Izumozaki

Tucked along the Sea of Japan coast in Niigata Prefecture, Izumozaki is a town whose character is shaped by a narrow strip of settlement between the water and coastal hills. During the Edo period, its port was an important mainland landing point for gold and silver brought from Sado Island, giving this small town a place in the Tokugawa shogunate’s transport network. Izumozaki’s historic street preserves rows of tsumairi machiya, townhouses distinguished by gable ends facing the road. It was also the birthplace of Ryōkan, the Edo-period Zen monk and poet whose spare, humane verse remains widely read in Japan. View additional webcams nearby to better understand how Izumozaki’s coast relates to the wider Niigata shoreline.

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