2026 JRA Niigata Racecourse Kodomo Hiroba Water Plaza: A Full-Day Course

The JRA Niigata Racecourse Kodomo Hiroba Water Plaza (Pumping Water) in Kita Ward, Niigata City, is a free water-play spot where you play with a mechanism that shoots water up from the ground. The opening period has not been announced; officially only 「Pumping Water operates during the summer season only」 is stated. Check the day's operating status on the JRA Niigata Racecourse official page before you set out. Use of the Water Plaza itself is free, and on race days an admission fee for the racecourse is required. The Kodomo Hiroba has athletic play equipment and a mini shinkansen that elementary school children and younger can ride, and except during certain periods, miniature horses and ponies are also on display. Having water play, rides and animals all in one place is a luxurious combination unique to a racecourse. In the morning, visit Mizu-no-Eki View Fukushimagata, about a 10-minute drive from the racecourse. Learn about the birds and aquatic plants living in the lagoon through the exhibits, and take in the vast waterside scenery from the observation floor. Then, at the Niigata City Kita Ward Folk Museum (新潟市北区郷土博物館), trace the life of Kita Ward as it developed alongside the lagoon. In the afternoon, return to the racecourse and chase the spouting water until evening. It is a day that is quintessentially Kita Ward, letting you savor both the nature of the lagoon and the liveliness of the racecourse.