Visiting Niigata/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Niigata/Carlos Pueblo

I ran into a pair of Taiwanese travelers, an elder and his brother-in-law, at

Akita Station while waiting for Uetsu Main Line to Niigata. The elder who lives

In California comforted me for missing Gonou Line where they were going that

Morning. Gonou Line runs along the northwest coast of Honshu Island from

Akita to Aomori is one of the prettiest scenery in Japan Rail ride. He has been

visiting Japan for 50 times and seems very familiar with the country. He told me

Uetsu Line was also very pretty as well. It is a continuation of the railroad line

from Akita south to Niigata on the coastal line of the Sea of Japan. I like the wave

of the Sea of Japan in the fall. I was there on the coastal train of Ishikari Bay from

Sapporo to Otaru in the fall of 2014. The sea wave reminded me the picture of

Japanese art, small wave peacefully rolling up to the beach. This time was in the

winter, the wave pounded the beach harder.

I have to walk across the Shinano River, also known as Chikuma River in Nagano

Prefecture. I also known a song, Chikuma River, by Itsuki Hiroshi and the river is

the longest one in Japan, 274 miles. The bridge is also very famous, Bandai Bridge,

built by stone in 1929. This stone bridge reminds me very much of Taihoku Meji

Bridge built in 1901 in Taipei, Taiwan, yet a Chinese mayor of Taipei took it down

in 2002.

 Information center gave me a walking map to visit the old city, Nuttari. This is on

the other side of my hotel; therefore, I must walk back across the Bandai Bridge

in the snowing and raining morning, making a left turn on Bandai Matchi to enter

the old town Bandaicho-Dori, Nuttari Teramachi Temple Quarter. The shopping

Arcade reminds me very much of my childhood hometown, small stores and single

story buildings. I did not visit the famous sake breweries at least of three fermentation

factories, yet there were several shrines which I visited.

Back to Bandai Bridge toward my hotel, it is Motomachi of the city, more modern

shopping center and tall building. I met a laboratory dog at the front step of the

hotel . It was raining and he was all wet. The lady owner heard that I sweet talked to

the dog and spoke to me in English. I was worried about the rain and hurried up my

conversation. The weather was a little bit warmer, from snow fall to rain, yet it was still

very cold.