Editor Pick
Sado Island
- July 13, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
VagabondPoet from Toronto, Ontario
Sado Island
I am frequently asked what my favourite places are in Japan. Many come to mind, the hikes outside of Kamakura, Hakodate is an absolute gem. Any first time visitor must stop in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and the Fuji region. But when I decided to do some back-packing of my own in 1999, I wanted to find that one place in Japan still relatively untouched by Western society, remote enough to feel disconnected but intriguing enough to make the trip worthwhile. That place was Sado Island.
Sado Island lies in the Japan Sea about 35 KM off the largest of the Japanese islands, Honshu. What drew me to Sado in the first place was its stunning shoreline but as I started to research the island more I discovered an island rich in history.
In the ancient and middle ages, Sado was used as the place for exiles and “the unwanted”. Some of the well known exiles include a Buddhist priest Nichiren Shonin and the father of Noh theatre, Zeami Motokiyo. A gold mine was discovered on Sado in the 1600’s and many criminals and homeless people were ordered by the government to move to Sado and work in the mines. The teachings of the political and cultural exiles and the tragic stories of miners is very much alive in the culture of Sado today.
I travelled to Sado Island on the Jetfoil boat from Niiagata. I arrived at the Ryotsu port and took a long walk along the waters edge to photograph the decaying shoreline and rocky beaches. It was only a twenty minute bus ride inland to the Green Village youth hostel where I stayed for two nights.
Read more in experiences for information on temples, music and the ogi peninsula on Sado Island.
If you find yourself in Japan for a longer stay, take a trip to Sado Island and experience a Japan far from the grand shrines and geisha gift shops of Kyoto, far from the bright lights and pachinko parlours of Tokyo.
From journal Sado Island - a Taste of old Japan