Saito Villa — Attraction in Niigata

This place was SO beautiful and absolutely worth the 300 yen entrance fee. If you’re visiting here and the Northern Culture Museum in the same day, you can get a discount ticket. I also included a picture of the map with the free parking area they have just outside of the gate. When I visited on a weekday morning just after opening, I basically had the place all to myself. Keep in mind that during rainy weather, you can’t go out in the garden. It was still a lovely place to take some nice pictures and enjoy the peace and quiet of the rain falling (and koi loudly slurping on the rocks in the pond). I would love to visit again...

My wife and I visited the Saito Villa during our few days stay in Niigata. We came here since we were visiting Furumachidori and it was nearby. We absolutely loved our experience!

There are English-speaking tour guides available and we had the most amazing volunteer staff member spend a long time with us! We learned all about the property, received explanations on various motifs in each room, and even got a tour of the garden and learned about the symbolism behind various elements of the garden.

I would absolutely recommend if you're in Niigata and are interested in learning...

This villa was exquisite, both the traditional Japanese house and the spacious serene pond, waterfalls, rock trails, and statuary. The price for admission is negligible. There are two floors of the house to view. You are able to walk and look at your own pace. Several areas are roped off, but you are able to look into the rooms. The signage is in Japanese, but there is a brochure which is in English. You are required to wear a mask. Also, you must take off your shoes and stow them at the entrance to the villa while you tour inside. I highly recommend this...