Sado Island, Japan

Sado is a city located on Sado Island in the Chubu region of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The island features rocky coasts, green hills and quaint fishing ports. The northern half of the island is covered with the O-Sado mountain range and the southern with the Ko-sado range.

Attractions on Sado island include the Sado Gold mine, the scenic coastline, Sotokaifu Coast and Senkaku Bay and Ono-game rock. There are a number of temples connected with the Nichiren faith on the island, including Konponji (根本寺), built on the location of his exile, Myōsenji (妙宣寺) and Myōshōji (妙照寺).

Things to See & Do

* Sado gld mine
* Coastline
* Ono-game rock
* O-Sado skyline road
* Sado History and Traditional Museum

General information

Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – Yen (JPY)
Language – Japanese
Population – 68,000 approx
Land Area – 855.26 km2
Electricity – 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT plus hours nine hours
International Country Telephone Code – 81

Port Location – There are ports located at Ryotsu, Ogi and Akadomari on Sado Island.

Travel Links – Travellers from Hokkaido, Nagoya or Kansai region can fly to Niigata, but must take a boat to the island. There are three main ferries linking the island to the mainland.

There are no trains on Sado. Instead, the island is covered by a dense network of bus lines. Unfortunately, service along most of the bus lines is infrequent and slow.