Shukunegi

Shukunegi is a town at the southernmost tip of Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, and in 1991 it was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government. Historically, the town prospered as a port of call for Kitamaebune merchant ships, reaching its peak from the Edo period through the Meiji period, and the townscape built by ship carpenters still remains today. In this “village of sengokubune ships and ship carpenters,” start by taking a walk through the town. A recommended route begins at the Sado Country Ogi Folk Museum, goes to the coast, circles around, and returns. This area has many traditional buildings, allowing you to feel the atmosphere of a port town that once flourished through ship carpenters. Some houses can also be viewed inside. At the Sado Country Ogi Folk Museum, about 30,000 items are exhibited, including tools related to fisheries and daily life in southern Sado. Next to it, you can see a full-scale restored sengokubune ship, “Hakusanmaru,” reconstructed based on historical plank drawings. Access: about 10 minutes by car from Ogi Port, about 30 minutes from Akadomari Port, about 70 minutes from Ryotsu Port. By bus, get off at the Shukunegi bus stop on the Shukunegi Line.