Niigata, Maybe?

Since I am planning to take a vacation trip to Japan this Fall, I am now considering where I want to go and see.

Naturally, I will be spending some time in Tokyo to visit friends and to do more kaiju location research and photography along with some promoting of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. But I would like to go somewhere in Japan that I have not been to in my five previous trips.

Right now, I am contemplating taking a few days to see Niigata and the area around it. Niigata is in central Honshu and is on the Sea of Japan side of the island. Niigata has onsens, sake, sushi, mountains, beaches, museums and many other attractions.

Niigata has a casualness about it that is a different pace of life than Tokyo. There is also a burgeoning arts community in Niigata. Niigata is also known for its rice, seafood and sake. Sounds like a nice place to soak up some culture!

At present, I am thinking about Niigata, but if anyone reading this has other ideas, I'm open to them!

(Note: The link in the third paragraph is to Niigata's tourist website.)