In fact, Sado Island has one-third of all Noh stages in Japan. Noh play is part of the lives of the islanders, so if you want to see a Noh play for the first time, Sado Island is the place to be…. Japanese unique entertainment “Noh play” which is also registered as a World Heritage is very popular in Sado Island of Niigata Prefecture. Noh play of Sado Island has been penetrated the islanders’ lives as an entertainment to be performed at village festival and celebrations, so there used to be more than 200 of Noh stages in Sado Island from Edo period to Meiji era. Even now there are […]

You can see critically endangered crested ibis on Sado island! With just 2cm of distance so you’ll be certainly excited! This time, I’m going to explain about crested ibis (Toki) who is critically endangered. Crested ibis (Toki) was present in all over east Asia from Japan, Russia, China and Korea until early 19th century. However, from the late 19th century to 20th century, many of them were hunted and most of their habitat were destroyed due to environmental degradation and they became critically endangered in the late 20th century. In Japan, in 1981, artificial breeding was attempted by capturing last 5 wild crested ibis on Sado Island, Niigata prefecture but […]

  Ruzai is a punishment (exile) in which a criminal is banished from the capital to a remote place or island, especially when the exile is to an island called “Shima-Nagashi.” Ruzai is the second most serious punishment after capital punishment. Under the ancient Japanese Ritsuryo system, penalties were divided into three ranks according to distance from the capital: Konru (near), Churu (middle), and Onru (far), with the more serious the crime, the farther the exile. Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture was designated as an “Onru” place in the Nara period (in 724). (In addition to Sado, there were six other places of Onru: Izu, Oki, Awa, Tosa, and Hitachi.) […]

The Senkaku Bay on Sado Island was the holy place of the movie “Your Name”!? I went to Senkaku Bay because I’ve seen a wonderful view that is similar to the Scandinavian fjords on a travel magazines. There is “Senkaku Bay” on the southernmost part of Sotokaifu Coast, located northwest of Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture. Senkaku Bay is a fjord and is general term for 5 small bays, and the total length is about 3 kilometers. In ancient times, when the highest peak of Sado Island, Mt Kinpoku-san, erupted, lava flowed into the coastal terrace, and it was eroded by the winter winds and the rough waves of the Sea […]

The look of “Shukunegi” village in Sado Island which a famous actress, Sayuri Yoshinaga was also taken back in the time. With a taste of slipping through time, I took walks on this amazing village. At Shukunegi located in the southern tip of Sado Island, Niigata prefecture, is a small village developed as a port of Kitamae-Bune from the middle of Edo era to Meiji era. At that time, ship-owners, shipwrights and other people who engaged in shipping and shipbuilding industries were lived there. Even today, this village remarkably retains the atmosphere and the buildings of those years. Building using vertical wooden plates are created by materials of the bulk […]

“Onogame” and “Futatsugame” in Sado Island have a superb view and a swimming beach which were guaranteed by Mr. Michelan! From the end of May to the beginning of June will be the best time to view Tobishima Kanzo daylily, but in winter it is so desolated. We would like to introduce “Onogame,” one of the greatest view in Sotokaifu coast which is located at the north end of Sado Island, Niigata prefecture. Onogame is a massive rock where 167-meter height monolith is poking into the sea and it is mentioned in “The Michelin Green Guide Japan” as a two-star. It is a representative sightseeing spot of Sado Island which […]

Noroma Ningyo, the puppets of simpleton, is a humorous puppet performed in Sado dialect. The stock scene is the leading character always get naked and pissed at there. It is funny no matter how many times you watch it. In Sado Island of Niigata prefecture, puppet-shows were actively performed since the middle of Edo period (18th century). It was also the time when Sado Island was flourished for Sado Gold Mine. There are three puppet-shows called “Sekkyo Ningyo”, “Noroma Ningyo” and “Bunya Ningyo ” and also they are all designated as important intangible folk-cultural properties. Among them, Noroma Ningyo is a light and funny comedy play using Sado’s old dialect, […]

Traditional performing art of Sado, “Tsuburosashi” is popular amongst many people regardless of age and gender. It is exactly a rare festival of Japan! Its dance is too dirty and you may feel you do not know where to look, but its rhythmic move absorbs your attention. I will introduce traditional performing art “Tsuburosashi” which has been handed down to Hamochi district where is the southern part of Sado Island, Niigata prefecture. This is also designated as an intangible cultural asset of Niigata prefecture. “Tsuburosashi” is one of Kagura, the sacred Shinto music and dance, that dedicates to the shrine praying for huge harvest and prosperity of descendants. There are […]

The friendly “Kobudai”, the Asian sheepshead wrasse that appeared in the film “Oceans” lives in Sado Island. When I saw them in the film, I suddenly want to dive in the sea of Sado Island. The sea of Sado Island is beautiful and its offshore is rich in many kinds of fishes because the warm current, Tsushima Current and the cold current, Liman Current run together at there. It is very popular as a diving spot because sometimes you can see fishes from the north and south together. The must-see fish will be the Asian sheepshead wrasse inhabits the sea of Sado Island. Currently among the Asian sheepshead wrasse which […]

It happens with sightseeing in Sado Island – It takes 100 minutes from Niigata to Sado Island by high-speed boat, but if you are good at rowing a Tarai Bune boat, you will want to get carried away and row home – Tarai Bune (Tarai boat) is the icon of Sado Island in Niigata prefecture. It’s a famous round shape boat so popular that there are people who visit Sado Island from nationwide just to take Tarai Bune. In this page, I’ll explain about famous & popular Tarai Bune. Tarai Bune was originally used to fish Turbo cornutu, abalone, octopus and seaweed only in Ogi beach of Sado Island and […]