Nuttari Terrace Street ＆ Sekai Sushi

A 20-minute walk from Niigata Station! Here, you can find a retro and stylish shopping street. It’s called Nuttari Terrace Street! There used to be a market here and it was very lively. However, due to the change of times, it eventually became a “shutter street” – a deserted shopping street. Around 10 years ago, efforts to restore the shopping street began. Since then, Nuttari Terrace Street has won various awards, including winning second place for the Region Restoration Award. The street has been completely reborn!

This shopping street has several different types of shops lined up, from stylish cafes to restaurants, a stationery shop, used book store, florist, and even a workshop where you can make glass beads! With so many different kinds of shops, you can look around for hours and not get bored. Furthermore, because this used to be a marketplace, local cats were kept around in order to prevent mice. As a result, many cat-themed goods can be found. For example, the stationery shop is cat themed and there is a dessert named numa neko yaki, which is a cat-shaped mochi (rice cake) with various fillings. The numa neko yaki, which is made with Niigata-grown rice, has a soft and chewy texture and pairs well with the various fillings to make a delicious treat. If you get the chance, definitely try this cat-shaped treat.

After you’ve finished visiting all the shops along the street, check out the area behind it! There are several beautiful temples that provide that traditional Japanese feeling. Don’t forget to visit this area, too!

About a two-minute walk away from Nuttari Terrace Street, there is a famous Niigata sushi restaurant called Sekai Sushi. This conveniently designed restaurant has both counter seats and booth seats, as well as two floors, and has been in business for over 80 years! The owner of the store, who is also in charge of public relations for the Niigata Sushi Quotient Life Hygiene Trade Association, has loved Niigata’s rice and fish and from a young age is passionate about spreading Niigata’s sushi across the country.

This is the menu that was born from the passionate owner: Kiwami (“zenith”) nigiri sushi, made from strictly selected high-quality seasonal local fish. This luxurious set represents the flavor of Niigata and changes with each season, in order to present fish when they are at their peak deliciousness. As of now, the kiwami sushi platter is offered at 49 sushi restaurants within the prefecture and has many fans from outside of Niigata as well. Additionally, the grilled nodoguro rice bowl, made with Niigata’s specialty nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), is another luxurious dish you won’t want to miss out on. If you’ve come all the way to Niigata, the kingdom of fish, rice, and Japanese sake, I strongly (!) suggest that you enjoy the taste of Niigata along with some local sake.

---