Uonuma — Koshihikari Rice Country
The Uonuma Valley produces Japan's most prized rice — Uonuma Koshihikari commands three times the price of regular rice and is served at top Tokyo restaurants. The secret is snowmelt water from the Echigo Mountains, extreme temperature variation between day and night, and over 100 years of careful cultivation. In winter the valley receives 3 metres of snow.
Half day
Free
Rice fields: always viewable; harvest events: Sep–Oct; local restaurants: 11:00–21:00
Late September (harvest), January–February (snow depth maximum)
Urasa Station on Joetsu Shinkansen (80 min from Tokyo)
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Uonuma Koshihikari — Japan's most expensive rice, served at Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo
- 2
The "snow country" setting — Kawabata Yasunari set his Nobel Prize-winning novel here
- 3
Rice harvest season (late September) turns the entire valley golden against snow-capped mountains
Local Tips
Uonuma's Koshihikari is considered Japan's finest rice — the combination of cold snowmelt water, hot summers, and temperature differential creates the ideal growing conditions. The new rice (shinmai) season October–November is when the flavour peaks — eat it with simple toppings to appreciate it. The Shiozawa Tsumugi silk weaving workshops provide a complementary cultural activity.
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