YOSABEI

Approximately 1,000 works from 16 kilns on the island, including works by living national treasures from Sado, are on display and for sale. Works by Tamasaburo Bando, a Kabuki living national treasure with ties to Sado, are also on display. Sado camellia oil "SADO" is also produced and sold here. There is also a cafeteria space where visitors can enjoy locally produced food using ceramics by various ceramic artists.

An'yoji's Haguro Shrine is said to be a shrine to where the god divided from Haguro Shrine, in Yamagata Prefecture, was invited and re-enshrined in 772. It is surrounded by gigantic cedar trees, and the main hall lies in harmony with the surrounding lush woods. Since olden days, in the small village of An'yoji, Noh has been offered in place of Ondeko (deity mask dance) in the annual, most important festival. The Noh stage (a Niigata Prefectural Tangible Cultural Asset), with its thatched, hipped-roof, is reputed to have been built in the late Edo Period (19th century). It used to stand across the front path from the main building of the shrine, but around 1909, it was relocated to, and enlarged, on the site where it now lies. The Noh stage at Haguro Shrine is the smallest in Sado, among the ones still in existence.

Toki Forest Park has toki-theamed facilities. Toki Materials Exhibition Hall showcases a collection of resources on the themes of preservation, breeding, and reintroduction into the wild. Toki Exchange Plaza is a popular spot where you can see toki up close. You can take a pleasant stroll around the park where you will ffind a monument to commemorate Japan's last wild toki named Kin. Don't miss out on the popular soft ice cream made with Sado-grown green edamame beans.

The shrine's tutelary forest is located in the middle of a vast rice field to the south of Nagae River, and its lion-dog statues standing in the paddy are an impressive scenic feature. Established in the early 9th century, Nagae Atsukushihiko Shrine is one of Sado's nine shrines included in the Engishiki Register. After being moved, the current buildings are said to have been constructed in 1714. This shrine houses the tutelary deity for the Kamo Clan as well as a god of mines that used to be enshrined at Mt. Kinpoku. Within the shrine compound, a Noh stage with a quaint thatched roof stands with its left side facing the main hall. The stage is comprised of a main stage area and a rear stage area, and the passageway connects the stage and the room behind the curtain. Estimated to have been built between 1764–1780, this Noh stage is thought to be a valuable example of few pre-modern structures on Sado, and is designated a City Cultural Property.

The top recommendation at Higuchi Shokudo is their hand-crafted sushi with fresh seasonal toppings. The kitchen also delivers a variety of menus from à la carte and set menus to Chinese ramen noodles and donburi (a bowl of rice with toppings). Their selection of alcoholic beverage includes wine and cocktails, local Japanese sake, shochu (Japanese distilled spirits) and beer. You can enjoy your meal in a relaxing atmosphere in one of the three private dining rooms, which are popular for families and parties. It is situated on Route 350 and is easy to find.

Kisaragi Honten offers menu items filled with love for Sado's bounty. Try the Sado Set prepared with Sado-produced ingredients, or the turban shellfish curry that was once a favorite of island fishermen.

Okesa is a restaurant specializing in Sanuki udon noodles hand-kneaded by the owner/chef, a native of Kagawa Prefecture, which is the birthplace of Sanuki udon noodles. Sanuki udon noodles feature a distinctively firm, chewy texture. The noodles are made from 100% Japan-grown wheat flour, and served in a special broth, which is made from grilled mackerel and bonito flakes, simmered for one hour every morning. Okesa offers set menus with udon noodles and rice dishes, and the menu changes according to the seasons. Okesa also provide three labels of Sado-produced Japanese sake. The menu has a range of tidbits, too, and the hand-kneaded pizza is gaining huge popularity.

Our boxed chirashi sushi is a lacquered box full of sushi rice topped with seafood delicacies from around Sado. In the Edo Period (17th – 19th centuries), Kitamaebune merchant ships carrying specialties connected Japan's East and West, calling at ports around the Sea of Japan including Sado. Our chirashi is prepared by layering sushi rice and seafood marinated in broth-enriched soy sauce. Enjoy seafood such as Sado-produced crab, tuna, sea bream and whitefish of the season, nurtured in the seas surrounding full-of-nature Sado Island and flavored with a special jellied dashi soy sauce. In addition, we offer a variation on chirashi sushi inspired by the ships that carried goodies from the East and West: Kitamae Meat Chirashi.