Akadomari Tourist Centre

Oiya Ryokan is just 5-minutes on foot from Sado Kisen Akadomari Ferry Terminal. Frank and chatty Okami (the female manager) will give you a warm welcome. With 300-year-old pine trees, a skylight on the ceiling, and amber-colored corridors, traditions are kept alive here and there in this wooden-structured inn built in the Taisho Period (1912-1926). Oiya Ryokan is an inn which puts passion into its meals. Dishes prepared with shrimps and crabs caught in Akadomari are the main reason for its popularity.

Akadomari Folk Museum is housed in the Akadomari Sogo Bunka Kaikan (Cultural Centre). You will be welcomed by a parade float called the "Odori Yatai (literally: dance float)", which imitates a festival. The 1st exhibition room introduces festivals from all over Sado, such as deity mask dance. In the 2nd exhibition room, folk materials collected from the Akadomari area will give you insight into the history of the villagers' struggles. There is a special section featuring Kaitaro Hasegawa, a native of Akadomari who was a very active novelist under three pen names: Fubo Hayashi, Itsuma Maki, and Joji Tani.

A walk up the gentle slope, with Akadomari Port in the background, will lead to Zenchoji Temple on the heights, a temple of the Shingon School. It was reputedly founded circa 827. Once every thirty-three years, the main image of the temple, the Shokanzeonbosatsu (Aryavalokitesvara) statue is revealed, which is a lost-wax casting work of the first generation of Rando Miyata. Zenchoji is known as the temporary residence of Tamekane Kyogoku (a court noble) for six years, and in connection with his long-aspired return to Kyoto in 1303, the hidden statue at the upper temple has been worshipped in the name of Kikyo ("coming-home") Kannon. In addition, Mahori Hogan Yoshitaka, a master painter, donated a painting entitled "Kyogoku Bishamonten (Vessavaṇa)". Zenchoji Temple is one of the temples on Sado's Seven Gods of Fortune pilgrimage route. Bishamonten is a god with wisdom and valor, as well as, a god of treasure and happiness, and has been steadfastly worshipped to this day.

Perched on a hill projecting out into the port, the ruins of the castle built by a castle lord in the late 16th century have been converted into a park for the public. The observation tower serves as an exhibition hall for Akadomari's many folk tales, and bronze sculptures depicting scenes from the stories are on display on each floor. Enjoy a panoramic view in 360 degrees: from the lush mountains behind to Akadomari Port right down the hill, and the Echigo mountain range across the sea.

In Hamochi, "Osaki Soba no Kai" takes place several times a year, where you can enjoy local specialty dishes and hand-kneaded soba (buckwheat noodles), as well as traditional performing arts, attracting many fans throughout Japan. Chobokuri was opened in 2007 by the organising group of Osaki Soba no Kai. Here you can have a simple, but delightful treat of soba noodles made from 100% stone-ground buckwheat all year round. Seeking soba noodles soaked in flying fish based broth, soba lovers visit Chobokuri both from within and beyond Sado. The interior of a quaint Japanese-style house is also a highlight of Chobokuri. The restaurant's name derives from a traditional performing art in the Osaki area, which is performed at Osaki Soba no Kai.

Shun offers daily rotating lunch specials on weekdays, and a "petit" buffet featuring plenty of Sado and Niigata-produced vegetables on weekends and national holidays. This spot serves as a Japanese-style café, too. Visitors can expect a relaxing, leisurely dining experience at dinnertime. Enjoy browsing the handcrafted goods available for purchase, too.

The Enman restaurant specialises in chargrilled skewers, expressing their passion and determination towards handmade dishes. Using the brand-name chicken "Koshi no Tori" sourced from Niigata, the chef threads the chicken onto skewers one by one. Grilled at a high temperature over charcoal, the skewers are flavourful and taste excellent even when cold, making them a popular takeaway meal. Their Chinese ramen noodles are served with housemade chicken bone broth. Enman also serves à la carte dishes and chef's choice menus.