Ichishima Residence belonged to one of Niigata's major landowning families. The house, storehouses, and garden show a rural elite world that sits somewhere between farmhouse, museum, and country villa.
It is farther from central Shibata than the castle and Shimizuen, but the scale makes it worth the detour if you have a full day. The buildings are restrained rather than flashy, and the garden changes nicely with the seasons.