Umaimon-ya (farm shop)

Within the grounds of Sado Japan Coast Guard Station, a Japanese black pine tree with beautifully shaped branches stands nineteen metres tall, and has a girth of six metres. It used to be a navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea, and is mentioned in the folk song, "Ryotsu Jinku". Murasame no Matsu used to be called "Otabisho no Matsu" (a pine tree at the midway resting point of a god during a procession), or "Gobansho no Matsu" (a pine tree at a port observation post). Koyo Ozaki, a novelist who visited Sado in the Meiji times (1868-1912), thought the tree getting splashed by waves resembled the wetness of getting caught in a shower of rain (called "murasame" in Japanese). The tree's name is derived from this episode. Murasame no Matsu is a Niigata Prefecture Natural Monument.

Lake Kamo, with approximately 17km of circumferences, is the largest one in Niigata Prefecture. Originally, the lake was freshwater, but it was cut open to the sea in the Meiji Period (1868-1912) in order to prevent flooding, and became a brackish lake. There is a promenade and a cycle path along the lake, and you can enjoy scenery with atmosphere, which was depicted in the poetry. In addition, oysters have been farmed in Lake Kamo since 1932.

As the signboard bearing "Izuei Bekkan (annex)" suggests, the long-established eel restaurant "Izuei" in Ueno Ikenohata, Tokyo, is the owner of the hotel. The hotel is located in the bustling areas in Ryotsu Ebisu, and offers a perfect setting for sightseeing and business. The hotel houses a restaurant with a view on the sixth floor, where not only hotel guests but also non-hotel guests can dine. You can enjoy the panoramic view over Lake Kamo and Osado mountains, while feasting on dishes including Unaju, rice with grilled eel in a lacquer box.

Hotaru is a Japanese-style pub with a home-like atmosphere. Nibbles such as deep-fried natto (fermented soy beans) and squid balls are well regarded for its deliciousness. Among them, the grilled pork skewers, which are freshly prepared once an order is made, is especially scrumptious. They are grilled with sweet miso (bean paste) sauce, which compliments the pork perfectly. Hotaru is also famous for its flavourful Chinese ramen noodles. The ever-popular "chilled Chinese ramen noodles" has a light taste and is also highly recommended.

Shiratsuyu offers plenty of seafood directly delivered from the source and caught by the master's acquaintance fisherman. You can enjoy seasonal delights such as Iwagaki summer oysters on top of sashimi and grilled fish. The classic menus including meat and potato stew are cooked so that the ingredients absorb flavours, and go well with alcoholic drinks. Okijiru (Alaska pollack soup) and tarajiru (cod soup) prepared by the hostess, the daughter of a fisherman, offers an authentic taste that only she can make. They have a variety of local Japanese sake produced at five sake breweries in Sado on offer.

At Ishihara Sushi (sushi shop), you will be welcomed by the kind master chef and his family. The master chef's parents run a fish shop, and seafood is selected by the fish connoisseur at the nearby Ryotsu Fish Market every day. This means that freshness is guaranteed. Sushi toppings of the day displayed on the blackboard are full of seasonal flavours. Rice used is the koshihikari type grown in Sado. Ishihara Sushi is tucked away within "Yurakugai", an alleyway with eateries and bars in Ryotsu. The restaurant might be hard to find, but it is such a hidden gem that tourists take the time and effort to find and visit.

At Imari, you can feast on local, specialty cuisine made from the ingredients of Sado's mountains and surrounding sea. Imari is an ever-popular restaurant, well-known in Ryotsu, offering a variety of menu items, like its acclaimed lunch-of-the-day, as well as classic dishes usually found at izakayas (Japanese-style pubs). You will be greeted by a hospitable okami hostess, and, in a setting embellished with Imari ware, farming tools and household goods, you feel like you have wandered into an unusual space. Rice balls and bento box lunches, prepared at Imari, are available to buy aboard Sado Kisen ferries.