes uphill to the true summit at 634 meters, visit the mountain shrine’s inner sanctuary, and cap off our journey with Sado Island’s legendary sunset over the Sea of Japan. Don’t miss the finale. See you next time.
Explore Mount Yahiko in Niigata — a sacred peak offering panoramic views, thrilling rides, and a taste of Japan’s finest rice culture.
Where sacred mountains meet sweeping skies — welcome to Niigata’s sky-high sanctuary.
Mount Yahiko rises 634 meters above Niigata’s Nishikan Ward, often called Japan’s own Machu Picchu. In this episode, we explore three unique rides that offer breathtaking views from this sky-high town:
🚡 Yahiko Ropeway – A scenic aerial journey from the sacred Yahiko Shrine to the summit.
🚞 Climbing Car – A rare slanted elevator that delivers thrilling vertical motion.
🌐 Panorama Tower – A rotating observatory with 360° views of Sado Island, the Niigata Plain, and the mountain ranges dividing Tokyo and Niigata.
Along the way, we also indulge in Niigata’s signature rice-based sweets — a delicious tribute to Japan’s top rice-producing region.
📸Filmed at Mount Yahiko in Niigata Prefecture
🔔 This is Part 1 of our 3-part Niigata Special Series.
Stay tuned for the next episode, releasing September 4, featuring a refreshing summit hike and Japan’s most beautiful sunset over the World Heritage island of Sado.
📅 Release Schedule:
① Aug 28 – Soaring Above the Panoramic Skies
② Sep 4 – Sacred Mount Yahiko & Japan’s Most Beautiful Sunset
③ Sep 10 – Healing Views from the Sky City of Yahiko (Full Compilation)
We hope you enjoy the journey. If you like what you see, please consider subscribing — it means a lot!
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