Sado Island (佐渡ヶ島 Sadogashima) is an island off the coast of Niigata in the Chubu region of Japan. The island formed the independent Sado Province until the last 19th century, but is now a part of Niigata Prefecture.

History

Long a remote place of exile for politically difficult people, including ex-Emperor Juntoku and the militant monk Nichiren, Sado experienced a boom during the Edo era when gold was found at Aikawa. A major source of revenue for the Tokugawa shogunate, the mines were worked in horrific conditions by what amounted to slave labor, consisting of homeless people rounded up from the mainland.

Present

Today's Sado is a pleasant summer getaway of green, rolling hills and quaint fishing ports, with a permanent population of just 70,000. Shaped like an anvil, the largest town Ryōtsu (両津) is nestled in the eastern gap. Ogi (小木) is on the southern coast, while the former gold-mining town of Aikawa (相川) lies to the north. Officially, the entirety of Sado Island now forms the city of Sado, Niigata.

External links

• Sado City (in Japanese)
• Wikitravel: Sado Island