Mysterious Sado: Guided by Megaliths, Stars, and Demons

Crossing the Sea at the Vernal Equinox

—March 20, 2025, Vernal Equinox—
The vernal equinox in Niigata was still cold, and a chilly rain had been falling until morning.
I am deeply grateful to the two travel veterans who decided to join me immediately despite the sudden invitation for a "Vernal Equinox Sado Trip." If I had been alone, I would have surely given up due to the cold, the darkness, and the gale-force winds... I feel like I learned that life is about going with the flow and taking action!

【 Day 1 Itinerary 】

Depart Niigata Port 9:25 → Arrive Sado Ryotsu Port 11:55
Lunch → Kitazawa Flotation Plant Ruins → Sado Gold Mine → Benkei's Scissors Rock → Check in to accommodation → Dinner
The Sado Gold Mine and the Kitazawa Flotation Plant Ruins were introduced in detail in my previous Sado trip, "Sado is Too Much of a Treasure Island," so please read that if you are interested.
I will introduce how to ride the car ferry, stylish cafes in Sado, and cheap, friendly accommodations in the second half.

This time, I'm diving straight into the main topic!!!

Thank you for 237 views on "Sado is Too Much of a Treasure Island"! (2025.5.28)
It gives me motivation. Thank you so much!

Is "Benkei's Scissors Rock" a Ruin of a Maritime People?

If I say this out of the blue, you might think, "What are you talking about?" In fact, when I said, "I came to see the sunset sinking between Benkei's Scissors Rock!" the people of Sado looked puzzled. That is to be expected, as Benkei's Scissors Rock seems to be a place for praying for success in entrance exams as an "un-falling rock" rather than for sunsets.

The theme of Niko-bune Dochu is to travel through the legends and stories sleeping in the land as if reading a novel. I would be happy if you could read it with a high sense of imagination, as if enjoying a story from a different timeline.
(I have a feeling that if I don't provide this preamble, this blog might end up going who knows where.)

What is the "Benkei's Scissors Rock" Legend?

It is said that while Sado Benkei and his group of mountain ascetics were on their way from Aikawa (near Sado Gold Mine) to Mt. Kinpoku for training, a demon who was lying in wait challenged them to a test of strength. It is said that the rock Sado Benkei threw during that time flew all the way to the beach of Shimo-Aikawa.
The grave of the famous magistrate "Shizume Ichizaemon" and the "Fukiage Coast Quarry Ruins," an asset related to the Sado Gold and Silver Mines, are adjacent to it. (Excerpt from Sado Tourism Navigation)

I have been searching for various things, but I cannot find any books that record the "Benkei's Scissors Rock" legend. I felt a bit uneasy about this, so I looked it up at the library and found a legend that seems to reveal the big picture, so I will introduce it.

What is the Relationship Between Sado and Demons?

"Mt. Kinpoku"
Mt. Kinpoku is the highest mountain in Sado and is considered a sacred mountain. It is said that from the Middle Ages to the early modern period, the "Three Mountain Trek" of ascetic training was conducted across the connected peaks of Mt. Kongo and Mt. Dantoku.

"Mountains are the Dwellings of Demons"
In old Sado, demons lived in the mountains and people lived in the villages. Therefore, humans did not enter the mountains to disturb them, and demons did not come to the villages to do evil.
However, one day, the village's guardian deity thought, "I want to sit on the highest place on this island," so he told the demon to give up the mountain. When the demon refused, they decided to compete. The god said he could easily build a road to the summit of Mt. Kinpoku, so the demon also stacked stone steps, saying he would show him by building stone steps before the rooster crowed in the morning. However, he was one step short of 9,999 steps, so he lost to the god and had to give up the mountain.

"Is this the origin of the Onde-ko (Demon Drum)?"
The defeated demon was annoyed to back down just like that, so he decided to go out to the village and rampage only once a year on the day of the festival, and the god also started to overlook it only on this day.
Excerpt and summary from "Why Demons Rampage at Festivals"
Sado folk tale "Legends and Gossip of Sawada Kuninaka" by Soei Kodama
(There is also a legend in Akita Prefecture called The 999 Steps Built by a Demon)

＊＊＊＊＊

What is a "demon"? There is a theory that they were the Jomon people.
In the book "True History Episode 0" by Kazutada Takeuchi, who researches maritime peoples and megaliths, it is stated that immigrant miners (stonemasons) who inherited the Celtic lineage remained in the mountains and became beings feared by the villagers as "demons." It seems that demons were beings who loved the forest and worshipped water.

In the "Benkei's Scissors Rock" legend, the demon who originally lived on Mt. Kinpoku challenged the mountain ascetic (yamabushi) to a test of strength if he were to enter Mt. Kinpoku.
It seems to be a story where the mountain ascetic used his superhuman strength or magical power to throw a rock, which then got stuck between the rocks on the beach of Aikawa.
The demon was also a mining engineer, and the mountain ascetic also had aspects of a mining engineer. The stone-step-building competition between the demon and the village's guardian deity over Mt. Kinpoku was also a contest of "stone" technology.

Is it because the demon gave up Mt. Kinpoku at this time that Mt. Kinpoku is introduced as a mountain of Shugendo in tourist guides? As an aside, there is currently a Self-Defense Force radar base on the summit of Mt. Kinpoku. You can feel the passage of time, can't you?

And, Sado's Onde-ko!!!
The Onde-ko is dedicated at shrines during Sado festivals, or they go around to every house in the village for door-to-door performances (kadozuke). The dances differ by village and have become a traditional performing art that has been carefully passed down for generations. Sado's demons are considered "beings that invite good fortune" and continue to be loved.

While I was searching for various materials, I found information about the "rooster" that crowed during the competition on Mt. Kinpoku and stories related to the patterns on the Onde-ko costumes, and I became even more addicted to the Sado swamp.
The story of the rooster and the costume patterns will be for another time.

On June 12, 2024, at the Ushio Shrine Eve Festival, a demon drum performance was dedicated.

*****

Sado is home to many legends of "demons" and "dragons."
Right next to "Benkei's Scissors Rock," at Senjojiki, there is a place where a "demon" and a "dragon" are said to have held a discussion.
After the "demon" comes the "dragon."
Visitors arrive in Sado one after another. (In terms of the flow of time, perhaps it goes: O -> Jomon people -> Demons -> Dragons -> Local guardian deities/Yamabushi?)
It is believed that a Tamatsukuribe (a professional community that made tube beads, etc.) was located in Sado, and many Yayoi period ruins have been discovered. Since Izumo had a dragon-snake cult, I can't help but imagine that the "dragon" might refer to the Izumo tribe. There is also a legend that Okuninushi-no-Mikoto of Izumo coveted the red jade stones of Sado.

A discussion between a demon and a dragon? Senjojiki

A demon living on land and a dragon living in the sea got into a fight over the boundary between land and sea. They argued for a long time, but since they couldn't reach a conclusion, they decided to each send seven representatives to hold a meeting. The location for this meeting was hard to decide, but they eventually agreed to hold it at the water's edge, halfway between land and sea.
The dragon poked up rocks from the seabed, and the demon scraped away rocks from the mountain to create a wide meeting place called Senjojiki. (Senjojiki: A flat area large enough to lay out a thousand tatami mats.)
When the discussion settled down and they started drinking, beautiful young women came out to serve the sake. The dragon, drunk on sake, took a cute girl on his lap and said, "I will give you whatever you want," to which the girl immediately replied, "I would like this Senjojiki." The Senjojiki in Aikawa that remains today is said to be from that time.

Also, the story of charcoal burner Togoro and Togawa Shrine remains at Senjojiki.

When a character called a "charcoal burner" appears in folktales and legends, it often seems to be related to tatara ironmaking or mining. It is said that old, specialized charcoal burning before the Meiji era developed in conjunction with mining smelting and blacksmithing techniques.
"Yamabushi" also seem to have aspects of being mining engineers.

The grave of Shizume Ichizaemon / Fukiage Coast quarry ruins / Charcoal burner Togoro / If I were to write about the Uto Shrine I will introduce next... it would become an even longer text, so I created a supplementary detour blog. If you are interested, please take a detour further into the depths of Sado.

On the day of the Spring Equinox, after sunset

After seeing off the sun to tomorrow at "Benkei's Scissors Rock," I stopped by the neighboring Senjojiki for a bathroom break. Even though the sea was pitch black after sunset, it wasn't scary with three people! After all, it's a new restroom with a washlet.
I was curious about the "Uto Shrine Motomiya" display that appears near Senjojiki on Google Maps and felt like exploring around Togawa Shrine, but I obediently followed the advice of a fortune teller from Kansai who traveled with me, saying, "You shouldn't go to shrines after 6 PM," and headed home.

I started to get hungry, and with the guidance of another person connected to the Sado Aikawa area, we were wandering around in a car looking for a popular yakitori restaurant where even famous celebrities are said to visit in secret. Then, that friend pointed into the darkness and said, "Oh, this is the temple where my ancestors' graves were before we closed the grave!" I got goosebumps that felt like excitement, and the puzzle of images began to come together.
She said her ancestors were Sado temple carpenters. The theory that marine people's shipwrights became temple carpenters, the spring equinox sunset, the equinox... they all connected into a single line, and I became immersed in an emotional sentiment even more than she was, thinking, "This is a journey to visit ancestors."

A place where stars and megaliths meet

On the Niko-bune journey, "Ancient One World"—the idea that the super-ancient world was a single cultural sphere connected by marine people. Based on this dream-like theory, I am also searching for traces of marine people. Similar cup-shaped holes, megaliths, and petroglyphs can be seen all over the world, and the late Professor Barry Fell of Harvard University proposed the theory that "megalithic culture was spread throughout the world by marine people."

On my last trip, I discovered cup-shaped holes on the water basin of Takato Shrine within the Sado Gold Mine grounds.
Cup-shaped holes are holes that have been poked into water basins and shrine stairs. They exist all over the world and have been worshipped as symbols of regeneration and immortality, or as wishes for the prosperity of descendants and the resurrection of the dead. In Japan, their existence has been confirmed since the Jomon period.

And because marine people navigated by the stars at night, it is said that they had star worship. The North Star, which always points north, and the three stars of Orion, which always rise due east and set due west, must have looked like gods guiding them to their destinations or the future.
The North Star leads to the North Star cult and Myoken cult, and it is said that the three Sumiyoshi gods—Sokotsutsu-no-o-no-kami, Nakatsutsu-no-o-no-kami, and Uwatsutsu-no-o-no-kami—who are gods of navigation, represent the three stars of Orion.
The sun is also worshipped all over the world, and sun gods appear in many mythologies, including Greek, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Norse, and Japanese mythology.

It is said that after the spring equinox sun sets at "Benkei's Scissors Rock" in Aikawa, Sado Island, the constellation Orion can be seen between the rocks. Is the relationship between the celestial bodies in the sky and "Benkei's Scissors Rock" a coincidence?

From here on, I will introduce several places where stars (the sun) and megaliths meet.
Coincidence or intention? Please try to feel the facts with your mind's eye.

The cat of Kumamoto: Men-no-ishi

There is a stone in Kumamoto that has a similar shape to Sado's "Benkei's Scissors Rock." No, to be precise, there was. Like Sado, it was a popular spot as a "stone that doesn't fall," but unfortunately, the stone fell during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.
After the stone fell, it is said that it is still a popular spot because the shape of the cave looks like a cat! That is a slightly comforting story.

Looking up from inside this cave, you can see the North Star and the constellation Draco, which is why it has been called the "Dragon's Egg" by locals since ancient times and considered a sacred place. It seems the North Star aligns right at the position of a cat's forehead.

While it likely depends on the rock material, it seems more weathered than the rocks in Sado. Perhaps it is because the North Star cult is older than sun worship. (I still lack the knowledge to explain this, so perhaps another day.)

Izu's Hasami-ishi (Scissors Rock)

<Legend of the Hasami-ishi>
Long ago, the nearby coast was a treasure trove of turban shells and abalone, so there were constant disputes over the fishing grounds.
There is a legend that a Tengu from Mount Amagi, seeing these disputes, carried stones and wedged one between them to settle the conflict.
Lava from the Amagi volcano, which was active until about 200,000 years ago, was eroded by waves, creating a strange rock formation where two large rocks sandwich a smaller one.
( Izu Peninsula Geopark website)

Tengu and Yamabushi (mountain ascetics) became syncretized, and Tengu are often depicted in Yamabushi attire. Izu was also a land that prospered from gold and silver mines, and the stories of territorial (fishing ground) disputes are similar to those of the Senjojiki in Sado.
And it is said that the sun of the summer and winter solstices passes between the two pillars of Izu's Hasami-ishi.What is the role of the Hasami-ishi???
The positional relationship between the Hasami-ishi in Sado Aikawa and East Izu is shown in the figure below. It's close, but slightly off a straight line (lol). I wonder if there is a gold vein around here.
The Hasami-ishi in East Izu is quite steep and dangerous to reach by land, so it is said that it can only be seen by cruising.

* There is also a legend of demons regarding the "Hasakari-iwa" (wedged rock) on the Takeno Coast in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, and its surroundings. Its connection to the movement of the sun and stars is unknown.

Benkei no Shichimodori (Benkei's Seven Returns)

Located near the summit of Mount Nyotai on Mount Tsukuba (Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture), which consists of Mount Nantai on the west and Mount Nyotai on the east within the grounds of Tsukuba-san Shrine.
It has been called a "stone gate" since ancient times and was considered a gate separating the sacred from the profane. It is said that the rock overhead looks like it is about to fall at any moment, causing even Benkei to turn back seven times.
It is connected to Benkei through the name "Benkei's Scissors Rock." While searching, the keywords "man and woman" also appeared, but...

Such shapes found in the mountains with stones naturally wedged in them are also called chockstones.

Kanayama Megalithic Site

When searching for "spring equinox," the "Kanayama Megalithic Site" appears. It has existed since the Jomon period and is said to function as a solar calendar. Japan also has megalithic sites like Stonehenge in England. It is said that sunlight can be observed during the spring and autumn equinoxes, as well as the summer and winter solstices.
It is wonderful that such ruins remain! Niigata also had a stone circle from the Jomon period, but it sank to the bottom of a dam. What a pity!
Address: Iwase, Kanayama-cho, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture

Oshitoishi Megalithic Site

On this hill at an altitude of 845 meters, there is a group of large and small stones called the "Oshitoishi Hill." The largest is a pyramid-shaped megalith 5.5 meters high and 15.3 meters in circumference.
According to legend, these are the stones that demons played with at night, using them for "ishinago" (jacks). Because of the arrangement of the stones, which seems artificial, it is presumed to be an ancient ruin.
The large rock has Sumerian characters from about 4,000 years ago carved as petroglyphs (rock carvings), and it holds interesting mysteries along with the other stone groups.
From the Minamioguni Town Tourism Association official website

Address: 511 Nakabaru, Minamioguni-machi, Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture

Nara | Hibara Shrine and Mount Nijo

Although not a megalith, Hibara Shrine was the first thing that caught my eye when I searched for "spring equinox." Is it because I had just visited Mount Miwa in Nara?
Hibara Shrine and Mount Nijo are also places related to the movement of the sun.
Hibara Shrine is also called Moto-Ise, a shrine where Amaterasu Omikami was temporarily enshrined before moving to the current Ise Jingu. Speaking of Amaterasu Omikami, it's the sun, right?
On the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, the sunset sinks between the male and female peaks of Mount Nijo, which can be seen directly in front of the torii gate of Hibara Shrine.
Perhaps because this image was so strong, I had a dream a few days after returning from Sado.

Once again, Benkei's Scissors Rock

Ancient Artist

"Actually, you're supposed to look at it upside down."
A few days after returning from Sado, in the morning, somewhere between a dream and consciousness, someone spoke to me. I woke up at this voice, immediately grabbed my smartphone, and turned the "Benkei's Scissors Rock" upside down.

--I see, does this shape represent "rebirth"?

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. In the ancient world, it was likely believed that the life and death of the sun existed within a single day. The western direction is a symbol of "death," the "underworld," and the "Pure Land," and is also the "Higan" (the other shore).

I also thought of the two rocks as a torii gate. It is said that when you visit a shrine, you pass through the approach (birth canal), pray at the main hall (womb), and are reborn when you return.
At "Amamiya Shrine" in Sagara Village, Kuma District, Kumamoto Prefecture, the "Sansan Kuguri" (Three-Birth Crawl) is famous. There is a legend that if you crawl three times through a narrow space shaped like Benkei's Shichi-Modori, you will be blessed with children.

Perhaps the sensibilities of the people who conceived this design were those of artists and designers. A symbolic shape with layers of meaning. That is what I felt.

A spell to see the truth

I once looked into this because a "spell" called the "Fox Window" was depicted in the animation of a certain song.
It is said to be a "spell" to see through things that have disguised themselves as monsters or the like. Other methods included looking upside down from between one's legs, or peeking through the sleeve of a kimono to see their true form.
Even in the dream-like state, my consciousness seemed to be active, and I was pondering whether "looking upside down" meant looking from between one's legs. After waking up and looking at "Benkei's Scissors Rock" upside down first thing, I also searched for "looking from between one's legs."

Shivers! Shivers again.
It is said that "looking from between one's legs" is a method passed down among sailors to spot ghost ships and supernatural phenomena. In some regions, there is also a belief that if a child looks from between their legs, the next child will be born.

*****

Is "Benkei's Scissors Rock" a ruin of a maritime people?

To conclude, I don't know the answer. Just being able to imagine this was fun enough.
On the spring equinox when we visited, the clouds were thick and the wind was strong, so we couldn't accurately verify exactly where the sunset fell on "Benkei's Scissors Rock."
At the time when the invisible sun was setting, I conveyed my gratitude in my heart toward the west (the other shore) to my invisible ancestors. "Thank you for connecting life this far."
While thinking of our predecessors who must have been making great voyages during the Jomon period--.

The two people who spent the spring equinox with me despite the bad weather were also offering their own prayers. It became a very memorable trip.

Sado Trip ~Introduction to Cafes, Inns, and Shops~

For dinner on the first day, we couldn't find a yakitori restaurant after all, so we had fish dishes at "Mochidaya." The fish in Sado was delicious, of course, but what I felt was the most delicious was the "wakame" seaweed. Spring wakame is exquisite! Highly recommended!

[ Day 2 Itinerary ]

Accommodation → Got lost at Senkakuwan → Nanaura Coast (Meoto Iwa) → Gakkogura Cafe → Watatsu Shrine → Satoyama Cafe Yamazato (Lunch) → Shukunegi (Sabo Yamashita) → A-Coop Hamochi → Accommodation → Re-challenge Benkei's Scissors Rock

Sado Belle Mer Youth Hostel

Address: 369-4 Himezu, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture
The sea spreads out right in front, and if the weather is good, the sunset is beautiful and a morning walk seems pleasant. In March, the island hadn't opened for the season yet, so although there were many rooms, we had the place to ourselves. There was only one bath. A jet bath? The temperature was just right and it felt good.
It is close to Benkei's Scissors Rock, and I booked it with breakfast included based on reviews saying "Breakfast is recommended!"
Just as the reviews said, the breakfast was wonderful!! Since we had the place to ourselves and were a trio of an age that loves small talk, we had a lively conversation with the couple who run the inn. (The couple who run the inn were also having their fortunes told by a fortune teller.)

<Rates>
With 2 meals: From 7,900 yen
1 night with breakfast only: From 5,650 yen
Room only: From 4,700 yen
1 night with dinner: 6,950 yen

The rooms are tatami rooms where you lay out futons, and bath towels and yukata are available for rent. Bathing hours end early, and the men's and women's baths switch depending on the time. It seems that most guests usually stay for fishing, so staying in March is recommended!

Sado-grown white rice, tsukudani nori (Sado-grown), okara stir-fry & fuki-miso from a Sado tofu shop, deep-fried Sado-grown dried fish, cold tofu, rolled omelet, seaweed miso soup, and dried persimmon sherbet

The tsukudani (simmered food) is also less sweet than the bottled versions, and the flavor of the seaweed is fresh. The stir-fried okara and the dried fish also have local flavors that are slightly different from store-bought products, which made them all very delicious!

Nanaura Coast

Driving along the coastline while gazing at the dynamic scenery of the rough Sea of Japan. I imagine the view is expansive and refreshing on a clear day. The rough sea is also exciting (like before a typhoon); I am captivated by nature and my heart feels cleansed.
There are many strange rocks, and the Meoto Iwa (Wedded Rocks) are famous. The Meoto Iwa are green, but there are also red rocks in the same spot, and I heard there is a white island a little further offshore. It was a mysterious place with colorful rocks.
It is said that these Meoto Iwa were created by Izanagi and Izanami as their own avatars to heal from the fatigue of childbirth, and that they created the remaining islands from here.
Regarding the Nanaura Coast, there was some interesting content in the Sado legends, so I will introduce it separately next time.

Gakkogura Cafe

A cafe run by Obata Shuzo that utilizes the former Nishimikawa Elementary School. After climbing a steep slope from the coastal road to the high ground, a superb view overlooking the Sea of Japan spreads out.
When we visited, the wind was so strong that I felt like I might even drop my smartphone camera; it was a great view, but it made me laugh. I wonder what the elementary school students did back then during the winter?

Address: 1871 Nishimikawa, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture
Business days (November-April): Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Business hours: 10:00-16:00
*Subject to change depending on the season and circumstances.business calendarPlease check the.

|Watatsu| Shrine / |Shukunegi|

I have written in detail about the history of Watatsu Shrine and Shukunegi in my previous Sado travel blog, so please take a look if you are interested.

Satoyama Cafe Yamazato

The science room of a closed elementary school has been turned into a cafe. It is an atmospheric cafe that even has ties toOlive magazine, which I admired when I was a girl.
When I parked at the cafe and was wondering where the entrance was, I saw a wild crested ibis. I was moved by how much pinker its feathers were than I had imagined.
I couldn't find the cafe entrance and ended up startling the pet goats. Make sure you don't mistake the entrance.

Fureai House Shiozu no Sato

Address: 38 Seibo, Sado City
Standard with 2 meals: Adult 9,350 yen / Child 8,800 yen
With dinner: Adult 8,250 yen / Child 7,700 yen
With breakfast: Adult 6,930 yen / Child 6,380 yen
Room only: Adult 5,500 yen / Child 4,400 yen
Bath and toilet are shared (bath is available 24 hours)

Our accommodation for the second night was Fureai House Shiozu no Sato. It is an inn on a hill with a great view where you can do craft experiences and camping, perfect for a school trip.
Since we were originally planning to stay for one night, we decided to save on travel expenses by staying room-only. Thanks to the 'Sado Day' plan in March, we were able to stay for 3,980 yen per person per night!! The room had two tatami areas, so we could separate the tea/dining area from the bedroom.
The bath was also spacious and the temperature was comfortable. Since it was a time with few guests, we had it all to ourselves and could relax.

Before heading to the inn, we bought sashimi and local side dishes at A-Coop Hamochi store and put them in the refrigerator. I was thinking of trying to see the sunset at 'Benkei no Hasami-iwa' again by myself, but the other two said, 'We can totally go,' and joined me in my whim. No, both of them are tireless! So energetic!!
On the way to 'Benkei no Hasami-iwa,' the sunset illuminating the sea in golden light was divine. However, to our disappointment, although it was sunny, there were clouds above the sea surface, so we couldn't verify the sunset.
This adult school trip was fun, like a science class. Thank you for joining me.

I was astonished by how cheap and delicious the sashimi sold at Sado supermarkets is. It is a recommended supermarket.

【 Day 3 Itinerary 】

Accommodation → Ebisu Shrine → Hearty Woods (Sado's original convenience store) → Roadside Station → Depart Ryotsu Port at 12:45 → Arrive at Niigata Port at 15:15

Ebisu Shrine

Address: 200 Kamoutashiro, Sado City
Ebisu Shrine has a mysterious atmosphere with many Jizo statues, Buddha statues, and stone monuments. Since it is in the Ebisu area, should I read it as 'Ebisu,' or is it 'Hiruko'?
The enshrined deities are Kotoshironushi-no-kami and Hiruko-no-kami. There were also guardian dogs from the Muromachi period.

Hearty Woods

Address: 300 Ryotsu-Ebisu, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture

Continuing from last time, shopping at Hearty Woods again. Everyone loves Hearty Woods. It's a Sado-original convenience store. The shelves are packed with products you won't see anywhere else. It makes you want to browse them slowly. You can enjoy Sado's side dishes, bento boxes, snacks, and bread.

I had Hearty Woods' side dishes and bread for lunch, then boarded the afternoon car ferry and arrived at Niigata Port.
One person went straight to a class reunion (apparently they are the organizer), while the fortune teller from Kansai and I headed to a shop in Niigata that sells health foods and to buy 'Italian' (a local B-grade gourmet dish). Those two seniors have way too much energy!!!!

How to board the car ferry from Niigata Port

Since the round-trip price for a car on the ferry is a bargain at 9,800 yen throughout March, I decided to board with my own car for the first time. A car is essential to fully enjoy Sado in detail.
I've included information on boarding the Sado Kisen ferry with a car in the hopes that it will be helpful, so please read it if you are interested. If you're not interested, please feel free to skip it.

Register for the Sadomaru App

I booked the car ferry through the 'Sadomaru App'.Sadomaru ClubIt seems like there are various benefits to becoming a member, so please download the app and enjoy Sado.
When applying, you need to register the vehicle type and length, so have your documents ready. The booking confirmation email you receive says to 'present your reservation number' at the ticket counter.
Being a nervous person by nature, I found the email content to be lacking in detail, so I checked the itinerary on a senior traveler's blog. I'm glad I checked.

Where do I board?

When boarding the ship from Niigata Port, you cross the bridge toward the Toki Messe area. Use the 'Sado Route' signs painted on the road to choose your lane.Head to the 'Car Ferry Boarding Area' at least 1 hour (or 30 minutes at the latest) before departure.Pass the multi-story parking lot (E) and follow the signs to choose the lane marked 'Car Ferry Boarding Area'. In the large parking lot for the 'Car Ferry Boarding Area', there are staff members who will guide you to a parking spot, and then you head to the 'Car Ferry Ticket Counter'. What you need at that time is your
vehicle inspection certificate. I'm sure it's always in your car, but don't forget it!

Buying a ticket

Show (1) your vehicle inspection certificate, (2) the 'Sadomaru App' screen, and (3) the email sent at the time of booking at the counter to purchase the car transport fee plus your own passenger ticket (round trip).
When you return to your parked car after purchasing, a staff member will scan the QR code on your ticket and stick a confirmation paper on the window, indicating that you are ready to board.

Boarding the ship by car

When the time comes (it's probably not a specific number of minutes before), the parked cars will start moving. I hurriedly started the engine and waited. You board the ship in the lines stopped by the staff's guidance, and follow their instructions for where to park.
When I got out of the car and headed toward the entrance where the experienced passengers were being drawn in, there was an elevator, so I was able to go straight to the upper floor where the passenger cabins are.
On the return ship from Sado Ryotsu Port to Niigata Port, perhaps because the parking position was at the edge of the ship, I had to climb the stairs to get to the passenger cabin.
Both going and returning, there will be an announcement inside the ship before it reaches land, so be sure not to miss it. Return from the elevator to your parked car and wait for the ship's door to open.Even if you climbed the stairs to enter the passenger cabin, you will descend via the elevator.

It was my first time on a car ferry, and it was very convenient to be able to leave two days' worth of luggage in the car!!

Afterword... but talking about ley lines

While writing this blog, I was also reading 'True History: Episode 0'. When you worship the Higan (due west) from 32 degrees north latitude in Kumamoto, you are worshipping the noon sun in Jerusalem, which is also at 32 degrees north latitude when viewed from Japan—it's a very grand and interesting story, so if you are interested, please read it.

Ley lines are a hypothesis suggesting that some ancient ruins were built in a straight line.

Could there be a ley line connected to Sado's "Benkei's Scissors Rock"? I decided to turn my eyes toward the east, specifically the 38th parallel north in Japan, rather than the west.

East from "Benkei's Scissors Rock"
→ First, Sado's "Ryotsu Port" (lol)
→ "Dokkon Water," which gushed forth from Kobo Daishi's vajra / Oppoji Temple
→ "Susanoo Shrine" in Sekikawa Village, Niigata Prefecture
→ "Omiya Koyasu Ryo Shrine" in Oguni Town, Yamagata Prefecture
→ "Sangai Falls," a famous water source in Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
→ "Stone Circle" in Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
→ "Hinata Cave," "Odate Cave," "Akutsu Hachiman Shrine," and "Mahoroba's Seven Lucky Gods / Uriwari Stone Garden Park" in Takahata Town, Yamagata Prefecture *Contains the Demon's Cave and spring water so pure it could split a melon
→ "Koriyama Cave Tomb Cluster" in Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture, known as the Ezo Holes

The area was so full of ruins that I'm not even sure if it can be called a ley line anymore. And the "Niko-bune Journey" tends to travel near the 38th parallel north.Traveling the 38th parallel north might be interesting too! That was the conclusion.
Personally, the fact that "Jomon no Sato Asahi" and Yamagata's pyramids, "Togami-yama," "Togami-yama," and "Chitose-yama," are aligned east-to-west is just too exciting!!!

Next time, I plan to release the continuation of the Sado edition in July. This will probably be exciting too!!! So, I would be happy if you could follow me and wait for it.
Thank you for reading this long post. I am deeply grateful.