Sado Island

Sado Island, located off the coast of Niigata prefecture, is one of the largest Japanese islands on the list of the most beautiful islands in Japan. As a place of exile for Emperor Juntoku, the Buddhist monk Nichiren, and Zeami Motokiyo, the man who founded Noh theatre, it has a rich cultural legacy.

Sado's main draw is the Earth Celebration, an annual music festival hosted by Sado's world-famous Kodo taiko group. The island is also home to the endangered Japanese Ibis (Toki), which was once extinct in the wild but has since been reintroduced thanks to a successful breeding programme. Sado Kinzan, the nation's most productive gold mine, is another historical curiosity. It is said to have funded the Tokugawa Shogunate and to have produced half a tonne of gold per year at its peak. Guests can pan for gold while walking through tunnels with life-sized recreations of Edo period miners.

• Location: Niigata Prefecture, Japan
• Best time to visit: May, June and October