Sado Island (Sado-ga-shima) is a bit off the map in Japan — just the way I like it. Situated about 40 km off the western coast of Japan, Sado is an island where for centuries people — including an ex-emperor — were sent into exile. These days it’s known for its scenery, for views of an older and slower style of Japanese life, and for the famous Kodo drummers.
My mother and I took the train from Nagano to Naoestu on the coast, then a ferry into the small port of Ogi on the southern tip of the island. We stayed for three nights in three different minshuku (Japanese inns), ate loads of fresh seafood for both dinner and breakfast, and drove almost 400km in our rented car while circumnavigating and crossing the island.
The weather was rainy the first day, but cleared into perfect, warm, sunny days after that. Tourists were almost non-existent (too early in the season), so the roads, beaches, mountains and trails seemed relatively deserted. I did my first swim in the Sea of Japan off an empty beach that stretched for several kilometers.
A visit to Sado is highly recommended for those of you here in Japan, and this is the perfect time of year to go.
of course, notice the huge concrete blocks marring the scenery. have the japanese completely lost their minds?
sigh
Vince — Even when Sado gets busier, I’m guessing it’s still less crowded than other summer vacation spots in Japan.
Dan — It was near impossible to take a photo without including the concrete blocks. For those who don’t know what a concrete mess most of Japan’s coastline has become, just imagine ten times as much concrete as you could see in the photos I posted.
Thanks for the pics!
The first time I went to Sado I also caught the boat from Naoetsu rather than Niigata City. I spent most of the crossing leaning against the rail, gazing at the sea. About halfway across I noticed something bobbing in the water, something bright red. It was a 14-inch television set floating along in the Sea of Japan.
On another trip I had some time to kill in Niigata City waiting for the train to Tokyo. I found a tiny restaurant near the station whose sign simply said “Local Food” and in which I ate the best piece of fish I’ve ever had in my life. The chef said it was “akamutsu” (the only people in Tokyo who seem to know this fish come from Niigata — I’ve never positively identified it in English, but it looked like the kisu used in tempura).
It was lightly grilled — nothing was added — and the taste was delicately and deliciously buttery.
By the way, there’s a weird temple in a cave somewhere around the middle of the island (can’t remember exactly where) that’s filled with what seems like hundreds of kewpie dolls, many of them quite old. It’s at the end of a track through forest, quite eerie when you get there. Not exactly the place to throw out a picnic blanket and open the hamper!
Jeremy — Did you notice if that television set floating in the Sea of Japan was made by Samsung or Sony?
If you remember any more information about the location of that cave temple, send it my way. I might try to get back to Sado again next month and would love to see it.
hey yeah im from sado island. but im in singapore now
Wow, great pictures…great text…great weblog: I’m going to have to plan my trip to Sadogashima. Do you have any sense of how crowded it is after the main tourist season?