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Sado Island Gold Mines

Japan's storied gold island — where hand-worked mines cleft a whole mountain in two.

  • Island
  • March – May (cherry blossom), October – November (autumn)

Asturio Cantabrio via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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About Sado Island Gold Mines

Off the coast of Niigata, Sado Island was for centuries Japan's great source of gold, worked entirely by hand. The most striking sight is the Doyu-no-Warito, a mountain literally split down the middle by generations of miners. Beyond the mining heritage lie rugged coastlines, taiko drumming traditions and the crested ibis brought back from the brink.

Highlights

  • The Doyu-no-Warito split mountain
  • The historic gold mine tunnels
  • Tarai-bune tub boats
  • Crested ibis conservation centre
  • Coastal scenery and sea caves
  • Sado's taiko drumming heritage
▸ Where you'll stay

Where you'll stay in Sado Island Gold Mines

Live map of hotels and villas around Sado Island Gold Mines — powered by Stay22. Pan, zoom and compare live prices to pick your base.

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Hotels & rentals around Sado Island Gold Mines

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▸ What you'll do
What's on

While you're there

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Explore the area

Sado Island Gold Mines · Around the island · 1 island

© OpenFreeMap · OSM · terrain Mapterhorn
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Local attractions & tours

Skip-the-line tickets and small-group tours in Sado Island Gold Mines — compare across our partners.

We're still curating hand-picked tickets and tours for Sado Island Gold Mines. In the meantime, the map above and the nearby cities are a great place to start.

▸ When you'll go

When to visit Sado Island Gold Mines

March – May (cherry blossom), October – November (autumn)

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More trip extras

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Coming soon

We're lining up parking, holiday extras and activities you'll be able to add to any trip from here.