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Sado (佐渡市) is a city located on Sado Island (佐渡島 or 佐渡ヶ島, both Sadogashima) in the Chūbu region of Niigata Prefecture, Japan.  It is easily reached by Shinkansen from Tokyo and other major cities.

Sado Island is roughly the size of Okinawa, and the perfect size for a visit of several days. Two mountain ranges flank a large fertile valley, and winding coastal roads with their lighthouses and tiny fishing villages offer excellent touring opportunities. Guided by the Sado Tourism Association’s new maps, walking and cycling are also popular.

Sado has many beaches and its waters are unusually clear. Sado has a broad range of accommodations, ranging from hot spring resorts to traditional country inns. Its many restaurants feature a unique, fresh cuisine, including sake from Sado’s seven breweries. Sado is also home to the endangered Japanese Crested Ibis (the Toki), and to what were once the largest gold and silver mines in Japan.

But despite its physical beauty and many attractions, many visitors consider Sado’s living cultural traditions to be its real crown jewels. Historically a maritime trading crossroads, Sado became infused over the centuries with diverse influences from all corners of Japan. Because of its relative isolation, and its brief status as an island of political exile, these traditions are still thriving, which is unusual in modern Japan.

Sado has more Noh theaters per capita than anywhere in Japan, and torch-lit, open-air performances are held throughout the summer. Special festivals, celebrations and musical events are also held in nearly every village throughout the year.

Every August, Sado is also home to the world-famous Earth Celebration music festival, hosted by the acclaimed Kodo drummers who have made Sado their home for over thirty years. No wonder Sado has a reputation as Japan’s “Island of Performing Arts”!

To get to Sado Island, take a bullet train or coach from Tokyo to Niigata, and ride a ferry from Niigata-port to Ryotsu-port in Sado.

Sado Island recently opened its doors to the world with a new multi-lingual website. Now in both Japanese and English, with more languages to come, the new website offers fresh ways to explore Sado online and to plan trips to this remarkable island in the Sea of Japan. >> VisitSado.com