Niigata Prefecture

Situated north of the Kanto plain and with a long coast line along the Sea of Japan, Niigata is known for snow accumulations in the winter. It also has Sado island with a rich history. Rice production is bountiful; thus so is sake. In recent years, it has experienced some major earthquakes as well. With long tunnels, the bullet trains carry passengers from Tokyo to Niigata in about two hours for a little over 10,000 yen. 

To learn more about Niigata, please see these sites; Lonely Planet, JETRO, Daisuki, AJET, Statistics, Nature, Enjoy, Japan Guide, Sake, Snow, Japan National Tourism Organization.





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In July of 2013, an agent in the city of Niigata told us about the market in Niigata.
The overall demand seemed to be recovering. But the trend was from ownership to leasing. To avoid the risk of taking mortgages, many people opted to rent for life. Those buying were increasingly older.
The agent recommended pre-owned apartments around the Niigata station, houses in the south of the Niigata station, and apartments to invest around Niigata University. Prices of pre-owned apartments were quite low.  The southwest of the Niigata region has excellent living conditions with many athletic, cultural, educational and healthcare facilities.