Joetsu Map Guide
A Guide to Joetsu. Using Maps. Obviously.

Most of this was put together by David Welsh, who apologises profusely for any mistakes contained herein.

Yoshikawa

Joetsu CityMakiItakura

Naoetsu Bypass
直江津バイパスa.k.a. Route 8

The main thoroughfares
There are three main routes in Joetsu, and they all run
north-south, more or less parallel to each other.
The western one is the Sanroku-sen ( 山麓線 ), which iscalled Route 63 for most of its way through central Joetsu.

Sanroku-sen
山麓線
a.k.a. Route 63

Dividing the west and central routes is the railway track,
which runs parallel to them both.
The central one is Joetsu Odori ( 上越大通り ), called
Route 579 for much of its way.
Dividing the central and eastern routes is the Seki river, orSekikawa.
The eastern one is the Joetsu Bypass, or Route 18.

If you follow any of these north, they will hit the Naoetsu
Bypass, or Route 8, which runs east-west all the way along
the coast of Niigata and beyond.

Joetsu Odori
上越大通り
a.k.a. Route 579

If you follow them south, the Sanroku-sen will end abruptly
at the south end of Takada. Odori and Route 18 will
eventually join up in Arai, and then both continue all theway down to Nagano.

Joetsu Bypass
上越バイパスa.k.a. Route 18

West Naoetsu● Joetsu's main railway station● A beach● An aquarium● Ito Yokado, a fair-sized
shopping center

East Naoetsu● Ferry terminal● Lots of industrial/port stuff

Central Joetsu
Route 8● A bowling alley● A whole bunch of shops● A whole bunch of eateries● A whole bunch of traffic

Takada● Takada Park
● Joetsu's other main railwaystation● Nakamachi, where night life
happens● Shimin Plaza● Tsutaya DVD rental store● Many supermarkets and othershops● Many quality eateries● Also, KFC and McDonalds● Kyoiku Plaza● Jusco, the largest shopping
center in Joetsu● Yamaya, the foreign
food/drink store● Musashi, theDIY/home/kitchen/craftstore● Many clothes stores● Tsutaya DVD rental store● Eateries aplenty

Cowboy / Joetsu Wing
● J-Max movie theater● Several furniture stores● Tsutaya DVD rental store● A swanky but expensiveonsen

Ferry terminalFerries to Sado Island, among other places.
Ferry times and other information can befound at:http://www.sadokisen.co.jp/jikoku/

Other stuff
Naoetsu is a port city, so if you are intothat sort of thing it can be fun to walk or
cycle around. There is also a small
observation tower on the top of the Ferry
Terminal building, where the view is quite
beautiful.

Funami Koen
A simple beach park with barbeque facilities.
Also beach football and volleyball at theweekends during spring-summer.

AquariumA pretty nice aquarium
for such a small city.

Ito Yokado
An OK shopping center with somerestaurants scattered around it.

Naoetsu station
Trains to all the major cities

Musashi
A home store – everything youneed for your home, including
furniture, tools,
bathroom/kitchen stuff, art
stuff, plants/flowers, bicycles,
pets....

Kyoiku Plaza
Where ALTs gather for meetings

YamayaForeign food & drink

Cannery Row
A common eatingplace for ALTs.

Region Plaza
A sports/leisure center with an
ice rink and swimming pool,
among many other things.

TsutayaLarge DVD/CD/manga rental store.

Toda BooksBookstore with a modest selectionof English-language books.

Jusco / Acore
Electronics stores
Kojima, Joshin & Yamada Denki

Largest shopping
center in Joetsu.

Restaurants

Video One

Joestu Leisure LandAll the way along theJoetsu portion of Route 8,
there are dozens ofrestaurants, especially at
the two big intersections.

DVD rental store,
often much cheaper
than Tsutaya

Has a bowling alley, table
tennis, billiards, air hockey,
and things of that sort. Next
door is a delicious yakiniku
restaurant.

Super Sports
Xebio
Sports supplies, fromtennis racquets to skiwear.

UniqloAffordable goodquality clothing
store.

J-MaxAn 8-screen multiplex movie
theatre. Usually foreign movies
come out in two versions
simultaneously: the original
version with Japanese subtitles,and a dubbed Japanese version.
PricesRegularJoetsu Interchange
One of two entrances in Joetsu tothe expressway, which if navigatedcorrectly can take you to every
major city on the island. It isextremely fast, and rarely crowded,
but is not free.

(as of 2010/7/26)

Late show

¥1800
¥1300

(movies that start after 20:30)

Ladies' Day

Hirasei Home Center
All manner of things for the home

¥1000

(special price, for men only, everyTuesday)

First Day

DVD/CD/manga rental store¥1000(special price, for women only,every Wednesday)

Men's DayTsutaya¥1000(price for everyone on the first dayof every month)

NunoyaBedding, curtains, sheets and thelike. Often extremely good value.

Joetsu Wing / Cowboy
A smorgasbord of various retailopportunities.

Mizusawa / Komeri
Furniture and interior decorating
stores, often with quite good deals.

The Daisou
A huge hundred-yen store

There is a luxurious and expensive
sento (a man-made onsen), a
couple of restaurants, and amassive shoe store (by which I
mean a massive store of shoes, nota store selling massive shoes,
which is a pity, as mine are 31cm)

Birds Inn Cafe

Shimin Plaza

Steak house. Common
eatingplace for ALTs.

A place where various events (and theoccasional ALT meeting) are held.
Has a giant picture of the earth and aslanted solar panel on its centraltower.

Takada Station
Trains to almost everywhere.

It's just off the top of this map, buteasy to spot if you follow the roadnorth.

Takada Park
Nakamachi

Post OfficeHome to Joetsu's night life.
Lots of small restaurants
and a couple of clubs. Andof course, karaoke.

The main one in Joetsu,
open 24/7 for mail-related
things (not money transfers andthe like; those are only available
during regular business hours).

A beautiful park, home tovarious festivals throughout
the year, and with theremnants of Takada Castle atits center.