SADO ISLAND -A Hidden, Serene Island in Eastern Japan-

Sado Island—an island of eastern Japan, quietly beautiful. A place untouched by crowds, where one can experience the true beauty of Japan. Fleeing the sweltering August heat of Tokyo, I headed for this island located off the western coast of Niigata Prefecture.

From Tokyo Station, I took the Shinkansen to Niigata. From Niigata Port, Sado Island lies about an hour away by ferry. Over the centuries, influences from western Japan and the Hokuriku region arrived here, and courtly culture, samurai culture, and merchant culture blended together, forming the unique culture of Sado, so it is said.

I received a warm welcome from a friend’s family in Niigata, and from Niigata Port we set off for the island on a high-speed ferry called a Jetfoil. Since I planned to stay on the island for two days, I had booked a rental car and accommodation in advance. As I will describe later, this lodging was truly wonderful: it offered a sauna with a panoramic view of the Sea of Japan. That sauna was the main purpose of this trip.

The Jetfoil ferry was surprisingly luxurious, with facilities such as a cafeteria and an amusement area onboard. Perhaps because so many passengers feed the seagulls from the deck, the birds glide gracefully alongside the ship, riding the wind. Lying on a bench on the deck with my backpack as a pillow, blue sky above me and seagulls and the sound of waves beside me, I drifted into a light sleep—an unforgettable beginning to a perfect journey.

After arriving in Sado, we first stopped at a cafe inside the terminal to plan our itinerary. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that Sado has only two main roads: one that circles the island and another that cuts straight through the center.

On the first day, we planned to drive counterclockwise around the island, cross through the middle to take our friend back to the port, then continue counterclockwise to our accommodation. On the return trip, we would go clockwise back to the port. With this plan, I would complete a full loop of the island.

On the way to our accommodation, we unexpectedly spotted a hidden, secluded beach from the car. We threw off our clothes and jumped in wearing our swimsuits. Experiencing the Sea of Japan for the first time was absolutely exhilarating. There was no one else around—we had the entire beach to ourselves. It was the perfect start to the trip.

For lunch, we went to a long-established sushi restaurant. Sitting at the counter, we left it up to the master chef to serve the house recommendations. I had heard that seafood from the Sea of Japan was exceptional, but I was still amazed by just how good it was. The sushi was served one piece at a time as a course, and in Tokyo it would easily have cost four times as much. The quality was outstanding, and with our stomachs full and spirits high, we happily made our way to a museum.

Do you know the bird called the TOKI, a Japanese crested ibis designated as a Special Natural Monument of Japan? Often considered a symbol of the country, the TOKI is on the brink of extinction, and Sado Island has been carrying out conservation and environmental protection efforts. If you are lucky, you might encounter one in the wild. We watched carefully from the car—almost to the point of causing an accident—but unfortunately, we never saw one. We instead visited the conservation center.

One of the true pleasures of traveling by car is encountering unexpected places. What could this place have been? We came across a magnificent and solemn ruin, and our excitement instantly surged—we pulled over and rushed toward it. This building, not even marked on the map, stood on sheer cliffs overlooking the Sea of Japan and was beginning to be reclaimed by greenery.

It may be hard to tell from the photo above, but just to the right of the window is a sheer cliff that drops straight down to the sea. Perhaps finding beauty in decaying architecture is a way of sensing the fragility of life itself. I wanted to venture further inside, but concerns about the structure’s stability made me decide against it. If you choose to visit, please be extremely careful.

What truly took my breath away was the Kitazawa Flotation Plant Ruins, a designated National Historic Site. Built in 1937 as an ore processing facility for the gold mine, the privately operated plant completed its role in 1952. The concrete structures, shaped by 74 years of time, were strikingly beautiful. I highly recommend seeing the Sado Gold Mine, officially registered as a World Heritage site, with your own eyes. Sado may be a place where one can truly feel the vast length of time itself. Incidentally, the site is often referred to as “Sado’s Laputa.”

This extraordinary and breathtaking journey through Sado offered an experience on the second day that far exceeded all expectations. I’ve written about it in detail in the next journal entry, so I hope you’ll check it out.

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Written by Tama (NOTA)