Sado Island Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
Japanese island
About Sado Island
Long a remote place of exile for political dissidents, including a deposed monarch,Emperor Juntoku, and the Buddhist monkNichiren, Sado experienced a boom during the Edo era when gold was found at Aikawa. A major source of revenue for the Tokugawa shogunate that at one time accounted for as much as a fifth of the world's gold production, the mines were worked in horrific conditions by what amounted to slave labor, consisting largely of homeless people rounded up from the mainland. In 1897, the mines were sold to Mitsubishi, who kept up production and during World War 2 forcibly imported around 2,000 Koreans to work shifts of up to 16 hours per day. Only in 1989 did the mines finally close their doors. Despite this grim history, today's Sado is a pleasant summer getaway of rocky coasts,
Top Attractions in Sado Island
Explore the best things to see and do in Sado Island:
- ★Sado Gold Mine
- ★Sado History and Traditional Museum
- ★Sado Toki Preservation Center
Where to Eat in Sado Island
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Benkei
- 🍴Kassai
- 🍴Nakabori-tei
- 🍴Oasis
- 🍴Tatsumi
Where to Stay in Sado Island
- 🏨Green Village Youth Hostel
- 🏨Hotel Azuma
- 🏨Hotel Oosado
- 🏨Sado Seaside Hotel
- 🏨Sotokaifu Youth Hostel
- 🏨Yahatakan Ryokan
Sado Island Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 10 sections including: