Sado Tours
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Sado Art, Culture, & Historical Tours
Sado Gold and Silver Mine: Relics tell you 400 years of history
Sado has been well known as one of the major gold and silver production sites in Japan. It has the history of 1000 years. There are four major minig sites in Sado: Nishimikawa alluvial gold mine, Tsurushi silver mine, Niibo silver mine and Sado (Aikawa) gold and silver mine. Sado gold and silver mine was the biggest of all with 400 years of history. Mining in Aikawa started in the late 16th century and was halted in 1989. In this tour, we first visit Sado Gold and Silver Mine Museum, where we enter the Sodayu tunnel which is open to the public. The Sodayu tunnel was dug manually by thousands of mine workers during the Edo period. You can see the whole process of gold and silver production at that time. Then we see some old buildings and a relic built from Meiji to Showa era. These buildings were used to crush, store and smelt ores. Next, we visit the graveyard of Mushuku-nin(people without register) brought in from Edo and Osaka to work as drainage workers. Then, we walk down the street called Kyomachi-dori, once bustled with mine workers, government officials and towns people. Kyomachi-dori street linked Sado Magistrate Office to mining sites. Aikawa town was developed and divided into communities with same occupation. Along the way, we see old buildings, workshops, local grocery store and cafes. We walk past old bell tower, Sado Hanga-mura Museum(print museum) originally built as a district court and Sado Magistrate Office. Finally, we visit Kitazawa area, developed from Meiji to Showa era with modern Western mining technologies to produce gold and silver effectively. Ruined factories, thermal power plant and a 50-meter thickener have remained. Sado Gold and Silver Mine has practiced cutting-edge production methods of each era and you can see the authenticity here in Aikawa. FYI, walking distance is about 3 kilometers.
Hina Doll Festival in Aikawa (seasonal tour in Sado From Mar.3 to Mar.20)
Mar. 3rd is "Girl's day" called Hina Matsuri (dolls festival) in Japan. Households with girls display their Hina Dolls to pray for the happiness and healthy growth of their children. Aikawa town in Sado prospered from the beginning of the 17th century to the late 20th century along with the development of Sado Gold and Silver Mine. People of many kinds of professions moved to Aikawa from many parts of Japan to make a fortune and brought in colorful cultures and traditions which led to create an unique Sado culture and tradition. During this time of year, hotels, sightseeing spots, cafes, shops and even private homes exhibit their Hina Dolls for the public and visitors can enjoy walking in the town admiring dolls from different eras. In this tour, we walk around Aikawa town and visit places where Hina Dolls are displayed. With diverse historical backgrounds, there are many kinds of Hina Dolls in Aikawa, some of them from the Edo period or older, the others are made by modern craftsmen. FYI, No.1 At some hotels and restaurants, you can enjoy special "Hina Doll Festival" lunch. No.2 This is a walking tour in Aikawa, but some of the places are accessible by taxi.
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Sado Tour Reviews
“Sado island with Kei”
Kei was a very good guide and I would recommend him to anyone taking this tour.
Keiichi S.
(6 reviews)Aloha Roy ! Thank you for a favorable review. I myself had a wonderful time with you. Take care ! Kei
“Awesome!!!”
Kei was very instrumental in being our tour guide. From the beginning , he worked with us to create an itinerary to fit our needs. Kei speaks english and has a great personality so we all were very comfortable with him. He guided us throughout the whole tour and made Sado Island one of the highlights of our Japan trip. Thank you Kei!!!
Keiichi S.
(6 reviews)Aloha Lori T Thank you very much for your favorable review. I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed Sado tour. I myself had wonderful time with you. Everyone, please take care. Kei
Chayanin N.
☆Sado Day Tour with a Private Car
Customized
“Very good experience about Mr.driver”
Mr.driver introduced many interesting places in Sado, helped guiding the way and helped lifting up wheelchair. He also introduced some restaurants either. We had a very good experience for Sado tour.
Tr taxi R.
(199 reviews)Thanks for your review！We are happy to hear that you had a great time at Sado. If you are visiting other parts of Japan in the future, please contact us again. We always look forward to serving you here.
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