Sado Island_ Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art _ The Japan Times.pdf
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Transcript of Sado Island_ Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art _ The Japan Times.pdf
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7/27/2019 Sado Island_ Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art _ The Japan Times.pdf
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10/25/13 Sado Island: Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art | The Japan Times
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Sado Island: Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art
The people in our town, they died without ever seeing the ocean.
Strange words to hear on an island. They are spoken by an 80-year-old woman we have met
at a bus stop just after arriving at the port of Akadomari on Sado Island. She has the signature
stoop of many elderly rice farmers after decades of constantly bending over, her torso
leaning from her waist at a 90-degree angle even when she stands. But she seems vigorous
for her age and, as she talks, its clear her mind is still sharp.
The town she speaks of is Hamochi, tucked away in the mountains. My ancestors labored in
the fields there for many generations, she explains. We didnt have cars back then and at theend of a hard day, we never had any reason to walk the several kilometers to the sea.
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7/27/2019 Sado Island_ Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art _ The Japan Times.pdf
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10/25/13 Sado Island: Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art | The Japan Times
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It seems unimaginable that someone could live surrounded by the ocean and never set eyes
on it, though Sado is a very big island covering some 855 sq. km. Administratively part of
Niigata Prefecture, off whose northern coast it sits amid the chilly waters of the Sea of Japan,
it is the sixth largest island in Japan, following the main island of Okinawa.
As we board the bus, the woman tells us to keep our eyes out for toki (Crested Ibis), which
apparently perch in the trees around her town. With a white body around 76 cm long, a white
crest, red feet and face, and a long narrow beak, this bird once common in Japan, Korea,
China and parts of Russia was nearly driven to extinction by hunting and pollution of its
habitats. It vanished completely from Japan after the last five in the country, which lived on
Sado, were captured for a failed breeding program that ended in their deaths. However, the
worlds last seven wild specimens found in Chinas Shaanxi province in 1981 have since
multiplied into hundreds due to protection initiatives, and dozens have been given to Japan
and reintroduced to Sado. With strict regulations on pesticides and chemical fertilizers, the
island is now home to a second-generation population.
Though we dont spot a toki, the ride offers a good introduction to Sados coastal scenery.
Lush trees just spill down the mountains to our right, with the ocean stretching out endlessly
on the left, and in every town we pass through the houses are all traditional wooden ones
with clay-tile roofs theres not a Western-style building anywhere.
After saying farewell to the women as she gets off, we arrive at a beach called Sobama where
we spend the rest of the day snorkeling and the night in our tents. Next morning, we catch the
bus for Sados ancient gold and silver mine Kinzan. On the way, I spot a toki perched in a
tree and alert my companions with a shout of excitement, but by the time they look our bushas pulled us out of sight. The glimpse was fleeting, but theres something rewarding about
seeing such a rare creature brought back from the brink.
Soon we arrive at Kinzan, a forested mountain near the west coast. Mining began here in
1601, just before the first Tokugawa Shogun seized the reins of power his dynasty would
retain through the feudal Edo Period (16031867). Throughout that time, Kinzans bounty
financed the regime, with rice and gold coins (many minted on Sado) serving as the two types
of currency. Operations only stopped in 1989, when the mineral veins finally ran out, but
since then two shafts have been converted into a museum.
The first is the Sodayu Tunnel, a relic of the Edo Period. Descending a stairwell through a dark
passage into the belly of the mountain, the temperature drops 10 degrees. Wooden beams
prop up the walls and ceilings to stop cave-ins just as when the mine was in use and women
and children were among the workforce. Through the lantern-lit gloom, we pass many
placards explaining historical facts, as well as displays where humanoid robots reenact the
grueling labor of the pre-industrial era when everything had to be done by hand: hewing
tunnels through solid rock with hammers and chisels; pumping in air to prevent suffocation;
and draining the steady accumulation of spring water on alternating 24-hour shifts. Here and
there, too, are tanuki-ana (racoon-dog holes), frightfully narrow crawl tunnels dug to search
for new veins.
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10/25/13 Sado Island: Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art | The Japan Times
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Although the pay was good, life spans were short and the work was so disliked that
unregistered denizens of distant Edo (present-day Tokyo) were sometimes rounded up and
hauled off there.
The other tunnel, named Doyu dates from the Meiji Era (1868-1912), when mining began
anew under Mitsubishis management using modern technologies. Rails for electric trolleys
that once carried rock and ore run along the floors, with red and green traffic signals in place
here and there. At the end, we climb a hill outside to view the peak of Kinzan, which has been
split right open into a gaping crater. Oh, the power of our species!
Next, we hitchhike to nearby Aikawa, an old town that flourished during the mining era, to
visit Sado Hangamura Art Museum. Housed in a grand building used as a courthouse in the
Meiji Era, this hosts fine displays of hanga (woodblock prints) carved mainly by residents of
the island. These exquisite works depict an array of Sados icons taiko drums, noh theater,
Shinto rituals, toki, Kinzan and barrel-boating giving us a great taste of the local culture in
art form.
And here comes the turning point for our trip. As we swim near our new campsite in the bay
of Sawata, a strange local man engages us in conversation. Looking to be in his 60s, he is in
good shape and has a rich tan. We think him a bit odd at first, but still were delighted when he
strolls into our campsite at 8 oclock the next morning and offers to give us a tour.
It turns out he is a retired clothing designer turned painter by the name of Hiroshi
Kominamidate. Apparently, he has been awake since 4 a.m., painting and drinking beer, so he
will be unable to drive though hell show us some must-see spots if one of us will take the
wheel.
We head north along the west coast, stopping periodically at shops where our guide gets cans
of beer, which he chugs down with relish one after the other while chatting about his younger
days.
Our first stop is at a cave where Hiroshi says that Nichiren, founder of the Nichiren Sect of
Buddhism, performed ascetic practices when he was exiled on Sado, which served for
centuries as a place of banishment for inconvenient political rivals. Inside, water drips from
the ceiling to pool on the stone floor, while deeper in a colony of bats huddle together in a
clump, shrieking faintly. The perfect place to seek enlightenment, Id say.
As we take pictures, a farmer woman working in the adjacent rice field comes over and offers
to show us another cave that our guide was unaware of. In the dim
cavern are shallow ponds where she tells us to wash our eyes as the water has magical
properties that improve vision. We enter and splash the water in our eyes as instructed. My
vision is 20/20, but I thought it couldnt hurt.
Driving further along the coast, we pass many striking rock formations and drink fresh
mountain water at Seisuiji Temple before stopping at a sandy beach facing two massive
offshore outcrops named for what there said to resemble, Futatsugame (which means two
turtles). The water is crystal clear and we spend two hours snorkeling.
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10/25/13 Sado Island: Iconic birds, gold mines, magic caves and art | The Japan Times
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Afterward, we drive high into the mountains to Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama Quasi-National Park
for a brief walk through an ancient pine forest shrouded in milky fog. The forest is fed by the
mist, Hiroshi explains, and proceeds to pick us some raspberries.
Finally, we stop off briefly at our guides house to see his paintings most of them female
nudes. After he kindly lets us pick two each as souvenirs, we waste no time getting back in the
car and speeding to the ferry, which we board with only minutes to spare.
Though we were grateful for the chance to cover as much ground as we did on our three-day
trip, I felt like we hardly scratched the surface. Perhaps it takes a lifetime to really appreciate
such a profound place as Sado Island. Certainly, our fleeting impressions will never compare
with the experiences of those who never needed to see the ocean.
Sado Island can be reached by ferry from Teradomari, by ferry or jetfoil from Naoetsu,
and by ferry, jetfoil or plane from Niigata City, all in Niigata Prefecture. English
sightseeing information is available at www.mijintl.com (http://www.mijintl.com) .
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