I live here in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Just off the coast of Niigata City, in the Sea of Japan, is the island of Sado.
Sado is a very small island, with an area of only 855.26 square kilometers. The island is known for beautiful birds called Toki (Japanese crested ibis), fresh, delicious seafood, and its very unique culture which includes things such as tarai bune, which are large wooden buckets turned fishing boats.
Sado.
Some folks afloat in "Tarai Bune" "tub boats."
image source.
Sado also was formerly a place of exile for "no-good" government dissenters and such, like myself!
The earliest known dissident to be condemned to exile on Sadogashima was a poet, Hozumi no Asomi Oyu (穂積朝臣老?). He was sent to the island in 722, reportedly for having criticized the emperor.
The Sado gold mine.
Perhaps of greatest interest to me at the moment, however, is the Sado gold mine!
Worked from 1601 to 1974, and closed in 1989, the Sado gold mine continues to be a big tourist attraction for foreigners and Japanese alike, due to its rich history, beauty, and a cool little challenge/gimmick that I just have to try this summer.
The gold bar challenge.
In the Sado mine museum there is a small display which is really just a clear box with a bar of gold sitting inside. A small hole is cut into the side of the box most adults can just barely get their hand through. If you can successfully extract the heavy, glittering gold bar from the box, you get a prize!
What is the prize, you ask? Well, I used to think it was the gold bar itself. Turns out it is a commemorative card made of gold worth about 45 US dollars. Check out the challenge in this video:
Do you think you could get it out? Now that I've seen the video, I've gotta try it! Wish me luck!
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
