Joetsu city is located 50 minutes by car from Myoko and Itoigawa and offers many bars, restaurants and shopping opportunites. Moreover, it is not crowded during the winter season which will allow you to relax and enjoy the feel of Japan with local inhabitants. There are many shrines around the Naoetsu and Takada areas, as well as traditional streets and shops. Not to miss is a traditional ryotei (Japanese style restaurant) that has been running strong for over 100 years and which serves many wonderful, high-quality dishes. Many of the bars in Joetsu area serve sake from local breweries as well as from all over the Niigata prefecture. We strongly recommend sampling sake from Niigata as it is said to be the best in Japan.
To warm up and relax there are several onsens (hot springs) and sentos (communal public baths) around the city that offer baths, massage therapy, and steam rooms. For further entertainment needs you can visit the movie theater, a bowling alley, as well as huge arcade game centers. There are also multiple karaoke shops around where you can sing you heart out.
So, how do you plan on enjoying Joetsu?
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