2026 Tsubame City Bunsui Pool: A Full Day of Fun

This one-day course centers on Tsubame City Bunsui Pool in Niigata Prefecture, typically open from late July to late August. This outdoor pool sits next to Bunsui Junior High School and features an 8-lane 50m pool along with a toddler pool and a supplementary pool. Best of all, admission is free. Opening hours run on a two-shift system: Tuesday through Friday from 13:00 to 17:00 and 18:00 to 20:30, and weekends, holidays, and August 13-15 from 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:30. In the morning, visit the Shinano River Okouzu Museum, a facility where you can learn about the history and mechanics of the Okouzu Diversion Channel, dug to protect the Echigo Plain from flooding, the rooftop offers a sweeping view of the diversion channel and movable weir. Next, visit Kokujoji Temple and Gogo-an, both associated with the poet-monk Ryokan. The cedar-lined approach and the simplicity of the small hermitage where Ryokan spent twenty years leave a lasting impression. Flood control, Ryokan, and a pool, a day that takes in the full character of this diversion-channel land.