Capital and largest city of its eponymous prefecture, Niigata is a modern port set upon the Sea of Japan northwest of Tōkyō. With its own shinkansen line, the city has grown significantly in the past thirty to forty years. Heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1964, it is offers little of historical note, although it functions as popular gateway to Sado-ga-shima off the Sea of Japan coast.

Shibata, further north, was once an important castle town in Echigo Province. While it is today a rather quiet, rural city, it has preserved a historic stroll garden and temple district, with its partially reconstructed castle sitting on the northwestern edge of the center.