Echigo Hillside Park
A state-run park in two zones, with an 8-hectare lawn and ten forest climbing structures.
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Echigo Hillside Park
SaveA state-run park in two zones, with an 8-hectare lawn and ten forest climbing structures.
The play meadow looks out at Hakkaisan and the rest of the Echigo Three Mountains.
MoreWhat kind of place
Echigo Hillside Park is run by the national government and split into two areas. The health zone holds the halls and gardens; the satoyama field museum holds countryside buildings such as an old farmhouse.
The big lawn (Midori no Senjojiki) covers about 8 hectares, roughly 20 acres, with a 1-kilometer jogging loop, about half a mile, running around it.
The play meadow (Asobi no Harappa), the ten acres of grass in the play area, doubles as a permanent 36-hole course for park golf, a Japanese game played with a single club on a short, small-scale course.
It was the first course in Niigata certified by the Japan Park Golf Association. From that same grass you look out at the whole line of the Echigo Three Mountains.
Sources and evidence (19)
- The park is divided into two areas, the Health Zone and the Satoyama Field Museum.source
- The Welcome Gate is the park's main entrance.source
- There are four nursing rooms. In the Health Zone: the main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata) and the KIDS Station at the indoor play hall (Dan no Yakata). In the Satoyama Field Museum: the satoyama hall (Koshi no Satoyama Kan) and the meadow house (Sougen no Ie).source
- If you need hot water for formula, ask at the information desk in the main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata) or at the meadow house (Sougen no Ie).source
- Restrooms with a diaper-changing table are everywhere in the Health Zone except the nature trail and the trail junction bus stop, and everywhere in the Satoyama Field Museum except the forest section of the play area.source
- The main gate (Welcome Gate) also lends a tarp, a walking aid (Sunny Walker), a four-point cane, and a pop-up tent, all free.source
- The first-aid room is in the main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata), and AEDs are at the main hall, the observation deck, the Fureai no Koya, the old farmhouse, the satoyama community hall (Echigonian), and the meadow house (Sougen no Ie).source
- The play meadow has a permanent 36-hole park golf course, the first course in Niigata certified by the Japan Park Golf Association.source
- From the play meadow you can see the whole line of the Echigo Three Mountains: Echigo-Komagatake, Nakanodake, and Hakkaisan.source
- The big lawn (Midori no Senjojiki) covers about 8 hectares, roughly 20 acres, with a 1-kilometer jogging loop, about half a mile, around it.source
- Beside the rose garden is a round open-air stage (Rose Stage), 28 meters across, about 90 feet, with seating for about 1,000 people.source
- The main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata) is the central building of the Health Zone, with a rest area, a restaurant, and event space, plus free Wi-Fi.source
- You are free to bring your own lunch and eat it on the grass, on a bench, or in an indoor rest area.source
- Meals are served at the restaurant in the main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata) and at the lakeside rest house (Koshi no Ike Rest House), with dishes such as ramen, curry rice, hamburger steak, and soft-serve ice cream.source
- The restaurant Green Field seats about 100 and includes a tatami-mat area.source
- Coin lockers are on the first floor of the main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata) and in the indoor play hall (Dan no Yakata); they take a 100-yen coin, which comes back when you are done.source
- Free shower rooms are on the first floor of the indoor play hall (Dan no Yakata) and at the meadow house (Sougen no Ie) in the play area, and there is no hot spring or bathhouse.source
- An official notice dated July 30, 2026 said the park restricted use of the grounds on July 30 and 31 after a bear was sighted nearby.source
- An official notice dated August 10, 2026 announced that part of the water play area would be closed on August 17 and 18 and that water pressure at the water play pond had dropped.source
With kidsThe part that matters
If the kids need to run and you need a plan for rain, this park in the hills outside Nagaoka covers both.
The play area has ten climbing structures set in a clearing among the trees, built for children from toddlers up to elementary school age, plus about ten acres of open grass.
You are free to bring your own lunch and eat it on that grass, so the day does not have to stop for a restaurant.
The main gate (Welcome Gate) lends strollers for children under two free of charge, but you cannot reserve one and the numbers are limited, so ask on your way in.
When the rain starts, the little ones keep going in the warm indoor play room (KIDS Station), so a wet forecast does not cost you the visit.
Sources and evidence (9)
- The play area (Asobi no Sato) is made up of the play meadow (Asobi no Harappa), a grass field of about 4 hectares, roughly 10 acres, and ten kinds of forest play structures.source
- The forest play structures are ten climbing structures set in a clearing among the trees, built for children from toddlers up to elementary school age.source
- The KIDS Station in the indoor play hall (Dan no Yakata) is a room stocked with all kinds of indoor play equipment, where small children can play in the warmth on rainy days and through the winter, and it has free Wi-Fi.source
- There are places to get out of the rain inside the park, and the indoor play hall (Dan no Yakata) has indoor play equipment.source
- The musical fountain runs every 30 min from 10:00, the bouncy domes split by size, and the forest parking lot holds six.source
- Two nursing rooms and two changing tables beside the kids' space, hot water available, curtained rather than walled.source
- The mild smoked curry is served at four places; BBQ ingredient sets must be booked three days ahead.source
- Water play runs 9:30-16:45 from 5 July to 7 September, 10-20 cm deep, with shade tents and a changing space.source
- Winter entry is free; the 150 m sledging slope runs 10 Jan to 1 Mar, sledges ¥300 an hour and free on weekdays.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The KIDS Station in Dan-no-Yakata is a hall stocked with all kinds of indoor play equipment, warm enough for a small child to play in on a rainy day or through the winter. The Welcome Gate lends strollers for under-twos free of charge, so you can arrive empty-handed and still roll across the grass.There are four nursing rooms: Hana-to-Midori-no-Yakata and the Dan-no-Yakata KIDS Station in the Health Zone, and Koshi-no-Satoyama-kan and Sogen-no-Ie in the Satoyama Field Museum. Ask for hot water for formula at the Hana-to-Midori-no-Yakata information desk or at Sogen-no-Ie. Men cannot enter the nursing room at Hana-to-Midori-no-Yakata, so on a day when dad is along, aim for the other three. The loaner strollers are for children under two and are kept at two places, the Welcome Gate and Satoyama Koryukan Echigonian; they cannot be reserved and numbers are limited. Restrooms with a baby seat are installed everywhere in the Health Zone except the Shizen Tansho-ro trail and the Tansho-ro Bunki bus stop, and everywhere in the Satoyama Field Museum except the Asobi-no-Sato forest area.
- Ages 2-3Tricycles and bicycles with training wheels may be brought in, so a child can pedal across Asobi-no-Harappa, roughly four hectares of open turf, under their own steam. The ten forest climbing structures are built for ages from toddler to elementary school, and a two- or three-year-old sits at the youngest end that they are designed for.Bicycles, unicycles, inline skates, skateboards and kick scooters cannot be brought in; bicycles with training wheels and tricycles can. The loaner strollers are for under-twos, so past age two either bring your own or borrow one of the free hand carts at the Welcome Gate and let the child ride with the bags. Lost-child stickers are handed out at the Welcome Gate and Hana-to-Midori-no-Yakata, and the information desk there takes lost-child and emergency announcements. Sogen-no-Ie, right beside Asobi-no-Harappa, has a multipurpose restroom, a nursing room, changing rooms and showers.
- Ages 4-6Asobi-no-Sato is made of two things: Asobi-no-Harappa, about four hectares of turf, and ten forest climbing structures set in a clearing among the trees. They are built for ages from toddler to elementary school, so a four- to six-year-old can pick which of the ten to climb. Stand on the grass and the three Echigo mountains - Echigo-Komagatake, Nakanodake and Hakkaisan - line up in front of you.The Asobi-no-Sato forest area, where the climbing structures are, has neither a restroom with a baby seat nor an accessible restroom - it is one of only three spots in the park without one, along with the Shizen Tansho-ro trail and the Tansho-ro Bunki bus stop. Go before you start climbing, at Sogen-no-Ie next door, and nobody has to walk back mid-play. Asobi-no-Harappa also has a permanent 36-hole park golf course; sign-ups and club and ball rental are at Sogen-no-Ie. The park splits into a Health Zone and a Satoyama Field Museum, and the free shuttle bus between them (weekends and holidays, April to November) gives priority to elderly and disabled visitors. Admission is free for junior high age and under, 450 yen for adults, and free for everyone from December through March.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe 8-hectare Midori no Senjojiki lawn and the ten forest play structures are outdoors, but the Kids Station in Dan no Yakata is a hall stocked with indoor play equipment where small children can play in a warm room through rain and winter.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (2)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
The musical fountain runs every 30 min from 10:00, the bouncy domes split by size, and the forest parking lot holds six.
Tokicco staff survey team: we went to Echigo Hillside Park
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Two nursing rooms and two changing tables beside the kids' space, hot water available, curtained rather than walled.
Nursing room and changing table at Dan no Yakata (2F), Echigo Hillside Park
Japanese · opens translatedOfficial
The mild smoked curry is served at four places; BBQ ingredient sets must be booked three days ahead.
Echigo Hillside Park food guide: lunch, snacks and sweets
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Water play runs 9:30-16:45 from 5 July to 7 September, 10-20 cm deep, with shade tents and a changing space.
The water play area at Echigo Hillside Park opens: 5 July to 7 September
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Winter entry is free; the 150 m sledging slope runs 10 Jan to 1 Mar, sledges ¥300 an hour and free on weekdays.
[Nagaoka] A 150 m sledging slope: Echigo Snow World opens on 10 January
Echigo Hillside Park · Links & reads ▾
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Where it is
1950-1 Mitsumata, Miyamoto-higashikata-machi, Nagaoka-shi, Niigatasource2
Before you go
- The nursing room in the main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata) is closed to men, and you can ask for hot water for formula at the information desk in that building.source
- Everything on loan is free, but none of it can be reserved ahead and the numbers are limited.source
- The shop on the first floor of the main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata) takes boxed-lunch orders up to one week before your visit.source
- There is a barbecue area, and you have to reserve a spot in advance, though the reservation itself is free. You can bring your own food or come empty-handed, since ingredients are sold and equipment can be rented.source
- Bicycles, unicycles, inline skates, skateboards, and kick scooters cannot be brought into the park, though bicycles with training wheels and tricycles are allowed. The ones that are not allowed can be used at the Nagaoka Urban Bike Park instead.source
More notes (3)
- There is no campground and no lodging inside the park.source
- Smoking is not allowed in the park outside the designated smoking areas, smoking while walking is prohibited, and cigarettes are not sold.source
- Pets are allowed in if they are on a leash, but they are kept out of some places, including indoor buildings, the park bus, and the Satoyama Field Museum.source
Basics
- Fee：Admission ¥450 adults, ¥210 age 65 and over, free for children through junior high. Free for everyone from December to March. Parking ¥320 for a car, ¥100 for a motorbike, ¥1,050 for a large vehicle, and free on winter weekdays. Holders of a disability certificate and one companion enter free, and their parking lots free.source
- Hours：9:30-17:00 from April to October, 9:30-16:30 from November to March; open until 21:00 on summer illumination days. Closing days are irregular from April to December (see the official calendar), plus 26 Dec-1 Jan and Mondays from January to March (the next day if the Monday is a holiday).source
- Time to allow：5 h
- Booking：You can just turn up. Booking is needed only for the BBQ area (free, in advance) and for boxed lunches from the shop in Hana to Midori no Yakata, taken up to one week before the visit.sourceOfficial booking site ↗
- Bicycles, unicycles, skateboards, inline skates and kick scooters cannot be brought in; bicycles with training wheels and tricycles can. Smoking only in the marked areas. Pets on a lead are allowed outdoors but not in buildings, on the park bus or in the Satoyama Field Museum. There is no campsite or accommodation in the park.source
Basics in detail (19)
Hours and closures
- The park is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April through October, and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from November through March.source
- From April through December the closing days are irregular, so check the park calendar. It also closes December 26 through January 1, and on Mondays from January through March, moving to the next day when that Monday is a holiday.source
- On days when the summer illumination is held, the park stays open until 9:00 p.m.source
Fees
- Admission is 450 yen for adults and 210 yen for seniors 65 and over, and free for children through junior high school age.source
- Admission is free in winter, from December through March.source
- Groups of 20 or more, elementary school age and up, pay 290 yen per adult and 210 yen per senior, with children free, and a two-day pass costs 500 yen for adults and 250 yen for seniors, children free.source
- An annual passport costs 2,800 yen for adults and 1,300 yen for seniors, is good for one year from the day you buy it, and works at government-run parks across Japan, apart from a few such as the free-entry ones.source
- Parking is 320 yen for a car, 100 yen for a motorcycle, and 1,050 yen for a large vehicle, and showing the annual passport lowers it to 260 yen for a car and 50 yen for a motorcycle.source
- Parking is free on weekdays in winter, from December through March.source
- Admission is free for anyone holding a physical disability, rehabilitation, or mental health welfare certificate, plus one companion, and the Mirairo ID app is accepted in place of the paper certificate.source
- Certificate holders also park free (cars and motorcycles), and a vehicle seating 11 or more parks free when a quarter of the passengers show a certificate.source
- During the green season, April through November, the park holds a few free-admission days each year, though parking is still charged.source
Getting there
- Nearly every restroom in the park is accessible, all but the ones on the nature trail, at the trail junction bus stop, and in the forest section of the play area. None of them, though, has an adult-size care bed or a bench.source
- Restrooms with facilities for ostomy users are at the main gate (Welcome Gate), the rose garden, and the Fureai no Koya in the Health Zone, and at the satoyama hall (Koshi no Satoyama Kan), the old farmhouse, the satoyama community hall (Echigonian), and the meadow house (Sougen no Ie) in the Satoyama Field Museum.source
- The main hall (Hana to Midori no Yakata) has a ramp and an elevator between the first and second floors, and the whole building is designed so a wheelchair can move through it freely.source
- In the indoor play hall (Dan no Yakata), the way up to the second floor is a gentle ramp.source
- The park has parking spaces reserved for visitors with disabilities.source
- A free park bus runs on weekends and holidays from April through November to Folly Hill, the observation deck, and the Satoyama Field Museum, with priority for older visitors and those with limited mobility, and room for two wheelchairs.source
Contact
- Echigo Hillside Park is managed by the Echigo Park Management Center, at 1950-1 Mitsumata, Miyamoto-Tohocho, Nagaoka, Niigata, phone 0258-47-8001.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (8)
- Official: Indoor / outdoor, Nursing space, Diaper changing table
- Official: Outside food allowed
- Official: Elevator
- Official: Best-fit ages (guide)
- Official: Stroller friendly
- Official: main site
The park has two halves: a Health Zone and a satoyama field museum. Asobi no Sato is a four-hectare meadow with ten climbing structures set among the trees. Midori no Senjojiki is an eight-hectare lawn with a one-kilometer jogging path. When it rains or snows, the KIDS Station in Dan no Yakata has indoor play equipment. Hana to Midori no Yakata holds a first-aid room, a nursing room and a 100-seat restaurant. Strollers, handcarts, tarps and pop-up tents are lent at the Welcome Gate.
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | A large outdoor park in two zones, with indoor buildings — Hana to Midori no Yakata and Dan no Yakata, which holds an indoor play room. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | echigo-park.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers (for under-2s) are lent free at the Welcome Gate and at Satoyama Koryukan Echigonian, along with wheelchairs, walkers and handcarts. They cannot be reserved and numbers are limited. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | echigo-park.jp |
| Nursing space | Yes (4) | Four rooms: Hana to Midori no Yakata and the Dan no Yakata KIDS Station in the Health Zone, Koshi no Satoyamakan and Sougen no Ie in the Satoyama Field Museum. Hot water for formula is available at the Hana to Midori no Yakata information desk and at Sougen no Ie. Men may not enter the Hana to Midori no Yakata room. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | echigo-park.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Toilets with a baby changing sheet are installed everywhere except the nature trail, the trail-junction bus stop and the woodland part of Asobi no Sato. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | echigo-park.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | Almost the whole park has accessible toilets (not on the nature trail, at the trail-junction bus stop or in the woodland part of Asobi no Sato), though none has a bed or bench. Toilets with a baby keeper chair are similarly widespread. Ostomate-equipped toilets are at seven named places. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | echigo-park.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | Bringing a packed lunch is unrestricted — eat on the lawns, on benches or in the indoor rest areas. There are also two restaurants and a BBQ area (free seat booking in advance). | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | echigo-park.jp |
| Elevator | Yes | Hana to Midori no Yakata has a ramp and an elevator between the first and second floors. Dan no Yakata reaches its second floor by a gentle ramp. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | echigo-park.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | 未就学児から | Guide only. The ten woodland adventure frames are for children from preschool age to elementary school, and the indoor play room at Dan no Yakata is meant for small children. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | echigo-park.jp |
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