Sado Island

Sado Island (佐渡島, Sadogashima) lies off the coast of Niigata Prefecture, and is one of Japan's largest islands.

Due to its remoteness, the island served as place for political exile. The three most prominent figures sent into exile to Sado were the former Emperor Juntoku, the Buddhist monk Nichiren and the founder of Noh, Zeami Motokiyo. While the island is no longer a place of exile, traces of the culture and religion that these forced residents brought with them remain today.

One of Sado's biggest attractions is the Earth Celebration, an annual music festival hosted by Sado's own, world-renowned Kodo taiko group. The island is also home to the endangered Japanese Ibis (toki), once extinct in the wild but successfully reintroduced to the island.