Sado, Island municipality in Niigata Prefecture, Japan
Sado is a city municipality on an island in Niigata Prefecture that occupies most of an island in the Sea of Japan off the west coast of Honshu. The administrative unit includes several smaller coastal settlements and mountain villages connected by roads running along the coast and across the forested mountains inland.
The island served from the 8th century as an exile destination for courtiers and intellectuals who had fallen from favor. After 1601, the gold boom transformed the territory into a mining region with thousands of workers settling in the coastal towns and mountain camps.
The name means Sado Island and marks an area still known for its taiko drumming arts, especially through the internationally performing group Kodo. Visitors can attend outdoor stages during summer where these powerful drums resonate in wooden halls and open spaces.
Ferries connect the territory to the mainland and arrive at several ports along the coast where car rental stations are available. The roads along the coastline are easy to drive in good weather, while the mountain roads inland often close during winter.
In several bays along the coast you can still see old wooden boats once used for diving for pearls and seafood. This diving tradition with women working without breathing equipment is now practiced in only a few locations.
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