Sado Island
| The Good | The Not-So Good |
| Truly a getaway from it all | Difficult to get to |
| Historic temples | Hire car recommended |
Main image from Wikipedia.
Sado island is a wing shaped stretch of land off the north cost of Niigata prefecture, famous as a place of exile for political seditionists and at its peak producing 400kg of gold a year from mines discovered in the early 1600s. Today it is known for its natural beauty and numerous temples and shrines.
Getting to Sado island
Getting to Sado island is a fair trek however there are a couple of websites here and here that make the process a bit easier to understand. Below is the basic journey one-way from Tokyo.
Tokyo ➡ Niigata
Shinkansen OR
Highway bus (here or here)
Sado Ferry Terminal ➡ Ryotsu
Car Ferry OR Jetfoil
Around Sado Island
Car Hire OR Local buses
Sado island itself is only accessible by ferry from Niigata City on the mainland, arriving at the town of Ryotsu on the east cost of the island. Both a high speed Jetfoil (70 minutes) and a car ferry (2.5 hours) are available. The car ferry has a variety of ticket classes, including suite rooms with beds. For a 2.5 hour journey this seems slightly over the top and there are plenty of seats on the ferry to use while passing the time. If you do want to lay down then 1st class seating is recommended due to the lounge reclining chairs in that section. If you don’t need to take a car (car hire is available on the island if booked early enough) then the Jetfoil is recommended.
Fares for the ferry
The ferry is actually quite expensive, with a return ride on the jetfoil costing ¥11,520 for adults. The car ferry is a much more reasonable ¥3,370 for a one-way 1st class ticket and you don’t need a car to board. 2nd class is ¥2,290 one-way.
Intermitant ferry during typhoon season
During the typhoon season the ferry between Niigata and Sado Island can be cancelled with little notice. Make sure to check the Service Status on the day and consider cancelling a few days before should a typhoon be forecast (Official Typhoon Monitoring site).
Access to Sado ferry
It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the ferry station from Niigata station. You can of course take a bus directly there from the Bandai exit of Niigata station. The timetable is here, blue is weekdays, pink is weekends and holidays.
Access to Niigata station from Tokyo
Travel to Niigata station from Tokyo is by the Joetsu shinkansen, which takes just over 2 hours at a cost of a little over ¥10,000 one-way. There are highway buses operating from Tokyo that go direct to the ferry terminal. There is a detailed guide to all forms of travel here.
For JR Pass holders you can ride these trains for free. You can reserve online first or just walk up to the ticket office on the day. Select the line as below.
For foreign tourists there is a special Sado-Niigata Pass that covers the bus trip to the ferry, the return ferry journey 2nd class, and 3 days of travel on all buses on Sado island.
Access to Niigata station from other places
The Japan sea coast is particularly poorly serviced by public transport. While the pacific coast boasts the high speed Shinkansen, the Japan sea coast has to make do with local services. You can travel from the northern city of Akita, or from the city of Toyama to the south. Both are tourist destinations and part of tours of Japan recommended on When Japan. There is an express train from Akita City to Niigata City, however the trek from Toyama is more complicated, with 2 or 3 transfers depending on the route. If you are confident enough to aim for Sado Island anyway, then the journey along the Japan coast should not be a problem.
Out and about in Sado island
Car hire is straight forward from Nippon Rent-a-car; type in “Sado” as the location (not “Sado Airport”). Check your eligibility here. There are other rental agencies in the area. Bike hire seems popular however the island is deceptively large. Travelling across the middle “neck” of the island by car will take 25 minutes so it seems unlikely by bike would reasonable.
Sado Island has a lot of bus routes. The map here is comprehensive and contains all the major tourist locations and hotels.
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