Topic summary

Sado Island

Sado Island

Sado Island (佐渡島, Sado(ga)shima; Japanese pronunciation:) is an island located in the eastern part of the Sea of Japan, under the jurisdiction of Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan, with a coastline of 262.7 kilometres (163.2 mi). In October 2017, Sado Island had a population of 55,212 people. Sado Island covers an area of 854.76 km (330.02 sq mi), and is the sixth largest island in Japan, excluding the disputed Southern Kurils. The shortest distance between Sado Island and Honshu is 32 km (20 mi). The highest peak on Sado Island is Mount Kinpoku, with an elevation of 1,172 m (3,845 ft).

Sado Island was the site of forced labor during World War II, when around 1,500 Koreans were conscripted and forced to work in the mines on the island. The Japanese government, some Japanese scholars, and a minority of international scholars oppose this claim.