The New Beginning in Niigata was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on February 14, 2016, in Nagaoka, Niigata, at the Aore Nagaoka. The event featured nine matches, four of which were contested for championships. In the main event, Hiroshi Tanahashi took on Kenny Omega to determine the new IWGP Intercontinental Champion, following previous champion Shinsuke Nakamura's departure from NJPW. The New Beginning in Niigata was the tenth event under the New Beginning name and the first to take place in Niigata.

The New Beginning in Niigata featured nine professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

The first matches for The New Beginning in Niigata were announced on January 12, 2016. The event would be main evented by a match for the vacant IWGP Intercontinental Championship. On January 4, 2016, at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome, Shinsuke Nakamura successfully defended the title against Bullet Club member A.J. Styles. However, only hours later it was reported that Nakamura, along with Styles, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, had given his notice to NJPW and would be leaving the promotion to join the WWE. The following day, Nakamura was pinned in a tag team match by another Bullet Club member, Kenny Omega. Afterwards, the rest of Bullet Club turned on Styles with Omega taking over the leadership of the stable, while also stating that he was moving from the junior heavyweight division to the heavyweight division and challenging Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. On January 6, Nakamura confirmed he was leaving NJPW at the end of January, which led to NJPW announcing they were stripping him of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and that at The New Beginning in Niigata Omega would face a mystery opponent to determine the new champion. On January 30, Omega confronted Nakamura following his final NJPW match, claiming that he was afraid to face him, which led to Hiroshi Tanahashi appearing and announcing that he was going to be Omega's opponent at The New Beginning in Niigata. NJPW formally announced the match between Omega and Tanahashi two days later. In the week leading up to the announcement, it was reported that Tanahashi had dislocated his shoulder on January 24, but would continue to work through the injury. The legitimate injury led to an angle at The New Beginning in Osaka on February 11, where Omega led a Bullet Club assault on Tanahashi's shoulder.

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