Late Winter
The swelling ocean. The boom of the waves crashing against the rocks. Here is the "Japan Sea" as everyone imagines it. Sometimes flowers of foam known as "wave flowers" appear as the waves strike the rocks and float like petals in the wind./p>
However, the Japan Sea in winter is more than just wild. It also brings us good things to eat, fat winter buri (Japanese amberjack) and cod, among others. These can be enjoyed raw as sashimi, cooked in a nabe (pot in the middle of the table) or in other ways unique to Sado cuisine. This is also the season when oysters caught in Mano harbor and Lake Kamo are at their best. Boiled or grilled, they have a unique flavor.
Wave flowers
When the waves crash against the rocks, "wave flowers" like white bubbles sometimes appear from the bare rock and float in the gale, a scene typical of the sea when it is bitterly cold. This phenomenon is to be observed when the temperature of the plankton-filled sea water plummets and the waves crash against the rocks. It is often seen in Sado's Sotokaifu area and in Mano harbor. There is something magical about these flower bubbles floating softly against the grey seascape.
Snow scene
Sado is generally warmer than the mainland and does not have as much snow. However, there is snow in the north. In winter the trees on the mountains and the fields on the plain are covered, and the world turns sparkling silver.
Winter buri (Japanese amberjack)
The taste of winter in Sado is best represented by plump buri. Winter buri caught by fixed nets in the icy water of Ryotsu harbor are a particular delicacy. The harbor hums with activity at this time of year when big catches of these big buri are landed. There is an annual "Winter Buri Big Fish Festival" which delights those gourmets who have been waiting for this winter taste.