Echigo-Yuzawa Station Gourmet & Souvenir Guide: Three Must-Visit Shops at "CoCoLo Yuzawa Gangidori," a Gourmet & Shopping Spot Inside Echigo-Yuzawa Station

Many people returning from day trips to ski resorts in the Echigo Yuzawa area, such as GALA Yuzawa, Yuzawa Kogen, Ishiuchi Maruyama, and Kandatsu Snow Resort, use Echigo Yuzawa Station. Just outside the ticket gates, you'll find "CoCoLo Yuzawa," a shopping area offering Niigata's unique gourmet food and souvenirs.

Niigata Prefecture is known as a rice-producing region, and is famous for its delicious sake made from rice and rice dishes made from rice itself. Niigata ramen is also popular throughout Japan. In this article, we will introduce three restaurants you should visit at CoCoLo Yuzawa where you can experience Niigata's food culture in a short amount of time, as well as souvenirs you can buy at the station and a hot spring you can enjoy inside the station.

Why Echigo-Yuzawa Station's "CoCoLo Yuzawa" is the gateway to Niigata's gourmet scene

Niigata Prefecture is one of Japan's leading rice-producing regions. In a land where the rice is delicious, the sake brewed from that rice is also delicious, and rice dishes that allow you to savor the rice itself are a source of pride. Furthermore, Niigata Prefecture is known for its local ramen, such as the popular "Nagaoka Ginger Soy Sauce Ramen" and "Tsubame Pork Fat Ramen."

At "CoCoLo Yuzawa" in Echigo-Yuzawa Station, you can enjoy representative Niigata cuisine—sake, rice dishes, and ramen—all in one place during your Shinkansen transfer time. GALA Yuzawa Ski Resort is closest to "GALA Yuzawa Station," which is directly connected to the station, but it's also easy to stop by Echigo-Yuzawa Station, just one stop away on the Joetsu Shinkansen. Echigo-Yuzawa Station is also the closest station (accessible on foot or by shuttle bus) to the Yuzawa Kogen, Ishiuchi Maruyama, and Kandatsu Snow Resort ski resorts.

"Ponshu-kan," a place to compare and contrast different types of sake.

"Ponshu-kan" is a sake tasting venue that brings together sake from all the breweries in Niigata Prefecture. After paying the fee at the reception, you receive a sake cup and a coin. You then insert the coin into one of the rows of automatic tasting machines, and the sake you selected is poured for you. Even those unfamiliar with sake can easily enjoy comparing the different aromas and flavors.

• Opening hours and prices may change depending on the season and facility circumstances. Please check the Ponshukan official website for the latest information.

Enjoy the taste of rice at "Ponshukan Bakudan Onigiri-ya"

"Ponshukan Bakudan Onigiri-ya" is a specialty shop that sells large onigiri (rice balls) made on the spot using Koshihikari rice from Minamiuonuma, cooked in a large iron pot.
The "Bomb Rice Ball" is quite substantial, equivalent to two bowls of rice, but the "Super Bomb Rice Ball" is truly bomb-sized, equivalent to eight bowls of rice.
You can choose from about 15 different toppings, including salted kelp, pickled mustard greens, pickled plums, salmon, grilled cod roe, spicy cod roe, and salmon roe. In addition to takeout, you can also eat on the spot in the lounge attached to the store.

• Menus and prices are subject to change. Please check the official website for the latest information.

Local ramen shop "Niigata Ramen Center"

"Yukemuri Sakemen Shokudo Niigata Ramen Center" is a restaurant where you can enjoy regional ramen from different areas of Niigata Prefecture all in one place. Its unique feature is that you can compare several types of ramen that represent Niigata Prefecture, such as the light soy sauce-based "Niigata Light Soy Sauce," the rich miso-based "Niigata Rich Miso," the pork back fat-based "Pork Back Fat Soy Sauce," the fragrant ginger-flavored "Nagaoka Ginger Soy Sauce," and the curry-flavored "Sanjo Curry." They also offer local set meals using Koshihikari rice from Minamiuonuma and local Niigata sake.

There is a hot spring inside the train station.

Echigo-Yuzawa Station has a hot spring you can visit while waiting for your train. At the "Sake Bath" attached to "Ponshu-kan," you can enjoy a hot spring bath using the same water used to brew sake, making it possible to take a bath while waiting for your Shinkansen. Other public baths within walking distance of the station and hot springs within the ski resort are introduced in the Yuzawa Hot Spring Day Trip Guide.

Three souvenirs you can buy at the train station

At "CoCoLo Yuzawa" in Echigo-Yuzawa Station, you can purchase a wide variety of souvenirs representing Niigata Prefecture all in one place. It's especially convenient for day trips to ski resorts where you want to minimize luggage, as you can choose your souvenirs right before boarding the Shinkansen.

• Sake: Niigata Prefecture has a large number of sake breweries and is known as a major producer of sake. If you find a brand you like at "Ponshukan," you can purchase it and take it home with you.
• Rice crackers such as senbei and arare: As this is a rice-producing region, a wide variety of baked rice crackers (senbei) and fried rice crackers (arare) are sold. They have a long shelf life and are popular as souvenirs that are easy to distribute.
• Sasa Dango: This is a local Niigata confection made with green mochi rice cakes kneaded with mugwort, filled with sweet red bean paste, wrapped in bamboo leaves, and steamed. It is characterized by its simple sweetness infused with the aroma of bamboo leaves, and is a classic Niigata souvenir.

summary

CoCoLo Yuzawa at Echigo-Yuzawa Station is a convenient spot where you can enjoy representative Niigata cuisine—sake, rice dishes, and ramen—all in one place while waiting for your Shinkansen. Compare different types of sake at Ponshukan, savor rice balls made with Koshihikari rice from Minamiuonuma at Ponshukan Bakudan Onigiri-ya, and enjoy local ramen at Niigata Ramen Center. Then, buy souvenirs such as sake, rice crackers, and sasa dango, and relax in the hot springs inside the station. Be sure to stop by after skiing or snowboarding at GALA Yuzawa, Yuzawa Kogen, Ishiuchi Maruyama, or Kandatsu Snow Resort.

• The store and facility information in this article is based on information published on each store's official website and multiple other information sites. Opening hours and prices may change depending on the season or store circumstances, so please be sure to check the latest information on each store's official website.