Easy access from Kansai area, Kanazawa, Toyama, Nagano, and Karuizawa.
How to get to Sado by the Naoetsu - Ogi route and how to enjoy the Ogi area and Minami Sado area.
Sado Island is located in the western part of Niigata Prefecture and is the second largest remote island in Japan following Okinawa. Its area is about half the size of Tokyo (excluding Tokyo's outlying islands). The vast area of Sado Island is often referred to as "the epitome of Japan," and the island offers beautiful seasonal scenery. The endlessly clear waters, historical sites such as the Sado Gold and Silver Mine, exquisite seafood and fruits, and a wide variety of other attractions will impress travelers.
In addition, the Ogi and Minami-Sado areas introduced on this page have many attractions, with streets from the Edo period still in existence.
The beautiful, clear waters and resort-like atmosphere are also popular points of interest.
Currently, the only way to reach Sado Island is by sea.
Cruising to Sado Island is exciting and comfortable, with a view of the sparkling Sea of Japan and the cute seagulls.
How to get to Sado Island (Naoetsu-Ogi Route)
There are two ship routes to Sado Island: (1) the Niigata - Ryotsu route and (2) the Naoetsu - Ogi route.
*For the Niigata-Ryotsu route, please click here.
Naoetsu Port is located in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture. The nearest stations to Naoetsu Port are Joetsu Myoko Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line and Naoetsu Station on the Shinetsu Main Line. Access to Joetsu Myoko Station is shown on this page.
The Naoetsu - Ogi route offers two services a day for a relaxing 2-hour and 40-minute car ferry trip.
The Kogane Maru car ferry operates on the Naoetsu-Ogi route from March 29 to November 17.
(The service is suspended from November 18 to March 28, so please use the Niigata-Ryotsu route.)
The former Ehime, which crossed the Toyo Strait from Yawatahama Port to Beppu Port, has been refurbished and will newly enter service on the Koshisa Strait between Naoetsu Port and Ogi Port in 2023. This mid-sized ferry has a stately appearance.
Cabins are available in the following categories: Special Room, where you can relax in a private, hotel-like room; first-class with-dog rooms, where you can board with your pet; first-class cabins (carpeted floor) equipped with mattress, pillows, and blankets. and second-class cabins (carpeted floor)
For more information about the ship and cabins, please check the official Sado Kisen website
Click here for the English page
Naoetsu-Ogi route with good access from Hokuriku and Kansai areas
Naoetsu Port is located in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture. Joetsu is home to the Joetsu Myoko Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line, making it easily accessible from the Nagano and Karuizawa areas, Fukui, Ishikawa, Toyama, and other Hokuriku areas, as well as from Kansai.
Access to Joetsu Myoko Station from various areas
| From Kansai area | From Shin-Osaka Station, take the "Express Thunderbird" to Tsuruga Station (approx. 1hr 20min) From Tsuruga Station, take the "Hokuriku Shinkansen Hakutaka" to Joetsu Myoko Station (approx. 2hr) |
| From Kanazawa | From Kanazawa Station, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen Hakutaka to Joetsu Myoko Station in about 1 hour. |
| From Nagano | 25 minutes from Nagano Station to Joetsu Myoko Station by [Hokuriku Shinkansen Hakutaka]. |
Directions from Joetsu Myoko Station to Naoetsu Port
Taxis are recommended from Joetsu Myoko Station to Naoetsu Port.
| the time required | Approximately 30 minutes by taxi |
| cab | Fee: 4,500 yen for a standard car |
Rental Car is a convenient way to gexplore Sado Island!
Sado Island is the largest of the remote islands in Japan. Rental car is a convenient way to explore the various attractions on the island!
With Sado Kisen's rental cars, for example, you can rent a car at Ogi Port, tour the island, and then drop off the rental car at Ryotsu Port and return via Niigata City.
Click here tomake a reservation for Sado Kisen Car Rental (Japanese website only)
Highlights and things to do around Ogi Port - Minami Sado Island
Ogi is famous for its tub boats! The scenery that can be seen on the tub boat also changes depending on the location and how it is called!
When one thinks of Sado Island, tarai boats(tub boats) come to mind. Although now synonymous with a tourist activity, tarai boats were originally designed for fishing for iso-negi, or rock onions. It is said that the tub boat was invented to catch wakame seaweed, abalone, and turban shells on the narrow, rocky Ogi Coast, where there are many reefs.
And, in fact, the tarai boats(tub boat) are still used for actual fishing today. If you visit a fishing port in the Ogi area, you can see local fishermen dexterously rowing their tub boats to go fishing.
"Taraibune(Tub boat)" and "Hangiri" are called differently depending on the location.
It is generally called a "tub boat," but in the Shukunegi area it is called a "han-giri (half cut).
In the Ogi area, you can experience a tub boat ride at three locations: (1) the tub boat at Rikiya Kanko Kisen near Ogi Port, (2) the Hangiri in the Shukunegi area, and (3) the tub boat at Yajima Sutra Island. The scenery seen from the sea is different at each location.
Left photo: Rikiya Kanko Kisen's tub boat Center photo: Shukunegi's hangiri (hand-rolled wooden barge) Right photo: Yajima Sutra Island's tub boat
Shukunegi, a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, preserving the townscape of the Edo period
Shukunegi is a village in a cove on the Ogi Coast that developed as a port of call for Kitamae-bune ships through the 17th century, when the Sado gold mine flourished.
Even today, more than 100 board-walled houses are clustered together in a maze of alleys.
The streets of Shukunegi, where the skills of ship carpenters were combined, are a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Shukunegi is still inhabited by residents today, and a quiet time is passing by where people's lives and history intersect.
Visitors can stroll through the streets of Shukunegi and see triangular buildings shaped like boats.
Click here forShukunegi town walking mapClick here forEnglishversion
In the Ogi area, you can also experience marine activities.
Diving and snorkeling experience in the sea of Kotoura, known as the Blue Cave.
The waters of the Ogi area are crystal clear and very beautiful, making it a popular diving spot.
Among them, the Kotoura area, known as the "Blue Cave," has facilities for diving, snorkeling, and sea kayaking.
The Ogi area is also a great place to experience gill net fishing and taste the bliss of freshly caught fish!
At the guest house "Amimoto no Yado Motashichi" located on Yajima and Sutra Island, where you can experience the tub boat experience, you can also try making nets for gill net fishing.
Early in the morning, we take a boat to the fishing grounds near the harbor and haul in the nets with the fishermen. Freshly caught fish can be cooked and tasted for breakfast.
For more information about Amimoto no Yado Motashichi, click here.
Ogi and Minami-Sado areas are a treasure trove of gastronomic delights
Ogi and the Minami-Sado area is famous for its fresh seafood as well as its fruit.
Minami Sado area, where you can find exquisite fruits.
In the Ogi area, bioresolies (black figs), known as black diamonds, are grown, and various top chefs in Japan are fond of the black figs grown in Ogi, Sado Island.
In addition, persimmon cultivation is thriving in the Hamochi area, a 10-minute drive from Ogi Port.
They are sold throughout Japan under the name "okesa persimmons".
A rare region in the world where apples, oranges, and lemons can be harvested.
The Minami-Sado area, including Ogi and Hamo, and the Nishimikawa area a little further north from Minami-Sado, are rare areas in the world where many kinds of fruits are grown, including apples, mandarins, lemons, kiwis, and persimmons.
Apples are fruits that come from regions with relatively cold temperatures. Oranges and lemons are grown in relatively warm regions. The reason why fruits of different origins are grown in the same area on Sado Island is due to the topography of Sado Island and the warm currents that flow off Sado Island.
Sado is known as a treasure island of food ingredients, not only for its fresh seafood such as tuna, squid, sweet shrimp, and oysters, but also for its abundance of fruits and other delicious foods.
Earth Celebration, a popular event in the Ogi area
Earth Celebration is a music festival held by the taiko performing arts group Kodo and the city of Sado Island, using the rich natural environment of Sado Island as a stage to connect the world.
Kodo, an international group based on Sado Island, pursues a "new global culture" through musical and cultural exchange with artists and festival participants they meet in various locations.
Visitors from all over the world come to Earth Celebration to enjoy the music and culture.
Earth Celebration Official WebsiteClick here for the English website.
Taste sake breweries and crabs in the Akadomari area!
In the Akadomari area, a 20-minute drive from Ogi Port, there is a sake brewery and a crab market.
Actor Robert De Niro's favorite sake brewery, Hokusetsu Sake Brewery
Hokusetsu Shuzo was founded in Akadomari in 1872. It has been brewing sake here ever since.
The quaint exterior of the brewery is a wonderful sight.
The brewery is dedicated to water, rice, people, and the climate of Sado Island, and in addition to the skilled techniques that have been preserved and passed down since its founding, new ideas such as musical performances, ultrasonic vibrations, and centrifugal separators are incorporated to create a fusion of tradition and innovation.
The store is marked by a sake barrel in the parking lot.
In front of the store is a great view of Akadomari Harbor.
The store also has special limited edition sake and seasonal sake, which are hard to find at retail stores.
Yayoshimaru, a direct sales outlet for red snow crab
Crabs brought in from the port are immediately boiled on the beach and sold in stores.
Red snow crab is sweeter than snow crab.
The soft and tender meat of the red snow crab melts into a soft and tender ball, and the tasty, fresh crabmeat is exquisite.
The freshness of red snow crab is a must-try delicacy when visiting Sado Island!
Naoetsu - Ogi Route" is easily accessible from Kansai, Nagano, Holuriku or even Tokyo.
If you want to go to Sado Island, start by making a boarding reservation on Sado Kisen Steamship.
How was it?
The area around Ogi Port and the Minami Sado area is not only full of spectacular scenery, but also of gourmet food.
You can enjoy a fulfilling trip to Sado Island, where the rich bounty of nature will heal your body and soul, and you can also learn about the history and culture of the area.
Start your trip by making a reservation to board the Sado Kisen Ship!
Ticket reservations can be made conveniently online. Early booking is recommended, especially for those who wish to use car navigation.
