Japan 6 - Sado Island

Saturday, 16 May 2026

Sado-jima is an island (jima = island) near Niigata in the Sea of Japan. We spent the morning visiting a fishing village and Sado City, and then had a Taiko drumming lesson in the afternoon.

We were greeted by middle-school dancers.

And fish kites.

Japan is a mountainous country. Agriculture, such as this rice paddy, is squeezed in wherever flat-enough ground can be found.

Vegetable garden. Everything is neat, tidy, and clean in Japan.

Winds off the sea can be fierce, and the roofs were held in place with stones.

The stones have a hole drilled into them that fits over a raised nail so that they don't roll off the roof.

Personal Shinto shrine in a wealthy merchant's house.

Tea room in the house.

Garden behind the house. Notice the shoes for walking through the garden - no shoes in the house!

A ride in a "tub boat" in the Sado City harbor.

After lunch, we went to the drum school in the small village of Ogi.

Lon was in the first group of drum "students".

I had my turn next. It was fun to pound on the drum!

Experts at work. It's an athletic performance.

Local students - of many ages - sent us off to drums.