Located inside Echigo Yuzawa Station in Niigata Prefecture, Ponshukan is the optimum place for tasting local sake rice wine and enjoying specialty products of Niigata. The Sake Tasting Room within Ponshukan has around 100 different types of sake rice wine from breweries all around the prefecture. For just 500 yen, visitors can try five different types of rice wine of their choosing, including staff recommendations and seasonal specials. After tasting some sake, visitors can fill their stomachs with giant bakudan onigiri ("bomb" rice balls) made with Niigata-famous koshihikari rice, as well as malted rice lattes and ice cream.
A particularly unique feature of Ponshukan is its sake-infused spa. Sake rice wine contains natural amino acids, and bathing in it is thought to clean pores and improve circulation. The baths are safe for everyone, so those who don't drink alcohol and children can enjoy the spa as well.
Also, don’t forget to stop by the Ponshukan Marketplace and Ponshukan Sake Cellar during a visit. The marketplace offers merchandise from local manufacturers and producers, including everything from food to sake to sweets. With the large variety of products, the marketplace is popular among not just tourists, but locals as well. The sake cellar, on the other hand, specializes in the sales of sake from breweries in Niigata, carrying over 250 different labels. Not just sake, however, the shop also sells wine, shochu, plum wine, and craft beer, making it the perfect place to buy gifts and souvenirs.