The nature in Sado Island is really extensive from the sea to the mountains. So if you want to fully explore the nature, it is better to travel around by a car. There are bus routes but the services are not frequent.
Sea in Sado
Sado is an island in Japan Sea which brings high tides especially during winter. As a result, the sea waves create unique landscapes of the nature in Sado Island, creating interesting shapes of shores and rocks. Visit Senkaku-wan Bay and you can take a glass boat which as a glass window that you can see the sea water. The nature around the bay is fantastic but you will be also surprised to see how clear the sea water is.
Sado has not only rocky shores but also several beautiful beaches where you can enjoy swimming. They are shoaling beaches and when I visited there, the waves were mild and the water was warm. Sometimes, you can see fish are swimming. I even saw a kind of flying fish jumping and hopping on the sea water. That was my one and only experience in my life!
Beach of Aikawa
Photogenic Nature in Sado
There are many photo-shooting spots in Sado with the stunning nature. Here are two seaside spots where you cannot stop taking photos.
Mushiya no Irie is a quiet basin near Ogi Port. It is a secluded area and although nearby Ogi Port is a touristic place with many tourists, there were few people here. The greenish water was very impressive.
Some people say that Manjojiki is Lake Uyuni in Japan. Perhaps it’s because of the landscape of the reflection of the sea water. But it seems that not so many locals visit here. I went there in the morning so at that time, I didn’t see the water reflection but if you go there in the evening, it has a magnificent scene like this:
Another interesting spot is “Benkei no Hasami Iwa”. This means “Benkei’s rock stuck between rocks”. Benkei was a famous warrior lived in the 12th Century. The legend goes that a monster asked Benkei who was stronger. Then, in order to beat the monster, Benkei lifted a rock and throw it away. Eventually that rock flew and dropped among the two rocks.
Walking in the Green Nature of Cedar Forest and Sunflowers
Another great nature experience in Sado is walking and hiking. “Osado Ishina” offers a deep forest of Japanese cedar. Here, you will find very unique forms of cedars. They put names on those cedars like “family cedars” and “cedars of angel’s dress”. This Cedar forest is a short hiking course.
While hiking in the Cedar forest gives you relaxing feeling, walking among sunflowers gives you energetic atmosphere. Sado has many sunflower fields throughout the island.
Terraced Paddy Field
Many parts of Sado Island is mountainous. As a result, the nature and the farmland create a beautiful landscape of terraced paddy fields. There are several terraced paddy fields in the island. Among them, I visited the one in Iwakubi Shoryu. The terrace faces the ocean and the contrast of blue and green was strikingly beautiful.
