The Niigata Prefectural Museum is intended as a place for visitors to learn comprehensively about the anthropology, archaeology, folklore and history of Niigata prefecture. In addition, the museum is also dedicated to the archaeology of the Jomon Period in Japan, and its study in Japanese and global context. In the permanent exhibits there are rooms that introduce the history and culture of Niigata Prefecture (“Course of Niigata’s History,” “Life in Snow Country,” and “Making Rice”) as well as those that introduce Jomon culture from a national and global perspective (“World of the Jomon” and “Exploring Jomon Culture”). This is a uniquely interesting museum that includes life-size recreations of some historical environments.There are also free audio guides available for the permanent exhibits in Japanese, English, Chinese, Russian and Korean.